As it happened: Blues v Cheetahs

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Commentary by Sport24's Garrin Lambley

10:23 - Thanks for joining us for this match - be sure to check out our Live Updates from the Brumbies v Stormers match up at 10:40!

10:21 - The Blues jump from fifth to second in the New Zealand Conference and to seventh in the Overall standings.

The Cheetahs stay bottom of both the SA Conference and the Overall log

10:21 - The Cheetahs remain winless on their Australasian tour

10:21 - FULL-TIME AT EDEN PARK

The Blues win 40-30

10:20 - Full-time siren sounds, but the Cheetahs are awarded a penalty.

They can't win, but they can score and walk away with two bonus points...

10:18 - BABY SKINSTAD ARRIVES

Former Springbok skipper Bob Skinstad has confirmed on Twitter the arrival of a son - Johnny - weighing in at 3.59kg

10:16 - Oops

Cheetahs butcher a try-scoring opportunity as Lodewyk de Jager knocks on a couple of metres out

10:15 - Penalty to the Cheetahs who kick excellently to the corner, some 7m out

10:15 - Into the final 5 minutes now...

10:11 - Suddenly the Blues have caught fire and the Cheetahs have gone back into their shell.

10 points behind and having scored only 3 tries, the Cheetahs are currently leaving Eden Park empty-handed...

10:10 - Penalty to the Blues and Hickey lands the three-pointer to stretch the Blues' lead to 40-30 after 72 minutes

10:08 - Just over 10 minutes remaining in this enthralling encounter

10:07 - Nervous much Blues fans... ?

10:06 - Wowzers!

Another superb backline move by the Cheetahs as they stretch the Blues and Hennie Daniller goes over to make it a seven-point game after Watts adds the conversion

Blues lead 37-20 after 68 minutes

10:06 - TRY!

10:05 - Benji Marshall enters the fray. I've got a lot of time for the skills of the former NRL star

10:04 - No surprise as Simon Hickey adds the conversion.

The Blues stretch their lead to 37-23 after 66 minutes

10:03 - That man Tony Woodcock crashes over from 3 inches away to give the Blues their fourth - and bonus point - try

10:03 - TRY!

10:01 - The Blues rumble forward through their pack and go close a number of times to scoring. 

Penalty to the Blues and they elect to scrum rather than take the sure-three points and stretch their lead to more than a converted try

9:59 - Watts adds the conversion.

The Blues lead 30-23 after 60 minutes

GAME ON!

9:58 - Fabulous backline move by the Cheetahs as wing Cornal Hendricks slices through the Blues' backline and dummies left and right before diving over.

9:58 - TRY!

9:55 - Plenty of handling mistakes now creeping into both teams' play. Very stop-start at the moment

9:54 - Good grief - ref calls a forward pass on a pass that looked fine at first glance... Assistant ref kept on running and didn't seem to agree

9:53 - Yet another scrum penalty to the Blues.

Not sure how happy skipper Adriaan Strauss is...

9:51 - The Cheetahs looking more attacking in the second stanza. No change to the half-time score after 15 minutes of the second half

9:51 - Hayden Triggs also on for the Blues at lock

9:50 - Oi vey...

9:50 - And on come Nonu and Kaino!

9:50 - And after all the Cheetahs pressure they concede a penalty at the scrum and the Blues clear to 30m from their line

9:48 - Nyakane charges like a wounded buffalo over the tryline, but he's held up. Well done to whoever was brave enough to get under the massive front rower!

9:47 - Illegally turned over by the Blues and the Cheetahs set up another 5m lineout

9:46 - The Cheetahs have scored 4 tries from 5m lineouts this season, can they make it 5?

9:46 - The ref goes back to the corner for a penalty which the Cheetahs put into touch, setting up a lineout...

9:45 - Super backline play by the Cheetahs as they flood forward, but they're held up over the Blues' tryline

9:44 - Odd decision by the Blues as they decide to kick a penalty from near the halfway line rather than set up a lineout

9:43 - Scary for the Cheetahs as Ma'a Nonu and Jerome Kaino leave the Blues' bench and start warming up...

