A second-half fightback has given the Blues their first victory of 2022, taking their maiden Super Rugby Pacific win in a 24-22 thriller against the Chiefs at Eden Park.
One week on from throwing away a 14-point lead to lose to the Hurricanes, this time it was the Blues' turn to score in the final moments and secure victory.
A darting run from fullback Stephen Perofeta allowed winger Mark Telea to touchdown and score in the corner with just minutes left on the clock, levelling scores at 22-all.
Perofeta then stepped up with the boot, landing his first and only shot at goal of the night with a conversion from the right touchline, giving the Blues a two-point advantage with minutes left to play.
Replacement first-five Bryn Gatland had the chance to snatch victory for the Chiefs after the final siren, but his attempted shot at goal from a penalty drifted wide of the posts, seeing his side taste defeat for the first time in 2022.
Returning to Eden Park for the first time since their Super Rugby Trans-Tasman triumph last June, the Blues took the lead in the opening minutes through the boot of Harry Plummer in the fourth minute.
But the Chiefs hit back just four minutes later, as century-maker Brad Weber scored the first try of the afternoon. After a fortunate bounce from a clearing kick evaded Hoskins Sotutu, Weber regained the ball, and raced away down the left flank to cross over and score.
Etene Nanai-Seturo gave the Chiefs a second try in the 19th minute, beating a trio of Blues defenders in Mark Tele'a, Tom Robinson and Finlay Christie, and crossed over to reward the Chiefs for a sustained period of pressure.
Down 12-3, the Blues hit back with a try before the break, as Caleb Clarke showed off impressive strength to score on the left wing thanks to a cutout pass from fullback Stephen Perofeta, where Plummer's conversion brought scores back to 12-10 at halftime.
After the break, the Blues introduced Beauden Barrett for his first Super Rugby appearance since 2020, on as a second-half substitute after recovering from a concussion sustained on the All Blacks' end of year tour.
And buoyed by the return of Barrett, it was the Blues that opened the scoring in the second half to retake the lead.
A missed attempted grounding in goal by Chiefs first-five Josh Ioane was pounced on by Hoskins Sotutu, with the try confirmed after a brief TMO referral to give the Blues a 17-12 lead.
A yellow card to Clarke for a deliberate knock-on reduced the Blues to 14 men, and gave the Chiefs a window back into the game.
Making the most of the numerical advantage, Weber had his second try in his 100th game, as Pita Gus Sowakula put the halfback away for a double, and when the Chiefs landed a penalty in the 69th minute through Gatland, the Blues had to overcome a five-point gap in the last 10 minutes.
But the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman champions held their nerve, and made the most of a sustained attacking wave to score what would prove to be the decisive score, albeit having to wait out a nervy final moment as Gatland's attempted match-winning kick sailed wide of the target.
The result leaves the Blues seventh on the combined Super Rugby Pacific table, with one win and one defeat from their first two matches, with one game postponed.
The Chiefs meanwhile are just one place ahead in sixth, also with one win and one defeat - in front of the Blues on points differential.
Blues 24 (Clarke 23', Sotutu 46', Telea 75' tries; Plummer 24', 46' Perofeta 77' conversions; Plummer 3' penalty)
Chiefs 22 (Weber 7', 52', Nanai-Seturo 19' tries; J. Ioane 20', Gatland 53' conversions; Gatland 69' penalty
