The Melbourne Rebels have set a new club record as they surged to their sixth win of the Super Rugby season with a 42-22 victory over the Blues at AAMI Park.
Melbourne had never managed to win six games in a season but set the new benchmark with five rounds still to play.
The Rebels also picked up a bonus point after scoring five tries, which could prove helpful as they push for an unlikely finals berth.
With Wallabies back-rower Sean McMahon out with a hip injury Melbourne showed their depth of talent with his left-flanker replacement Colby Fainga'a brilliant in both attack and defence.
Openside flanker Jordy Reid also gave the Blues plenty of headaches with a game-high 18 tackles, while No.8 co-captain Scott Higginbotham scored his 30th Super Rugby try to set a new record for the most tries by a forward.
The home side's first try in the 10th minute was a superb team effort, with Fainga'a touching down.
It started with an intercept by five-eighth Jack Debreczeni, with the ball travelling to Fainga'a, winger Sefa Naivalu, Higginbotham and then back to Fainga'a.
After an earlier penalty the Rebels were out to an 8-0 lead.
Out of contention for the finals, the Blues showed their willingness to throw the ball around and came up trumps in the 27th minute through Melani Nanai.
An inside ball from hooker Keven Mealamu released centre Francis Sali who sent a long ball wide to his flying winger to close the lead to just a point.
Melbourne extended that soon after - first through a penalty, and then a clever try scored by prop Toby Smith.
He and hooker Pat Leafa caught the Blues napping with a quick lineout and he charged 35 metres to touch down for his first Rebels try.
The visitors again closed the margin to one point at 18-17 through nippy replacement halfback Jamison Gibson-Park but three minutes later the Rebels had some breathing space through Higginbotham's effort.
The Blues struck again with George Moala burrowing over the line but following the pattern the Rebels hit back again.
Centre Dom Shipperley collected the bonus point try and then Debreczeni added their fifth in the 78th minute to cap a memorable night for the home team.
Rebels coach Tony McGahan said that Fainga'a and Reid kept his team in the match in the first half.
"If they weren't on the field we could have been in a lot more trouble," McGahan said.
"The scoreboard looks great but it certainly wasn't great at halftime."
"We weren't our enthusiastic, intense self with the way we played in the first half.
"It looks nice at the end but it was certainly a robust, tough game."
Blues coach Sir John Kirwan said while the scoreline did blow out in the end, there wasn't much in the match.
He said it had been typical of his team's season, with them only managing two wins but plenty of close seconds.
Kirwan said the difference was the ruck, with 17 turnovers.
"I thought we were in the fight until late," he said.
"I thought we created a lot of pressure but we didn't sustain it and we gave away a couple of soft tries and we need to be a lot better."
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