Blues can make final four

The Proclaimers enjoyed chart success when they sang about being on their way from misery to happiness.

Blues coach David Nucifora could be about to further line the Proclaimers' pockets by investing in a hit song that might prove to be the story of his season.

The misery has been with him, and became particularly acute last Friday when the Blues were hammered in Sydney. But Friday's solid defeat of the Bulls was a step towards happiness. The pace of that journey should pick up over the next two weeks with home games against the Stormers and Western Force.

If they can improve ball retention and sort out their lineout, the Blues are a reasonably safe bet to pick up 10 points in the next two weeks.

They certainly showed improved urgency, much better scrummaging and more ambition out wide against the Bulls than they have all season.

Isa Nacewa was decisive and mostly accurate at first five-eighths, Brent Ward gave authority and confidence from fullback, while Troy Flavell became an immense presence.

With Daniel Braid and Luke McAlister both likely to be fit this week, the team has a more authoritative, balanced feel to it.

It remains a long shot that they can still make the semifinals, but in the best Hollywood tradition, it's a long shot that might just come off.

The scheduling has thrown not only the Blues a favourable run, but pits the leading four against each other in the closing stages. While the Blues could get a run going, some of those teams above them are sure to start treading water.

The Waratahs, for instance, have to play the Crusaders, Hurricanes, Chiefs, Highlanders and Brumbies.

The Brumbies, too, have still to take on the Hurricanes and Crusaders. It means the Blues still have hope, as long as they keep winning.

And the only way to do that is to approach each week as if it could be their last in the competition.

"We can't afford to be up one week and down the next," said skipper Keven Mealamu. "The players need to take some of the responsibility to be consistent each week. It is up to us to front up and deliver."

Assuming - which of course is a mighty dangerous thing to do with a team prone to the vagaries of the Blues - Mealamu's men can snare 10 points in their next two games, the trip to South Africa which follows, looms as key to their season.

For the first time, the Blues will play three games in the Republic against the Cheetahs, Sharks and Cats. If they arrive in South Africa with 22 points, they could potentially come home with 37.

Far-fetched? Possibly not. The Blues are a momentum side, producing their best form when confidence is high.

They have the firepower in the backs to win three away games on the trot and, perhaps more significantly, the scrummaging capacity to support the flair.

Their scrummaging was first-class against the Bulls, a factor Mealamu attributes to All Black scrum coach Mike Cron who spent the week with the side.

"The doctor came in to sort out a few viruses," said Mealamu of Cron's visit. "When you are under pressure you sometimes forget to take care of the little things. He made sure we were technically proficient."

That he did, and given that games in South Africa can often be won or lost at the coalface of the scrum, the Blues may yet be standing on their return to New Zealand.

-HERALD ON SUNDAY