The Blues have defeated the Fijian Drua 30-14 in Fiji, ensuring they keep in touch with the top four.

Leon McDonald's men notched up their third win in a row and in the process served up Drua's first defeat at home for the year in hot and humid conditions.

The conditions were so trying that both teams struggled to play cleanly, with the first points coming 25 minutes into the contest off Beauden Barrett's boot.

A Rieko Ioane try two minutes later helped extend the Blues lead before Drua No. 8 Elia Canakaivata energised the home crowd with a try of his own. The excitement was short lived with the Blues enjoying a 13 point lead at the break.

Dalton Papalii made a successful return from injury to help close the game out for the visitors. He powered over from close to punish an ill-disciplined performance from the hosts to push the game beyond reach.

Canakaivata scored a second, 15 minutes from the end of the game, finishing things off in the corner. But the classy Barrett put the cherry on top with a penalty nine minutes out from full-time.

"We expected it was going to be hot but once you actually feel the heat, it is a whole different ball game," Papalii said after the game "We knew we had to play at our tempo and control the game but credit to the Drua, they've been playing good all season. When they get those offloads away, they're a dangerous team."

The win lifts the Blues into fourth position, leapfrogging the Crusaders, who have a game in hand.