KEY POINTS:
They might have a larger Harbour Bridge, a slicker city and a bigger population but the Waratahs were no Super 14 match for the Blues.
Not even close. This Eden Park match last night was very one-sided, so heavily weighted in favour of the Blues they could have ignored throwing reconditioned All Black Keven Mealamu into the final quarter.
All the Blues deputies upgraded their status and sent out a "dare you to sack us" message to coach David Nucifora for next week's local derby against the Chiefs.
Hooker Derren Witcombe, lock Greg Rawlinson, left wing Rudi Wulf and loosehead prop Chris Heard would have all figured in man of the match voting with energised skipper Troy Flavell and openside flanker Daniel Braid who was an overwhelming presence at the breakdowns.
The difference in the teams' attitude, skill and attacking clout was as marked as their positions on the points table. The Blues aggressive defence and offloading style flummoxed the Waratahs who flirted with adventure but shovelled the ball across field or showed their lack of confidence by kicking possession away.
At times, the Blues lost their tempo against a determined foe but the only suspense for the 26,500 crowd was whether they would deliver a bonus point victory.
Substitute five-eighths David Holwell was held up over the line before Flavell scored the fourth try when the Blues worked a clever scrum move with the Waratahs a man down because Will Caldwell was in the sinbin.
"We were unsure how we were going to perform off the bye," Nucifora said.
"It was not our best game of the season, we got a bit anxious but our defence was strong and we never felt the Waratahs threatened us with their attack. We thought we had their number all the time," he added in a damning assessment of the visitors.
The Blues' victory kept the heat on the Sharks to stay in the competition lead while the Waratahs extended their worst streak in Super rugby history - six matches without a win.
It was all too easy for the hosts. There were an alarming number of misses during the game for a team once touted as a Super 14 title challenger. They looked dazed by the speed, movement and ball skills of the home side. They have produced some dazzling work this season but last night offered any number which would qualify in a season's highlights package.
Braid's opening try to cap a prolonged assault may have been the best. It was multi-phase perfection as the Waratahs managed to hold their lines and the Blues retained the ball, probing and searching, patiently making metres across the advantage line until Braid's angled run split the tiring tacklers.
Blues: 34 (T. Flavell 2, D. Braid, S. Devine, tries; L. McAlister, 4 con, 2 pen
Waratahs: 6 (P. Hewat, 2 pen) Halftime: 17-6
