Highlanders hammer Blues to spoil Keven Mealamu's farewell

Dan Pryor scored one of the Highlanders' seven tries in Eden Park

The Highlanders closed in on a first home play-off match in 16 years as they eased to a 44-7 win over the Blues.

The Dunedin-based side ran in seven tries at Eden Park and secured the bonus point with half an hour still to play.

The result means the Highlanders will take fourth spot unless the Waikato Chiefs can manage a bonus point win against runaway leaders the Hurricanes on Saturday.

The result soured Keven Mealamu's final Super Rugby match after a 16-year career spanning a competition-record 175 matches.

The 36-year-old hooker, who has also earned 123 Test caps for the All Blacks, is set to retire after New Zealand's World Cup defence next year.

With All Blacks Ben and Aaron Smith back after being rested for last week's loss to the Hurricanes, the Highlanders showed a willingness to attack, despite wet conditions early on.

The aggression paid off on 10 minutes when John Hardie scored from a driving maul after Lima Sopoaga had found touch with a perfectly weighted kick.

Josh Hohneck was sin-binned for a shoulder charge but the South Islanders scarcely skipped a beat, continuing to press until Shaun Treeby scored their second try after 25 minutes.

Flanker Elliot Dixon raced from the base of a scrum to make it three as the half-time siren sounded, sending the Highlanders into the break 20-0 up.

All Blacks hooker Keven Mealamu played his 175th and final Super Rugby match

The Blues continued to leak points, conceding a fourth try when winger Patrick Osborne smashed through a tackler to touch down in the corner.

Tries to Dan Pryor and Joe Latta continued the rout before Matt McGahan put the Blues on the board with 13 minutes to go.

But the Highlanders were not done, with Ben Smith crossing for their seventh when he plucked Sopoaga's cross-field chip kick from the air and grounded the ball.

It completes the worst-ever season for the Blues, with the three-time champions managing only three wins and becoming the whipping boys of the New Zealand Conference.

"Putting those results aside, they're good men to play alongside and I wouldn't have it any other way," said Mealamu.

"We've got some good talent coming through but it's important we learn from the lessons this year and become a stronger club."

Meanwhile, bottom of the table Western Force finished their Super Rugby season with a dour 13-11 win over the Rebels.

A length-of-the-field Luke Morahan try ruined Rebels captain Scott Higginbotham's farewell as the Force pulled off an upset in Melbourne.