The Blues' woes against the Crusaders started early on Saturday night.
A keen-eyed Crusaders fan at Eden Park noticed the flag-bearers on display before the match were standing out of order.
Their flags should have spelled out "BLUES" but actually read "BEULS".
Crusaders supporter John Beechey caught the flag mix-up on video and posted it to Facebook with a comment: "You had one job."
The miscommunication proved to be a fitting start to the night for the Blues, whose lineout imploded as they lost possession 10 times on their own throw.
The Crusaders took the Super Rugby Pacific title with a 21-7 victory.
