New Zealand playmaker Beauden Barrett enjoyed victory over former side the Hurricanes on his Blues debut in front of a capacity 43,000 crowd in Auckland.

The 29-year-old, who spent nine years at the Wellington-based Hurricanes, received some cheeky digs from his old team-mates despite the 30-20 scoreline.

After Dane Coles barrelled through his tackle to score, Barrett was briefly surrounded by celebrating Hurricanes.

And Barrett said Coles caught him with a shoulder barge late in the game.

"My back felt his shoulder somewhere towards the end of the game," a grinning Barrett said.

"I don't know where it came from. I'll have to check the tape."

While the build-up to the game at Eden Park had been dominated by the prospect of Barrett facing his former side, it was Blues fly-half Otere Black who outshone the debutant.

Keeping his place at fly-half as Barrett took up the full-back role, Black landed all six of his kicks and pulled the strings in the second half to punish the Hurricanes' fraying discipline.

Caleb Clarke, TJ Faiane and Dalton Papali'i all scored tries for the Blues, who had won five of their seven games before Super Rugby was put on hold by the outbreak of coronavirus.

Dan Carter, who has signed for the Blues on a short-term deal at the age of 38 following his contract ending at Japanese club side Kobelco Steelers, was not named in the matchday squad and instead busied himself ferrying on water and the kicking tee.

The match was the second of the opening weekend of Super Rugby Aotearoa - a domestic reworking of the southern hemisphere's top-level club competition.

On Saturday, a late drop goal from Bryn Gatland snatched victory from a Chiefs side coached by his father and former Wales coach Warren.