Rieko and Akira Ioane have combined for five tries, as the Blues unloaded a scoring avalanche on Melbourne Rebels for their 10th straight Super Rugby Pacific win, 71-28 at Auckland's Eden Park.
After two scratchy performances in Australia, the competition leaders found themselves 14-0 down early and desperately needing to score next. Those two early tries sparked them into 10 tries on the bounce and 66 unanswered points.
In his second game back from an extended injury break, loose forward Akira Ioane turned momentum back his team's way with their opening two tries, showing high work-rate and power near the goal-line.
He also laid on the final pass for halfback Finlay Christie's go-ahead try, as the floodgates opened. The Blues had a bonus-point try by the 31st minute, when Akira Ioane again went close to his hat-trick and No.8 Hoskins Sotutu followed up to score.
Brother Rieko grabbed his first try next, before winger Mark Telea capped a superb counterattack with an acrobatic finish in the corner on halftime.
Ahead 47-14 at the break, the Blues were not as dominant over the second 40 minutes, but Rieko Ioane grabbed his second try off another surging run from Akira.
His third came off a lineout win, with first-five Stephen Perofeta expertly holding up a pass for Ioane running at searing pace up the middle.
The Rebels closed with two consolation tries, including one to fullback Matt Hodge on the final siren, but the result extended the Blues' lead atop the competition ladder, with the Reds looming next Saturday.
Blues 71 (A Ioane 2, R Ioane 3, Perofeta, Telea, Sotutu, Tucker, Clarke & Christie tries, Perofeta 8 conversions) Melbourne Rebels 28 (Fa'amausili, Wilkin, Hodge & Canham tries, Hodge 4 conversions)
