Preview: Highlanders v Blues

Having each suffered losses in the Rebel Sport Super 14 first round both the home team Highlanders and the visiting Blues have plenty to play for at Carisbrook on Friday evening

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VENUE & TIME: Carisbrook, Dunedin, Friday February 19, 19.35 NZT.

HEAD TO HEAD: Played 15.Highlanders 5, Blues 10.

LAST TIME: April 17, 2009 (Auckland).Blues 26-6 Highlanders.

LAST TIME AT VENUE: May 10, 2008 (Dunedin).Highlanders 15-40 Blues.

WALKING WOUNDED: The Highlanders lost first-five Matt Berquist to an ankle problem late in the first half at Christchurch and his replacement, Michael Hobbs, starts at 10 this week. Nasi Manu is also out.probably for longer after damaging a knee.but change has been reduced to a minimum with a straight swap for Steven Setephano. The Blues will run with the same 22 beaten a week ago and Rene Ranger must feel a bit hard done by as he's the only player to drop out of the run-on XV; since he saw hardly any ball it was hardly his fault they lost.

FORM:

Highlanders:
Round 1: Lost to Crusaders 17-32 (Christchurch)

Blues:
Round 1: Lost to Hurricanes 20-34 (Albany)

Both sides lost their openers but the Highlanders had a lot more to be happy about than the Blues. A couple of calls the referee wouldn't have minded a review process for went against the Highlanders at Christchurch.one cost Adam Thomson a try, although Chris Pollock was sold a pup by his assistant on that occasion, and a comeback from 7-10 would have been a lot easier than from 0-17. While the Crusaders eventually ran the margin out, it took a 79th minute try to do so. The Blues looked good for 40 minutes, taking a couple of tries in good style, but were spending a lot of time at their own end of the pitch and in the second half that told. Always under pressure in the territory game, the Blues gave away stream of penalties (five were goaled), a couple of interceptions that included a free run to the line for Hosea Gear and a lot of ball when the really didn't want to. The margin may have flattered the Hurricanes, after all, they did only score one try to the Blues' two, but the result most certainly did not.

WHO'S HOT: Super 14 new boy Josh Bekhuis had a very promising debut for the Highlanders last week, doing his tight work well and getting around the park in good style. Adam Thomson was his normal industrious self and got good help from his various loose forward mates. The advent of Hobbs at first-five gave the Highlanders a different look and his running game, so different to the style Berquist uses, gave the Crusaders defence fits. Israel Dagg had his moments but was not always consistent; still, those moments threaten to break matches open. The Blues would have been delighted at halftime as almost everyone was travelling well but that form was left in the Albany sheds at the break. Seasoned campaigners Keven Mealamu, John Afoa and Jerome Kaino were taken out of the open game by the Hurricanes pressure but were strong in the trenches. Alby Mathewson had a good Blues debut but Stephen Brett will only want to remember the first 40 minutes of his (it was very good); the rest was too ordinary for comfort.

WE THINK: This is a hard match to pick, as you can make a case for both sides. After a fair bit of head-scratching, we're going to go with the Blues simply because they have a bit more speed about them and early in the season that can be vital. That said, we're expecting a close match, with only a few points in it, and at only $1.75 on the Blues in the early call, the TAB won't be getting any of our money.

TEAMS:

Highlanders: 1.Jamie Mackintosh, 2.Jason Rutledge, 3.Clint Newland, 4.Josh Bekhuis, 5.Tom Donnelly, 6.Adam Thomson, 7.Alando Soakai, 8.Steven Setephano, 9.Jimmy Cowan (captain), 10.Michael Hobbs, 11.James Paterson, 12.Jayden Hayward, 13.Jason Shoemark, 14.Ben Smith, 15.Israel Dagg.

Reserves: 16.Jason MacDonald, 17.Chris King, 18.Hayden Triggs, 19.John Hardie, 20.Sean Romans, 21.Robbie Robinson, 22.Fetu'u Vainikolo.

Blues: 1.Tony Woodcock, 2.Keven Mealamu (captain), 3.John Afoa, 4.Kurtis Haiu, 5.Anthony Boric, 6.Jerome Kaino, 7.Serge Lilo, 8.Viliame Ma'afu, 9.Alby Mathewson, 10.Stephen Brett, 11.Joe Rokocoko, 12.Benson Stanley, 13.Isaia Toeava, 14.Rudi Wulf, 15.Paul Williams.

Reserves: 16.Tom McCartney, 17.Charlie Faumuina, 18.Filo Paulo, 19.Peter Saili, 20.Chris Smylie, 21.Daniel Kirkpatrick, 22.Rene Ranger.

REFEREE: Bryce Lawrence