The Blues took off from Sydney en route to Johannesburg on Sunday, check out what they got up to on the flight to the Republic. Courtesy The Blues/YouTube channel.

If you're a fan of the Blues, you have every right to feel encouraged by what you saw on Friday night, writes Justin Marshall.

It's early days and there are still flaws in their game, most notably their lineout which was put under severe pressure by the Crusaders.

The Blues showed their passion, class and skill to come back into the match and beat the Crusaders 35 - 24. Herald photographer Richard Robinson was there.

Outrageously young, supremely talented and yet virtually unknown, Tevita Li took a giant step towards stardom last night, writes Gregor Paul.

Auckland Blues head coach John Kirwan says his team still has plenty of work to do even after outplaying the Crusaders at Eden Park 35-24.

Herald Rugby writers Gregor Paul and Patrick McKendry give their expert opinion and analysis after the Blues outplayed the Crusaders at Eden Park.

No team ever lost the Super Rugby title in the first week. But one could be about to lose it in the second.

Sir John Kirwan has put his faith in 20-year-old first-five Simon Hickey, a player yet to make his Super Rugby debut.

Amid the gloom of a disappointing start to the season by the Blues in Dunedin, there were glimpses of positivity.

Gregor Paul and Wynne Gray discuss the winners and losers from the first weekend of Super Rugby.Rugby Herald will be with you every week as the season unfolds.

Every sports competition needs a stack of components to make it more intriguing and they gallantly delivered when Super Rugby kicked off, writes Wynne Gray.

Two on the Blues' skimpy best list will miss the Crusaders' match and probably the side's trip to Africa.

This was a Mulligan for the Blues - a duff drive off the first tee that they can discard and start counting proper as of now.

Join us here for our live blog of the Super Rugby match between the Highlanders and the Blues from Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.

Rugby nomad Hayden Triggs was looking for a new job away from the game when he received the SOS call from Blues coach Sir John Kirwan.

The golden season and personal gilt for Brendon McCullum shut the lid on the commotion about captaincy of the New Zealand cricket side.

Ahead of his first start for The Blues on Saturday, prop Ofa Tu'ungafasi talks about how he's feeling and the hard work he's put in during the pre-season to reach his goal. Courtesy TheBlues/YouTube

Blues head coach Sir John Kirwan talks about his selections for the seasonopener against the Highlanders in Dunedin on Saturday. Courtesy TheBlues/YouTube.

ODT rugby columnist Paul Dwyer catches up with the Highlanders' co-captains, Ben Smith and Nasi Manu, ahead of the team's match against the Blues at Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium on Saturday night.

Herald columnist Justin Marshall breaks down the five franchises ahead of this weekend's NZ Super Rugby launch.

Blues coach Sir John Kirwan was asked this week about the pressure on him this season, his second as head coach.

A Charles Piutau knee injury has opened the door for Benji Marshall to start at fullback for the Blues against the Highlanders on Saturday.