The Blues made 100 tackles to keep the dangerous Waratahs in check on Friday, according to SARugbymag.co.za's Opta-powered stats.

The Blues scored five tries to secure a 34-28 victory. The key to their big win against the 2014 champions, however, was their determined defence.

In the end, the Blues conceded four tries (three in the second half). More should be read, though, into their tackle stats. The Blues completed 100 of their 111 tackle attempts. Compare that to the effort of the Waratahs, who made just 71 out of 91 for a substandard success rate of 78%.

The Blues won the battle at the breakdown. They were especially effective on defence, and forced a total of 12 turnovers.

The Blues only enjoyed 44% of the possession, and kicked 31 times over the course of the contest. They did boss the territory stats, spending 65% of the game in the Waratahs' half.

More team and player statistics

Photo: Phil Walter/Getty Images