He arrived under a metaphoric cloud, left under a literal one and yet Ma'a Nonu was nothing but a little ray of sunshine in his second stint with the Blues.

One of the cult heroes of the All Blacks' 2011 World Cup winning side is parting ways with New Zealand rugby.

The Blues have held firm at Eden Park although apart from the win against the Force, they have been unable to find the same recipe away from HQ.

The first match in which Blues first-five Ihaia West plays with his short-term future secured could also be the one in which he feels the most pressure.

The equation is simple for the Blues to make the Super Rugby playoffs: win by a clear 38 points this Friday at their Eden Park fortress.

If the Blues have taken a step forward in 2014, they are about to take at least two back, writes Gregor Paul.

Join us here for tonight's live blog of the Super Rugby clash between the Crusaders and the Blues from AMI Stadium in Christchurch.

No dice, Blues coach John Kirwan proclaimed this week when asked about a move to contract Beauden Barrett.

Twelve months ago it looked as if Tony Woodcock's grip on the All Blacks' No 1 jersey was slipping.

As Blues captain Luke Braid contemplates a trip to Christchurch where he has never won at either Super Rugby or national provincial championship level.

Herald rugby writers Gregor Paul & Wynne Gray give their expert opinion & analysis after the Blues surprised many with a convincing win away from home against the Force in Perth, but can they back it up with another victory this weekend in Christchurch against the Crusaders.

How do you explain the Blues' comprehensive victory against the Force?

The Blues are trying hard to lure All Blacks first-five Beauden Barrett to lead their backline next year.

Despite the extremely high level Jerome Kaino reached on his return to the All Blacks against England, he feels he let himself down in the third test in Hamilton.

There's a light and dark shade for Charles Piutau about rugby in New Plymouth.

John Kirwan is preparing to receive a high-powered reinforcement in the form of returning fullback Charles Piutau

Loose forward Luke Braid will see out the Blues' season and then go under the knife, possibly on both his shoulders, which have troubled him the last two years.

The Blues have secured their spot in the 2024 Super Rugby finals, beating the Brumbies 34-20. Video / Sky Sport

Ihaia West's performance in the Blues' big victory over the Hurricanes on Saturday night proved he is not only at home at this level.

The Blues will be denied access to their most influential and arguably best asset until round eight of Super Rugby next year, as Eden Park is off-limits until early April due to the Cricket World Cup.

John Kirwan must have had mixed feelings watching his team humble the Hurricanes at Eden Park tonight. On the one hand he will be ecstatic, on the other, he will question why his team can't do this away

Relive all the action from the Super Rugby clash between the Blues and the Hurricanes from Eden Park in Auckland