The Blues kept their foot firmly on the gas in the race at the top of the table, brushing aside the Fijian Drua 40-15 at Eden Park in a performance built on forward dominance and second-half control.
It did not take long for the hosts to settle. With several players missing, there was still a sharp edge to their start, and Malachi Wrampling provided it early, crashing over in the sixth minute to get the scoreboard moving.
The Drua, so often dangerous when they find rhythm, responded immediately. Etonia Waqa burrowed over from close range, a sign that this would not be a one-sided affair despite the venue and history. For a stretch, the visitors matched the Blues physically and carried real intent, especially through Waqa and Ponipate Longanimasi, who repeatedly tested the defensive line.
But the game’s pattern began to tilt when discipline faltered. An obstruction from the restart handed the Blues field position, and from there their maul went to work. Hooker Bradley Slater finished clinically, the first of his two tries, as the home side leaned into a set-piece advantage that would define the contest.
The Drua refused to go away. Just before the break, Waqa sparked another surge that ended with Mesake Vocevoce crossing, narrowing the gap to 14-12 and keeping the contest alive heading into halftime.
When Kemu Valetini slotted a penalty early in the second half, the visitors briefly held the lead and threatened to turn the narrative. But that moment only seemed to sharpen the Blues.
Slater struck again soon after, once more at the tail of a powerful rolling maul, as repeated infringements from the Drua began to stack up. The pressure told, and the Blues started to stretch the game.
From there, the contest opened up. Substitute Codemeru Vai injected energy, linking well with Payton Spencer to push the margin out. Then came the moment that sealed it.
Spencer finished off a stunning length-of-the-field try, sparked by Che Clark’s turnover deep inside their own territory. The ball moved quickly through Beauden Barrett before Finlay Christie’s well-weighted kick ahead found Spencer in stride, the young back racing away to finish a move that broke the Drua’s resistance.
With the result beyond doubt, Caleb Clarke added the finishing touch, diving over in the corner as the siren sounded to secure the bonus point.
The win keeps the Blues firmly in the title conversation, level on points with the Hurricanes and sitting just behind on points difference. For the Drua, the wait for a first victory over the Blues continues, along with their ongoing struggle to translate promise into results away from home.
Blues 40 (Tries: Slater 2, Wrampling, Spencer, Clarke, Vai; Cons: Barrett 5) def Fijiana Drua 15 (Tries: Waqa, Vocevoce; Cons: Valetini; Pens: Valetini)
Teams
Blues: 15 Payton Spencer, 14 Cole Forbes, 13 AJ Lam, 12 Pita Akhi, 11 Caleb Clarke,10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Taufa Funaki, 8 Malachi Wrampling, 7 Anton Segner, 6 Torian Barnes, 5 Sam Darry (captain), 4 Josh Beehre, 3 Marcel Renata, 2 Bradley Slater, 1 Ofa Tu’ungafasi
Replacements: 16 James Mullan, 17 Mason Tupaea, 18 Sam Matenga, 19 Che Clark, 20 Jed Melvin, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Xaci Taele, 23 Codemeru Vai
Fijian Drua: 15 Iliasia Droasese, 14 Epeli Momo, 13 Tuidraki Samusamuvodre, 12 Iosefo Namoce, 11 Ponipate Loganimasi, 10 Kemu Valetini, 9 Frank Lomani (captain), 8 Elia Canakaivata, 7 Kitione Salawa, 6 Etonia Waqa, 5 Mesake Vocevoce, 4 Isoa Nasilasila, 3 Mesake Doge, 2 Zuriel Togiatama, 1 Haereiti Hetet
Replacements: 16 Mesulame Dolokolo, 17 Emosi Tuqiri, 18 Peni Ravai, 19 Joseva Tamani, 20 Isoa Tuwai, 21 Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, 22 Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula, 23 Virimi Vakatawa
Referee: Reuben Keane
Assistant referees: Nic Berry, Jordan Way
TMO: Brett Cronin
English