AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) After having their own playoffs chances snuffed out, the Auckland-based Blues damaged those of the ACT Brumbies when they beat the Australian conference leaders 40-15 to start the penultimate round of Super Rugby's regular season on Friday.
The Blues are the last-placed team in the New Zealand conference, knocked out of playoffs contention last weekend, and their effortless win over the Brumbies raised further questions over the current strength of Australian rugby.
The Brumbies needed to win to continue their neck-and-neck fight with the New South Wales Waratahs for what is likely to be the only playoffs spot which will go to an Australian team.
Their hopes were exploded when the Blues scored four tries to lead 28-7 after only 20 minutes.
All Blacks flanker Jerome Kaino scored two tries and saw his team score two more while he spent 10 minutes on the sideline after conceding the penalty try which gave the Brumbies their first points.
Hooker James Parsons, prop Sam Prattley, and winger Matt Duffie also scored tries as the Blues overran a Brumbies team which seemed to be lacking in energy or direction.
''We're always at our best when we play on our instinct. That's what we're good at,'' Parsons said. ''But we earned the right to play that way.
''We started quite tight and direct in the first 20 minutes but then we earned the right to put those offloads in. There were probably a few 50-50s out there but I can live with that at 40 points.''
Kaino scored from a pinpoint crossfield kick by flyhalf Ihaia West after the first four minutes, during which the Blues had constant possession and relentlessly attacked the Brumbies' line. Parsons scored from a lineout only two minutes later as the Brumbies set themselves to defend a lineout drive which never came.
The Brumbies' only scoring weapon was the lineout drive and they were fortunate to be awarded a penalty try from one such move in the 11th when Kaino was judged to have dragged the maul down. It was clear Kaino simply lost his footing but he cost his team seven points and spent 10 minutes in the sin-bin.
His absence was far from costly; the Blues scored two more tries while down to 14 men. The first, finally scored by Prattley, was the best of the game, and second to rugby league convert Duffie gave the Blues their 28-7 lead.
The Brumbies regained a little ground with a try to Matt Toomua after contentious refereeing decisions. A penalty to Christian Leali'ifano made it 28-15 at halftime.
Kaino bounded back from the sin-bin to score the opening try of the second half. Meanwhile, the Brumbies' woes mounted when Wallabies flanker Scott Fardy was carried from the field with what seemed to be a serious head injury.
The Blues had a further try disallowed, while West was lining up the conversion, after a belated review of video footage showed a foot in touch, but they scored another through Duffie to guarantee a bonus point.
The Waratahs can take charge of the Australian conference if they can beat the Wellington-based Hurricanes on Saturday.
