Two tries from Rieko Ioane have helped the Blues extend their Super Rugby streak to four wins, with a 43-10 result over the Lions at Eden Park.
The result also sees the Auckland-based side move to the top of the competition table - for now - with coronavirus threatening to detail the schedule over coming weeks.
As the teams battled onfield, NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that all overseas arrivals into the country would face a 14-day self-isolation period, probably putting the kibosh on the Blues home game against the Canberra-based Brumbies next Saturday.
For now though, they can enjoy a rare moment atop the ladder, fuelled by victory over a team that has contested the last three Super Rugby finals, but currently languish at the foot of the South African conference.
They took most of the first half to establish their dominance, with All Black Rieko Ioane continuing his development in the centres, scoring the opening try.
The Lions enjoyed a period on top, with Dan Kriel scoring a try, converted by Elton Jantjies. They relinquished the lead, when Otere Black slotted penalty in the 21st minute and then Stephen Perofeta extended that advantage with the Blues' second try.
But the home side really took control, after they earned a penalty try, with Ruan Vermaak guilty of a deliberate knock-on on his own goal-line. He was yellow-carded, reducing his team to 14 men, and the Blues had an automatic seven points to lead 22-10 at the break.
Still down a man, the Lions fell further behind, when Ioane crossed for his second try soon after the restart and the South Africans never really threatened again.
Blues lock Gerard Cowley-Tuioti capped the performance with probably the try of the match, finishing off a series of slick offloads, while No.8 Hoskins Sotutu had the last say, easily beating the last defender for the final try.
Blues 43 (R Ioane 2, Perofeta, Sotutu, Cowley-Tuioti tries; penalty try; Black 3 conversions & penalty, Plummer conversion) Lions 10 (Kriel try; Jantjies penalty & conversion)
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