Blues coach Tana Umaga is once again pondering what might have been after his side's 27-21 loss to the Chiefs in Auckland on Friday night.
For the second consecutive week, the Blues held a halftime lead but went on to lose the match, and it is a tough pill to swallow for Umaga.
The loss against was the Blues' 13th straight loss against the two-time champions and their 13th straight against New Zealand opposition.
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The Blues did have a late chance to try to win the match when they had a lineout five metres from the tryline, but the lineout throw wasn't straight, and the Chiefs held on for the win.
Umaga was full of praise towards the Chiefs after the match.
"Hats off to the Chiefs for all they've been through," Umaga said after the match.
"For us, yeah we're disappointed, there's no doubt about it. It was an opportunity for us. They gave us enough opportunities to win it but we just didn't take them. It's something we need to look at.
"We'd score, then they'd score. We weren't able to consistently put phases together and put constant pressure on. We kept relieving it by not being able to get out of our half after we scored points, or by making errors to allow them to stay in it."
The Chiefs were missing 15 players heading into the match and were dealt a blow before kick-off when Brodie Rettalick and Shaun Stevenson were ruled out with eye and leg injuries respectively.
Umanga said his players can learn something from the Chiefs players who stood up, even with a number of experienced players missing.
"We have to find what it really means to us to play this game for the Blues and that is something we have been working hard on.
"You saw bits of it last week, you saw bits of it in the first and second half, but it is that ability to put it together.
"Our guys need to start putting their hands up because as you saw there today there were guys in the Chiefs squad that put their hands up who wasn't even a part of their squad and we need to do that as well."
The Blues will now jump on a play for a two-game road trip against the Stormers and Lions in South Africa.
"We have to go play two games against two great teams so; it doesn't get any easier for us."
It is unknown if skipper Augustine Pulu will be on the plane to Africa after he left the field with an injury and was on crutches afterwards.
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