9:41 - The Blues need just one more try for a bonus point - and the way this match has opened up, one would expect them to do so...

9:41 - More scrappy play from both sides in the opening exchanges of the second half

9:38 - No doubt some stern words spoken in both changing rooms at the break

9:38 - AND WE'RE UNDER WAY IN THE SECOND HALF!

9:25 - Join us in 10 minutes for the second half!

9:25 - The Blues lead 30-16 at half-time at Eden Park.

9:24 - They have a shot at goal through replacement Elgar Watts who is SUCCESSFUL!

9:23 - One last penalty to the Cheetahs as the half-time siren sounds. What will they do?

9:22 - The Cheetahs are bossing the Blues at scrum-time as half-time approaches

9:19 - ***BLITZBOKKE UPDATE***

The SA Sevens side have beaten Japan 33-5 in their second match at the HSBC Japan Sevens in Tokyo

9:17 - TWEET

Goosen and Taute made from the same rib? Properly injury prone ... - Front Row Grunt

9:16 - Costly yellow for the Cheetahs as the Blues have scored 17 points in the 10 minutes that Boom Prinsloo has been off the field

9:16 - DOUBLE change for the Cheetahs as Johan Goosen and Caylib Oosthuizen leave the field, replaced by Elgar Watts and Trevor Nyakane, respectively.

9:15 - Blues lead 30-13 after 34 minutes

9:15 - And that man Hickey adds the conversion! No stopping that man off the kicking tee...

9:13 - Oh dear... festival rugby by the Blues as they swing it wide, Jackson Willison puts through a grubber which Willie le Roux makes an absolute hash of and wing Tevita Li pounces to score.

9:13 - TRY!

9:12 - Anyway, moving on... Hickey adds the conversion and the Blues are suddenly out to a 23-13 lead after 31 minutes

9:12 - Kudos to the NZ commentators who agree it shouldn't have been a try...

9:11 - Crumbs, does ANY official know what's going on these days!?

9:11 - TMO says no try, referee DISAGREES and awards the TRY!

9:10 - Doesn't look like a try to me... but the way TMOs have ruled this year, who knows!

9:10 - Referee goes upstairs checking for a double movement...

9:09 - The Blues MAY have scored as they break out from deep inside their own half

9:08 - Hickey adds a penalty to the Blues' tally to give the home side a 16-13 lead after 29 minutes

9:07 - Cheetahs concede a penalty at the scrum, Blues elect to go for goal - even against 14 men - for fear of what the referee might decide...

9:06 - TWEET

Harsh call as Boom gets a yellow,tell you what this ref is taking no nonsense,blowing it straight to the lawbook! - Breyton Paulse

9:06 - Blues knock on under the Cheetahs' poles. Lucky escape for the Bloemfontein side...

9:04 - Bit harsh, even the Kiwi commentators aren't sure of the reason...

9:04 - YELLOW CARD to Boom Prinsloo!

9:00 - Goosen brings up his 250th Super Rugby point but is seen shaking his wrist/arm... oh dear

8:59 - And Goosen adds the conversion to level the match at 13-13 after 21 minutes

8:58 - Boom Prinsloo barges over after an attacking lineout

8:58 - TRY!

8:56 - Blues lead 13-6 after 18 minutes

8:55 - TWEET

Perhaps if all refs blew like this, then the game would be played as it is meant to be played? So many things have allowed to slide - Front Row Grunt

8:54 - The first try of the match goes to Blues flank Steven Luatua who scores next to the uprights

8:54 - TRY!

8:48 - Mmm, now the commentators are urging the Argentine referee to "put his whistle away" after he penalises the Cheetahs from being in front of the kicker at restart time.

8:47 - Crickey!

And straight after the resultant kick-off, that man Hickey levels the scores at 6-6 after 10 minutes!

8:46 - And just like that the Cheetahs are back in front through a second Goosen penalty...

