They needed to own the game from the first contact to break their seven-game losing streak against the Chiefs - not come hard and fast in the final 10 minutes.
There needed to be energy, more drive, more accuracy, more speed and more imagination to get the job done. They also needed to kick less, back themselves to run from deep and take a few more risks.
Sonny Bill Williams of the Chiefs looks to offload the ball. Photo / Getty Images
Wynne Gray's First Take: Cohesive Chiefs well-drilled
That became more so once they had leaked two soft tries midway through the first half. From there, they had to find ways to run the Chiefs off their feet, to stretch them and stress them and try to open the game up for a free-for-all final quarter.
Instead, they were a bit too much about graft and grind. Their scrum, which became seriously dominant, became their main focus. It yielded penalties and applied pressure but, as is often the way when teams have such ascendancy in that area, they tend to become a bit pedestrian elsewhere.
The Chiefs, scrum troubles aside, looked to be more than comfortable with the pace of the game and in no particular flux about the attacking plans presented by their opponent until the final 10 minutes.
Blues v Chiefs match centre
It was in that final quarter that the Blues really looked like they were on top, looked like their pack had taken the legs from the Chiefs and could sneak home.
Until then, however, the Chiefs had been that bit better. They were quicker to the loose ball and more certain about how they wanted to play.
The biggest difference of all was the threat they posed through their midfield - through their whole backline, in truth. Damian McKenzie, who must have the skinniest legs ever seen in Super Rugby, was impressively organised.
No wonder there's big raps on this kid. Those little matchstick legs of his booted the ball a quite remarkable distance - his goal-kicking would most definitely be all about timing. It can't be about power.
He took on the line, passed well, tackled well, made good, simple decisions and even threw a punch - a first-five sort of punch that kind of lost its nerve towards the impact zone and became more of a slap, but the important part was he stood up for himself.
His poise and craft brought Sonny Bill Williams into the game, as well as the nicely-put-together Bryce Heem who looks a rangy athlete with a decent future.
Those two quick tries were killers. They didn't need to be but, when the Blues didn't take the chance to play catch-up football with a higher element of risk attached, it became a gap too far to bridge.
It needn't be disastrous, though. The Blues have a handful of players to bring back - most noticeably Daniel Bowden and Patrick Tuipulotu. And when Luke Braid entered the fray in the final quarter, he did plenty to lift the dynamism like Charlie Faumuina who went on a few big charges.
The Blues lost. But not all is lost.
Blues 18 (I. West 6 pens)
Chiefs 23 (J. Lowe, B. Heem tries; D. McKenzie 2 cons, 3 pens)
HT: 9-20
