The Auckland Blues appear likely to continue with their no-frills, conservative game plan as they attempt to rebuild their reputation in rugby’s Super 12.
The Blues used a notably restrained — free of their typical razzle-dazzle — when they beat the Otago Highlanders 30-14 in the tournament’s opening round last weekend.
They may adopt a similar defensive style when they lead off the second round against the Queensland Reds at Auckland on Friday.
Dewy conditions and a strong forward challenge from the Highlanders might have influenced the Blues approach. But it is clear the team that dropped to the bottom of last year’s table before surging to place was putting substance ahead of style.
Flyhalf Carlos Spencer played with unusual caution against the Highlanders, while speedsters Joe Rokocoko and Mils Muliaina had few attacking chances.
Blues coach Peter Sloane expects the Reds to play an open style on Friday, accentuating the attacking ability of players such as Wallabies winger Wendell Sailor.
For that reason the Blues will place a strong emphasis on defence and on cutting down turnovers and penalties which could fuel Reds counterattacks.
”The Reds will challenge us in different areas,” Sloane said this week. ”They are very comfortable playing with a lot of width and they are good at it.”
Reds fullback Chris Latham will miss Saturday’s match because of commitments to the tsunami charity match at Twickenham but former Wallaby winger Ben Tune is booked to return after a long injury break.
The ACT Brumbies will be without captain Stirling Mortlock and veteran Australian skipper George Gregan when they take on the Bulls in Canberra on Friday. Mortlock suffered a knee injury in the Brumbies’ first-round win over the Canterbury Crusaders. Winger Clive Rathbone is sidelined with a concussion.
Bulls coach Heyneke Meyer has made six changes to his team for the match, among them the recall of captain Anton Leonard, who missed last week’s opening loss to the Cats with a hamstring injury.
”It would have been a disaster if we had to play the Brumbies without Anton and Victor Matfield,” Meyer said.
Matfield is another player committed to the Southern Hemisphere team for the tsunami fund-raiser.
Highlanders captain Anton Oliver, who last week became the first New Zealander to play 100 Super 12 matches, will miss his team’s match against the Stormers Saturday with a rib injury. His place will be taken by Mahonri Schwalger, while All Blacks flanker Craig Newby will assume the captaincy.
Stormers coach Gert Smal has made several changes to the team which beat the Sharks in the first round, moving Jean de Villiers from the wing to centre, opening a place for the recall of Zimbabwean speedster Tonderai Chavanga.
The Hurricanes will be without All Blacks captain Tana Umaga when they take on the Cats in Johannesburg. Umaga will lead the Southern Hemisphere at Twickenham, awarding the Hurricanes captaincy to Rodney So’oialo.
Both the Cats and Hurricanes made winning starts to the season but Cats coach Chester Williams admitted concern about the Hurricanes’ varied strengths.
”The Hurricanes have beaten the Cats in the last two years and their backline is devastating on attack,” Williams said.
”But their forwards have also shown they can win their own scrum and lineout ball. The improvement in that aspect of their game is what makes them so dangerous.”
The New South Wales Waratahs play the Sharks in Durban, determined to avoid a second straight loss in South Africa two years in a row.
The Crusaders will play the Chiefs in Christchurch on Saturday.
All Black Leon MacDonald will slot in at fullback, allowing Daniel Carter to return to flyhalf in place of Andrew Mehrtens. – Sapa-AP