Keith Lowen scored one of Waikato's tries

Lauaki ran in from 30 metres moments after Blues wing Ben Atiga kicked a penalty to tie the score at 20-20.

Keith Lowen and Michael Collins crossed for the Chiefs in the first half to put them 17-10 ahead at the break.

The Blues tied the score at 17-17 with the second of two tries from Doug Howlett before Lauaki sealed victory.

Friday's triumph was Waikato's first victory over the Blues since 2001.

We seemed a bit complacent when we had the ball Auckland's Justin Collins

Meanwhile, New South Wales Waratahs continued their impressive form with a comfortable 46-10 win over the Cats in Sydney.

Mat Rogers was the star of the show with two tries, five conversions and two penalties while Nathan Grey, Phil Waugh, Chris Whitaker and Lote Tuqiri also crossed.

The Waratahs lead the table with 15 points thanks to three bonus-point wins from their first three Super 12 fixtures.

Injury blow for Rogers

The result, though, was marred by a potentially serious injury to Waratahs full-back Mat Rogers.

Rogers was carried off with an ankle injury and could miss the rest of the Super 12 as a result.

On Saturday, there was further Australian success as Joe Roff kicked a last-minute penalty for the ACT Brumbies to edge out the Natal Sharks 23-20.

The Sharks were eyeing an upset early in the second half when scrum-half Craig Davidson crossed for his team's only try to give his side a 14-3 lead.

But the Brumbies, the only team from outside New Zealand to have won the Super 12, hit back with a two-try burst to set up a thrilling finish.

Winger Mark Gerrard scored in the right corner after 58 minutes before prop Bill Young scored off a line-out, as kickers Roff and Sharks' Butch James exchanged penalties.

Elsewhere on Saturday, the Canterbury Crusaders narrowly beat the Queensland Reds 20-17 in New Zealand.

Corey Flynn crossed for the Crusaders as Daniel Carter kicked five penalties, while John Roe and Steve Kefu scored for the Reds.

The Crusaders, losing finalists last year, rallied from 17-6 down with half an hour to go for their first win of the competition.

A try two minutes from time by centre Ettienne Botha earned the Bulls a 16-16 draw with the Highlanders.

Botha dummied his way over to the right of the posts to finally breach a brave Highlanders defence which had resisted a prolonged period of Bulls pressure.

Replacement full-back Willem de Waal converted the try to earn the Bulls two points.