The Blues look dejected after their loss to the Chiefs. Photo / Photosport
The Blues look dejected after their loss to the Chiefs. Photo / Photosport
The agony continues for the Blues as yet another frantic derby slipped through their fingers tonight in Hamilton.
They were unrecognisable from the shambolic outfit that were hammered by the Sharks seven days ago, but they weren't quite able to make the full transformation from losers to winners.
They came close. Within six minutes to beating the Chiefs for the first time in seven years, but once again, when they needed a killer play, or a bit of luck, anything really to get them home, it wasn't there.
Incredibly for a local derby, the game became stuck in the most thrilling stalemate after halftime, where neither team was able to score for 30 minutes.
The longer that situation remained, the more obvious it became that one mistake, or one act of brilliance was going to change everything and potentially decide things.
Which made the Chiefs favourites, despite the fact they were five points behind. They prevailed in similarly tight circumstances when the two met earlier in the season, and holding firm under pressure hasn't been the Blues' thing in the last couple of years.
It has, in fact, very much been their problem that they haven't been able to press home an advantage in the final quarter.
And it was their problem once again when after so much gallant defending; so much heart and soul, they finally were broken when Josh Goodhue was yellow carded for killing the ball.
The card was the result of accumulative penalties for the same act and the Chiefs, with a man advantage, were able to dominate a series of scrums and win a penalty try.
It was a heartbreaker for the Blues after so much endeavour but while they defended so well in the second half, they never really had the ball or offered anything in attack.
That won't be easy for them to take because they had worked so hard to reach the break not only ahead, but with a sense of them starting to be in control.
Solomon Alaimalo of the Chiefs makes a break. Photo / Getty
Which was a major surprise. They started well with a predictable hiss and roar as they flew out to try to make an early statement after the horror show they served up against the Sharks.
But it was only a 10-minute blast and the Chiefs wrestled back control, dominated territory and possession for the next 15 and looked like they were suddenly in the mood to get the job done before the break.
It rocked the Blues. They wobbled a bit – quite a lot - when the Chiefs constructed a try all too easily with nothing more than two long passes, and then Stephen Perofeta put his second consecutive kick off out on the full.
It looked like heads were dropping – that confidence had drained out of the visitors and they were glumly eyeing one another wondering whether it would be okay to hit the panic button.
But they dug in with some impressive scrambling defence and combative work at the breakdown from Kara Pryor and they found a way to steady the ship.
The pending implosion was averted, helped no doubt by seeing Damian McKenzie hobble off and when Perofeta made a scything run down the left flank after half an hour, it sparked something in the Blues.
They managed to barge over the line shortly after and swing the momentum back in their favour.
More importantly, though, that 15 minute period before the break was enough to remind them that they can play good rugby. They can perform at this level when they trust each other on defence and don't overdo the offloading and risk-taking on attack.
That elusive 80-minute performance still alludes them but they have at least restored some pride and confidence.
Chiefs 21 (S. Wainui, Penalty tries; D. McKenzie 3 pens) Blues 19 (J. Parsons tries; S. Perofeta 4 pens, con)
