Rugby: Blues keep semifinal hopes alive

Halfback Taniela Moa's second-half touchdown was the third of the Blues' four tries at Eden Park last night. Photo / Getty Images

Blues 26
Highlanders 6

It was always going to be a game where one team would swim and the other sink.

And so it proved at Eden Park last night, with the Blues marching on towards a possible semifinal while the Highlanders were left in disarray, their captain sent off after a tempestuous display, their playoff hopes in tatters.

The Blues produced moments of magic but a performance marred by long spells of inaccuracy meant they had to wait until the 78th minute for a Joe Rokocoko try to earn the bonus point that took them, temporarily at least, to second on the Super 14 ladder.

It took just 26 seconds for the Blues to open their account, Jimmy Gopperth producing a wonderful one-handed slap pass to Isaia Toeava after Josh Blackie has forced a turnover from the kickoff.

Toeava has been a revelation at second five-eighths and he made the most of Gopperth's special touch, feeding wing Rudi Wulf before looping around to create the extra man out wide and cross in the corner.

Gopperth supplied the extra two points with a sideline conversion but the Highlanders quickly replied with a Matt Berquist penalty.

He then missed with an angled 40m penalty and, when a second attempt from 51m clattered off the post, the Blues were quicker to react. A Highlanders fumble from the rebound handed the Blues possession and, after a sustained attack, it was Gopperth who breached the defence with a spectacular dive over a ruck.

There was no shortage of pace and verve from the Blues, who could have had a bonus point at halftime had two contentious decisions not gone against them.

Toeava looked to have scored his second only for referee Stuart Dickinson to rule a forward pass from Gopperth, and Blackie also thought he'd scored only to have his effort ruled out by TMO Glenn Newman.

The Highlanders offered little other than a running stream of complaints from Jimmy Cowan, the Highlanders captain's demeanour not improving when hooker David Hall was dispatched to the bin after a series of ruck infringements.

The Blues were unable to capitalise on their numerical advantage and went to the break without adding to their lead.

An Israel Dagg penalty closed the gap before the Blues

finally crossed, halfback Taniela Moa peeling away from a 5m scrum and grounding the ball at the base of the post.

It took until the 57th minute for the Highlanders to launch their first serious assault on the Blues line, with a neatly executed lineout drive ending with the ball held up in goal.

Cowan's temper finally boiled over when the Highlanders turned the ball over on the resulting play, the captain pole-axing Gopperth to earn himself a straight red card.

Any chance of a Highlanders revival departed with the skipper.

Blues 26 (I. Toeava, J. Gopperth, T. Moa, J. Rokocoko tries; Gopperth 3 con)

Highlanders 6 (M. Berquist, I. Dagg pens)

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In last night's other Super 14 game, the Brumbies beat the Bulls 32-31 at Canberra Stadium. The home side were nine points behind with 12 minutes to play, but a Stirling Mortlock penalty and a 76th-minute try to Christian Lealiifano, converted by Mortlock, gave them the result.