8:44 - And we're all square at Eden Park as Simon Hickey lands a penalty after a "no arms" tackle by the Cheetahs.

Hickey has yet to miss a kick in this year's competition: 9 from 9 to date... 

8:43 - Lock Liaki Moli is apparently playing his "blazer game" for the Blues...

Anyone have a clue what that means?!

8:42 - PENALTY to the Cheetahs (Goosen) as they take a 3-0 lead after 5 minutes

8:41 - PICTURE

Congratulations to Adriaan Strauss on his 50th match as Cheetahs skipper (Twitter)

8:39 - First scrum taking an age to get set... but the Cheetahs are eventually awarded a free-kick for an early shove

8:37 - Johan Goosen kicks off with the Cheetahs in their bright orange and purple jerseys playing from right to left

8:37 - AND WE'RE UNDER WAY AT EDEN PARK!

8:36 - A moment of silence for former Blues coach and All Black Frank Oliver who passed away during the week.

Click HERE for the full article...

8:35 - Huge cheer for the equally huge Charlie Faumuina who runs out for his 50th Super Rugby match for the Blues.

8:33 - Adriaan Strauss leads out the Cheetahs in his 50th match as Cheetahs skipper

8:33 - WEATHER

Perfect conditions, 18 degrees, dark clouds in the distance though...

8:32 - TWEET

HAK VRYSTAAAAAAT!!! - Breyton Paulse

8:31 - We're minutes away from kick-off in the third Vodacom Super Rugby match of the weekend - the Blues at home to the Cheetahs!

8:31 - MORNING SPORTS FANS!

08:00 - Q&A WITH ANDRE WATSON

Former international referee and current General Manager of Referees at SARU, André Watson talks illegalities at ruck time, new innovations and how referees are held accountable...

Click HERE for the full Q&A...

08:00 - IS JOHN KIRWAN REALLY WORRIED?

Blues coach John Kirwan say she's concerned over the Cheetahs' three Springboks and has labelled the men from Bloemfontein as a "good football side".

Really?

Click HERE for the full article...

08:00 - SPORT24 'EXPERT' PICKS

Sport24's self-proclaimed experts - Editor Garrin Lambley and Chief Writer Rob Houwing - give you their thoughts on today's match.

Click HERE to hear their thoughts...

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OFFICIALS

Referee: Francisco Pastrana (Argentina)
Assistant referees: Garratt Williamson (New Zealand), Shane McDermott (New Zealand)
TMO: Glenn Newman (New Zealand)

RECENT RESULTS

2013: Cheetahs won 34-13, Bloemfontein
2011: Blues won 29-22, Auckland
2010: Cheetahs won 36-32, Bloemfontein
2009: Blues won 46-12, North Harbour
2008: Blues won 50-26, Bloemfontein
2007: Blues won 26-8, Auckland

TEAMS

Blues

15 Charles Piutau, 14 Frank Halai, 13 George Moala, 12 Jackson Willison, 11 Tevita Li, 10 Simon Hickey, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Peter Saili, 7 Luke Braid, 6 Steven Luatua, 5 Tom Donnelly, 4 Liaki Moli, 3 Charlie Faumuina, 2 James Parsons, 1 Tony Woodcock

Substitutes: 16 Tom McCartney, 17 Angus Ta'avao, 18 Ofa Tu'ungafasi, 19 Jerome Kaino, 20 Hayden Triggs, 21 Bryn Hall, 22 Ma'a Nonu, 23 Benji Marshall.

Cheetahs

15  Willie le Roux, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Ryno Benjamin, 11 Hennie Daniller, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Jean Cook, 6 Johannes Prinsloo, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Lodewyk de Jager, 3 Nicolaas van Dyk, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Caylib Oosthuizen

Substitutes:16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Rossouw de Klerk, 19 Andries Ferreira, 20 Pieter Labuschagne, 21 Shaun Venter, 22 Elgar Watts, 23 Howard Mnisi

Welcome to Sport24's LIVE scoring and interactive commentary on today's Super Rugby match between the Blues and Cheetahs in Auckland!