Rugby: McAlister boots the Blues to safety

Luke McAlister blasted penalty kicks. Photo / Getty Images

All the theory went out the window. The Blues wore white and played like England, backing their defensive wall to win this battle instead of their feared attacking artillery.

Five times Luke McAlister walked up and blasted penalty kicks as the Blues raised the heat and the Highlanders infringed.

This was a rugged contest and another victory for the Blues which captain Keven Mealamu dedicated to their lock Kurtis Haiu who is battling bone cancer. They were also without test lock Anthony Boric whose hamstring gave way before the game.

For much of the game the Blues ignored their backline venom, choosing to thump the ball downfield instead of risking penalty concessions in their own territory.

"If you play a lot in your half against a team like this they will sting you. And when you play down here [Dunedin] you've got to take territory against a team like this," Mealamu said of the tactics.

In the last five minutes, the Blues altered their methods, their forwards holding possession, frustrating their rivals and closing out the victory.

They lost McAlister late, to an ankle injury but that was balanced as substitute Highlanders halfback Aaron Smith was sinbinned for a dangerous lifting tackle.

Conditions were perfect for expressive rugby but the Blues were not baited by the atmosphere. They arrived with a plan and stuck to it.

Victory pushed the Blues winning streak to six and their unbeaten run to eight matches as they held the lead in the New Zealand Super 15 group.

Tight matches turn on small moments. For these sides they came shortly before halftime when the Blues won a penalty and captain Mealamu took a scrum rather than instructing McAlister to kick for goal.

Three times referee Chris Pollock ordered a reset as the clock eased past the 40-minute mark. The fourth scrum was fatal for the Highlanders as they poured through to shut down Peter Saili at the back of the scrum.

They thought they'd done it when Pollock blew loudly on his whistle but his blast brought a double whammy for the hosts. Lock Jarrad Hoeata was sinbinned for killing the ball and McAlister goaled his third penalty.

That gave the Blues a slight lead, 9-0, but a real advantage in such a titanic struggle. Possession was evenly split, but the Blues kicking gave them a territorial advantage and their defence pinned the hosts in their own part of Carisbrook.

But just after the break, the Highlanders surged to the Blues' goal line and Robbie Robinson bashed across and converted his try. It was a superb riposte and set the tone for a far more adventurous half of rugby.

Ben Smith was a regular counter-attacking threat for the Highlanders, starting strongly in midfield and then moving to fullback after Tony Brown retired hurt. Several times he burst from the back and none better than his effort soon after the break.

He retrieved a kick inside his 22, eluding a clutch of chasing Blues before his swerving run got him back to halfway and the support of his teammates. The move foundered but the Highlanders won a penalty and when Robinson kicked the goal, they were only two points adrift as they welcomed Hoeata back to the fray.

The Highlanders got a lift but the Blues held and added one more penalty to complete their battling victory.