RUGBY - Blues To Face Lions Head On

By TIM
YOU might think getting your head buried in the murky midst of the scrum is the last place any rugby player would find stimulating. Especially in the heat of Johannesburg in South Africa. Then again you're not Troy Flavell.
The Blues' captain is now hunkered down in Johannesburg ready for round two of the Super 14 with his team getting ready to tackle the Lions.
Contrary to the common theories used by most New Zealand rugby teams when playing the South Africans, Flavell is not dreaming up schemes to avoid physical confrontation. Instead he is talking up the Blues scrum. The Blues destroyed the Chiefs at scrum time to win the opening game in Auckland last week. Now Flavell reckons his scrum could be a weapon again this weekend.
Flavell even reckons he might utilise the new rules and opt for more scrums when given the choice rather than tap the ball and try and run the big Lions forwards off their feet.
``We look at all different situations as we get to them. There's a few different tactics we could use and scrummaging is one of them,' Flavell said.
``We want to encourage our set piece to carry on from last week and set a good platform and then we can apply pressure.' It is yet more evidence that the Blues are mastering the art of mixing their impromptu brilliance with an appreciation of the need for control in traditional exchanges up front.
Against the Chiefs the Blues were frenetic in patches during the first half before adjusting their attack in the second to a more conservative approach, and marching away with the game.
In that regard new first five-eighth Nick Evans is emerging as a crucial tactician with a boot that may play a major role this weekend. His raking field punts will be all the more potent with the benefit of the rarefied air at Ellis Park.
Evans admitted the kicking game was still a work in progress under the new rules, but a potent weapon if executed correctly.
``We are going to have to pick our times using our tactical kicking. Under the new rules you are forced to keep the ball in. But then the last thing you want to do is kick it to someone in space with a bit of grass in front of them.' In an effort to alleviate the travel factor, the Blues only trained for the first time this week today and consequently were not expected to confirm their starting line-up until tomorrow morning.
The Lions, having secured a nailbiting one point away win over the Cheetahs last week, will be keen to add the Blues scalp.
But the Blues are riding high after banking a bonus point win last week, and are welcoming the chance to tackle the South African leg of their campaign so early in the season.
The extended recovery period was all part of a masterplan, said Blues coach David Nucifora, that was designed to keep the players fresh. But the selection process was still a tricky one.
``We had a good performance first up but we are mindful of a few things. We're mindful of continuity at this time of the year,' he said.
``We're mindful of providing opportunity for other players. We're mindful that we have travelled and people have played a tough game last week.'