Blues, Chiefs join Crusaders in Super Rugby semis

SYDNEY :The Auckland Blues overcame a gallant Otago Highlanders effort 35-6 at Eden Park on Saturday to win their 14th straight match and join the Waikato Chiefs and Canterbury Crusaders in the Super Rugby semi-finals.

The Chiefs earlier beat an error-prone New South Wales Waratahs side 39-15 in Hamilton to set up a trip next week to Christchurch to face the Crusaders, who downed the Queensland Reds 37-15 on Friday.

The top seeded Blues will host the winners of Saturday's final quarter-final in Canberra between the ACT Brumbies, the last Australian side in the competition, and the Wellington Hurricanes.

Despite losing hooker Andrew Makalio to a red card for a no-arms tackle in the 22nd minute, the Highlanders managed to keep the Blues at bay for the first half an hour of the contest, taking a 6-0 lead through two Marty Banks penalties.

Flanker Akira Ioane stormed over the line to get the Blues on the scoreboard in the 31st minute and soon afterwards a bit of magic from All Blacks flyhalf Beauden Barrett for a second converted try had the home side 14-6 ahead.

Barrett scored his second eight minutes into the second half after slick interplay between the Blues' backline and replacement winger AJ Lam and centre Roger Tuivasa-Sheck also crossed as the Highlanders ran out of gas.

"You can never get comfortable against the 'Landers, they are a side that always fights for the full 80," said Barrett.

"We took a bit of time to find our groove ... but it's great that we finally expressed ourselves and got used to playing our game again."

Earlier, Chiefs skipper Brad Weber had the cowbells ringing early at Waikato Stadium as he scored the first of his two tries in the sixth minute against the Waratahs.

Two more tries from flanker Luke