KEY POINTS:
The Waratahs might have gone splat under the wheels of the Blues juggernaut but no one in Auckland is expecting to leave such unsightly road kill when they visit Hamilton this week.
Certainly Blues coach David Nucifora is bracing himself for a more significant collision when his side
careers into the Chiefs and it is one he clearly rates as the most significant in the campaign so far.
There was quiet satisfaction in the Blues camp at the way they dismantled what was a defensively stuffy but offensively inept Waratahs team on Friday night. There was no doubting that again the Blues played with a pace and passion that went badly missing in 2005 and 2006.
There was ample patience and discipline on show when the bonus point remained agonisingly out of reach. For the better part of 30 minutes the Blues hammered the Waratahs line before Troy Flavell finally thundered over under the sticks to score the critical fourth try.
It was a score that came because the panic was kept to a minimum and because the leaders in the team stayed strong and got the message through that the points would eventually come if everyone continued to observe the basics.
It was a try that came because the work of Daniel Braid at the breakdown had been outstanding. Because Flavell pounded the hard yards in tandem with his locking chum Greg Rawlinson and because the composure of Steve Devine and Isa Nacewa held together long enough for the backs to conjure enough continuity to bring Braid and the pack back into business in front of the gain line.
The truth also had to be acknowledged that the fourth try came partly because the Waratahs were just plain awful - hence the reason Nucifora was measured in his satisfaction and wary of what lies ahead.
While the Blues have remedied so many of their failings of recent years and while they have a firm foothold at the summit of the Super 14 table, Nucifora knows the dynamic of the competition has changed now the All Blacks have returned.
He also knows the Blues have not beaten the Chiefs since 2004 and, if that record perseveres this Saturday, the loss of confidence in his side will be significant.
The sharp end is where the real contenders emerge and the importance of having confidence and momentum leading into the play-offs can never be overstated.
The Blues have long viewed the games against the Waratahs and Chiefs as a mini-series within the campaign. After Hamilton they have a run of home games before heading to South Africa.
If they can pick up another four points in Hamilton and then win the remainder of their home games before hitting the road, they will probably be safely in the play-offs before they even get on the plane.
The clash against the Chiefs, then, is critical in setting up for the home run.
"Next week is going to be a very big match for them and for us," said Nucifora. "I think they are sitting there waiting for us. I had a look at the team they selected [to play the Reds] and I don't think there are any coincidences that they have rested a couple of players."
Despite seeing the importance of the clash, Nucifora looks unlikely to rush his All Blacks into action.
"We will wait and see with that. Sometimes it is not so much about there being an obvious place for them; it is about how we work them in. They are all very good footballers and they all deserve to be playing, it is a matter of how it is done over the next few weeks."
Blues 34 (D. Braid, T. Flavell (2), S. Devine tries; L. McAlister 4 cons, 2 pens) Waratahs 6 (P. Hewatt 2 pens)
