Rugby: All the zing ... but still in eighth place

All the fire, all the Super 14 zing came from the Blues over the weekend, but they are still in eighth place on the Super 14 ladder.

It remains a tough haul for Pat Lam's men to make the playoffs, with a three-match road trip to South Africa and a home game against the Chiefs to complete their programme.

But that is in the distance and for those who watched them slay the Bulls 32-17 at Eden Park on Saturday, and certainly for coach Lam, there are signs of a new conviction among the Blues which he believes can carry them through to the end of the season.

They will not want any more injuries in their tight five, though. They are down to both spare props and need locks Anthony Boric and Kurtis Haiu to stay intact for the homeward stretch of six games if they are to chase down a sudden-death semifinal.

Next foe are the Stormers, who arrive as the solitary victim so far this season for the Force and with a growing reputation for their defence - but they lack any significant thrust on attack.

Lam has worked hard at raising his side's mental clout after watching the Blues wither last season and in recent years.

Second-season coach Lam agreed the greatest challenge facing the Blues was sustaining the sort of rugby and conviction they showed in toppling the Bulls.

There were others returning to full fitness such as Luke McAlister, who had a final-quarter burst against the Bulls.

Lam's problem is that his recovering firepower are backs such as Anthony Tuitavake and George Pisi, and he wants more forward backup for the gruelling latter half of the series.

Somehow, when the points were totted up after the eighth round of matches finished, the Waratahs emerged as the competition leaders.

They have lost twice and played an extra game, but on points differential, they shade the Bulls.

The only games in which the Waratahs have been convincing winners have been against the Lions and Cheetahs. They have battled for results in the remainder and been beaten by the Bulls and Stormers.

On Saturday, the Waratahs, on the back of some glowing predictions from beaten Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske, run into the Crusaders in Christchurch before they reach their bye.

"I think they [the Waratahs] can win the competition, there is no doubt about that," Drotske said after his side's defeat.

"The big thing about them is they win the close games and if you want to win this competition you need to do that."

Meanwhile, the chasing Bulls head for Hamilton and a Friday showdown against the injury-troubled Chiefs.

Captain Mils Muliaina has broken his thumb and they also have to assess a number of other injured players before coach Ian Foster can start contemplating a combination to pitch up to Rugby Park.

There is plenty of remedial work to be done with the scrum and lineout under serious weekend heat at Mt Maunganui against the Highlanders.

Bulls centre Jaco Pretorius may miss the game because of injury but the tourists appeared to escape any other damage from their Blues encounter.