Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu has given a frank assessment, when asked how his team found the resolve to battle from behind late and steal victory against Queensland Reds at the final whistle.
"I think we've just got some f**king good players," said Tuipulotu, after the Blues' last-gasp 41-34 Super Rugby Pacific win at Brisbane.
"Excuse the language."
Faced with an 11-point deficit with less than 15 minutes remaining, the visitors refused to roll over, running in three straight tries, capped by substitute's Sam Nock's effort in the 82nd minute to break the deadlock and secure a sixth straight victory in one of the most exhilarating games to date this season.
Tuipulotu is impressed with how his team kept their composure in the face of the Reds run, when debutant wing Tim Ryan's hattrick of tries in a 14-minute blitz swung the momentum massively in the hosts' favour.
"We were down under our posts quite a bit there, but the message was quite simple - just trying to focus on the next job and get our defence tight," he noted. "To get through that last 10 [minutes] and not really stop playing, we kept the pressure on.
"Even though we were making mistakes, we were able to bounce back. Just some good work all around to finish that game off."
Their third consecutive win over an Australian side puts the Blues just a solitary point behind the Hurricanes atop the competition standings.
Coach Vern Cotter has applauded his players for their ability to regroup after a challenging start, insisting they will be much better for the experience, proving to themselves they're capable of swimming their way out of deep waters.
"We kept believing," said Cotter. "I think that's a big hats off to the boys and around the leadership group as well to keep the group composed and find a way.
"I thought we shifted the way we played towards the end. I thought our bench was good coming on and added an impact... everybody contributed.
"It's one of those ones that you sort of breathe a sigh of relief, because you got away with it, but you need games like that. You need to test yourselves and that was a great test.
"It was a great game."
The highly entertaining match has added weight to calls from across the Tasman earlier in the week to cement the Blues and Reds game as an annual Anzac Day tradition.
"I think there's a bit of history between the two clubs and if today's game is any form of example of what kind of quality game of rugby can be produced on that day, why not?" asked Cotter.
"I think it ties the history of the two clubs together, through people that have been involved in those difficult times in the first and second world wars.
"I think it's a something that needs to be recognised and if it's recognised with a game of footy every year, why not?"
The Blues now travel to Melbourne to face the struggling Rebels on Friday, when they'll have a chance to complete a clean sweep of the Aussie sides.
