In a tight contest like this it is probably better to have players who can lose a game at times but can also win one.
Players like Luke McAlister and Stephen Brett, who, as usual, mixed the good with the bad, but their good came at the right time for the home side, which in the end was untroubled to emerge the victor.
The Highlanders' need for someone to spark the side became more obvious as the game went on.
It is also a team which cannot afford to make basic errors, such as letting the ball bounce from kicks, and that happened too much for the side to be competitive.
The straw that broke the camel's back for the Highlanders came early in the second half, after it went into the break trailing 17-11.
Ben Smith has been outstanding for the Highlanders this season at fullback, but this is one game he would want to forget.
He completely lost an up-and-under after three minutes of the second period and his opposite, Jared Payne, picked up the bouncing ball and ran 20m to score under the bar.
With the conversion, the Highlanders were up the creek without a paddle, and the rapids were coming fast.
It managed to prevent the Blues from scoring a try for the rest of the match, limiting the home side to three Lachie Munro penalties.
Best for the Highlanders was winger Matt Saunders, who helped himself to two ties through not doing anything wrong and having a real eye for the tryline.
Number 8 Nasi Manu completed an excellent season with another top effort, as did departing flanker Alando Soakai, while lock Tom Donnelly got round the field in his 50 minutes of action.
The side, though, did not get any decent field position in the second half, against a Blues team gaining in confidence after a relatively even first 40 minutes.
The first half was played in conditions only a duck would enjoy, and although it stopped raining for most of the second half, the ball was still wet and greasy.
The Highlanders made a great start, scoring a try after just seven minutes. It swung into Blues territory, with its forwards knuckling in and barging at the line.
Stopped about a metre short from a forward drive at the line, the ball came back to halfback Cowan, who threw a wide, lopping pass to winger Saunders.
The Southland veteran expertly picked up the ball from his boot laces and slid along the wet ground the required couple of metres to score. Tony Brown could not add the extras.
Munro had a chance to put the first points on the board for the Blues after 15 minutes but missed a handy penalty.
He had another chance three minutes later and found his radar this time.
But the Highlanders then swung back on to attack and with points looking like they would be at a premium, Brown nudged over a dropped goal from just over 35m out.
But the home side could not be kept out and with nearly half an hour gone, flaky first five-eighth Brett snaked his way to the tryline from a 5m scrum after the Blues managed to hold on to the ball for a length of time.
Brett broke a couple of poor tackles on a weaving run to get there and with the conversion by Munro, the Highlanders suddenly found themselves behind on the scoreboard.
Brown managed to nail a handy penalty with three minutes left in the first period to keep his side in touch.
But it was only to get worse straight from the kick-off after some poor options at the back. A towering Brett bomb was allowed to bounce by Smith and the home side quickly grabbed the ball.
After some barges at the line by the Blues' forwards, the ball was sent to the backs forMcAlister to score. With the conversion, the Highlanders found themselves nine points down and facing an uphill struggle.
The scores
HIGHLANDERS v BLUES
• Blues 33
Stephen Brett, Luke McAlister, Jared Payne tries, Lachie Munro 4 pen, 3 con.
• Highlanders 16
Matt Saunders 2 tries, Tony Brown pen, d-goal.
• Halftime: 17-11
• Crowd: 13,000
