Saturday’s 30-12 victory over the Highlanders at Eden Park marked the line in the sand for Blues head coach Sir John Kirwan as he looks for his side to build on that ahead of Friday’s clash with the Brumbies in Canberra.

The Blues’ locking stocks have taken another hit with veteran Tom Donnelly ruled out of Friday’s match against the Brumbies in Canberra with a calf strain.

The Blues finally delivered on their exciting promise and moved to the top of the New Zealand conference with a clinical 30-12 victory over the Highlanders at Eden Park on Saturday night.

Blues halfback Piri Weepu is out of Investec Super Rugby for at least four weeks after expert diagnosis this week determined he had recently suffered a minor stroke.

Ma’a Nonu, Jerome Kaino and Hayden Triggs have all been promoted from the bench to start in a strong Blues team to face the Highlanders at Eden Park on Saturday night.

He’s got one of the best beards going around, but Blues prop Charlie “Big Grizzly” Faumuina is going to shave it all off in support of the Child Cancer Foundation.

The Blues bounced back from consecutive defeats in South Africa to overrun the Cheetahs 40-30 in a thriller at Eden Park tonight.

The Blues have been bolstered by the return of World Cup winning All Blacks Jerome Kaino and Ma’a Nonu for Saturday’s match against the Cheetahs at Eden Park, with the destructive duo poised to resume their Blues careers from the reserves bench.

The 2014 Investec Super Rugby may be just over a month old but already the Blues are entering must-win territory as they take on the Cheetahs at Eden Park on Saturday.

New Zealand Rugby and the Blues have expressed sadness following the death of former All Black Frank Oliver.