Injuries are temporary, but class is permanent.
Despite missing several key players, the Crusaders have overrun the Blues en route to yet another Super Rugby Pacific final, riding a brutal blend of intensity and execution to a 52-15 whitewash at Christchurch.
From Angus Gardner's opening whistle, the shellshocked Blues had no answer for the blistering tempo set by Scott Robertson's men, finding themselves 15-0 down within a matter of minutes and completely out of the contest shortly thereafter.
Codie Taylor's trademark finish from a lineout drive on the stroke of halftime - the fourth try of a first-half onslaught - blew the scoreline out to 32-3 and drove the final nail in the Blues' coffin.
The result ensures the Crusaders keep their flawless home Super Rugby playoffs record intact, extending their dominance in their 'rivalry' with the Blues with a six-try-to-two demolition in the Garden City. They've now beaten the northerners 19 times in their last 20 meetings.
They'll face the winners of Saturday's second semi-final between the Chiefs and the Brumbies for the chance to send All Blacks-bound coach Scott Robertson off with the franchise's 14th Super Rugby title.
Leicester Fainga'anuku would have sent All Blacks coach Ian Foster home grinning with a two-try performance of power and pace that may have his name pencilled in to start the first match of the test season against Argentina next month.
Richie Mo'unga pulled all the right strings at first-five, Braydon Ennor pressed his test claims with a commanding outing in the midfield, while Will Jordan comprehensively outplayed Blues star Beauden Barrett in an eye-catching trial for the black No. 15 jersey.
Suffocating defensive pressure from the Crusaders hurried the Blues and forced a series of early errors, with the visitors made to pay the ultimate price for each.
The Blues spoke all week about the importance of their 'carry and clean' game, but were routinely overpowered at the breakdown by their Crusaders opposites, who disrupted their ball and never allowed them to find a rhythm.
After directing the Blues through a resurgent few seasons, it was a cruel way to close out the Leon MacDonald era in Auckland. He'll join Robertson in the All Blacks coaching staff after the upcoming World Cup, when there's no doubt who'll carry bragging rights between the two former teammates.
The hosts made the ideal start to the evening courtesy, as Dallas McLeod pounced on a Rieko Ioane error to nail a 50/22 and immediately put his team on the offensive.
They took full advantage, with Ennor latching on to a bullet skip-pass by Mo'unga to capitalise on some robust work upfront to run in for the game's first try.
The Blues' stagefright continued, with more uncharacteristic mistakes - an errant pass from Mark Telea leading to a lineout inside their red zone.
Ten phases later, a slick wraparound play involving none other than prop Tamaiti Williams ended with Jordan in space, providing the final pass for Fainga'anuku to stroll in untouched.
Mo'unga added another three to the total moments later, with the Crusaders almost bettering a point a minute - moving to 18-0, after at the quarter mark of the match.
The Blues finally found some rhythm, but the period of pressure was capped with a shot at goal, so desperate was captain Dalton Papali'i to get some points on the board.
The Crusaders were swiftly on the front foot again, turning their brutal defence into attack, with some superb work at the breakdown.
More tryline pressure ended with a beautiful display of footwork by Ennor, who ghosted one way then came back the other, exploiting a poor read defensive by Rieko Ioane to pop a perfect pass for Jordan to explode onto at full pace and swandive in under the blackdot.
Meanwhile, the Crusaders continued to forge ahead, despite their devastating injury toll, somehow without the slightest hint of a decline in quality. Of the 15 All Blacks in their squad, more than half were absent for Saturday's match.
The situation worsened for the Blues, as the half wound down, when referee Angust Gardner dealt Hoskins Sotutu a yellow card for pulling down a Crusaders rolling maul on his own line.
In typically clinical fashion, the Crusaders reset from the ensuing lineout for Taylor to send them into the sheds with a trademark try - their fourth of the half.
The riot continued into the second half. Another piece of brilliance from the set-playbook saw a lineout thrown over the back directly to Christian Lio-Willie, where a huge gap was opened by a decoy runner Fainga'anuku.
The powerhouse wing did the rest, gassing 30m clear, looking for some support, then deciding instead to steamroll the final line and crash over for their fifth try of the game.
Such was the Crusaders' dominance, Robertson had the luxury of pulling his Rolls Royce wing from the field soon afterwards, with one eye justifiably on next weekend's final.
Eventually, the Blues were able to work their way over the chalk. Barrett hit a flat pass from his halfback Finlay Christie, planted a fend and slid over for the Blues' first try in their last 140 minutes of play at Christchurch.
With just over five minutes to play, some precision long passes set Mo'unga free, drawing a couple of defenders, before putting Fergus Burke into a gaping hole to push the score out to 49-8.
After Mo'unga took the humiliation to the next degree, with a penlaty to breach the 50-point barrier, Caleb Clarke crossed for one final Blues try with time expired that would have been of minimal consolation.
Crusaders 52 (Fainga'anuku 2, Ennor, Jordan, Taylor, Burke tries; Mo'unga 5 conversions, 4 penalties) Blues 15 (Barrett, Clarke tries; Barrett penalty, conversion). HT: 32-3
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