SUPER 14 - Blue murder in mind

THE Crusaders' Bronson Murray is counting on a win against the Blues tomorrow, saying that the match will be an important test of their ability to retain the Super 14 title.
The first-year Crusader knows the Blues will be raring to go come kick-off at Eden Park, with Pat Lam's boys keen to salvage something from a disappointing season.
Murray said: "It's going to be a tough game, they've fallen off a bit towards the end of their season, so they'll be looking forward to a big finish and they'll be thinking - who better to beat than the Crusaders."
The Crusaders hadn't made it easy on themselves with a slow start to the season and tomorrow's game was their chance to clinch a semifinal spot, he said.
"We've grown as a team but we've started coming together at the business end of the season so if we can have a good win on Saturday, I feel we'll be hard to beat (in the rest of the campaign)."
The Crusaders sit in fourth place on the table and need a bonus point win to assure themselves of a semifinal berth - with the Brumbies, Sharks and Waratahs still in with an outside chance of hauling them in.
"It's in our hands now - we're in fourth place so all we have to do is win and we're through, we don't have to worry about other teams losing," he said.
The prospect of coming up against his Northland teammates in the Blues side, Gus Collins and Rene Ranger, will be an added bonus for Murray and fellow Northland player in the Crusaders set-up, Jared Payne.
"Jared's been texting them already and I'll be giving them a call to give them a bit of stick before I get up there and see if they'll be up for it," he said and laughed.
Ranger and Collins have had injury concerns this week but Ranger has been cleared to play, while Collins is bracketed at loose forward with Peter Saili.
Murray is happy to be playing in the north again - in front of family and friends - in warmer weather than in Canterbury as winter sets in.
His team are peaking at the right time after having largely overcome a hideous run of injuries that damaged their early form.
"There are a few niggles from the weekend, none of them bad ones but most of the injuries are sorted now and we're ready to go," he said.
If things went well for the Crusaders at Eden Park, there would be only time for a brief catch-up with family and friends before preparation for the semifinals started.
"If all goes to plan and we win, then we come straight back (to Christchurch) on Sunday morning and we'll be on a flight to South Africa at 2pm," he said.
If the Bulls beat the Sharks and the Chiefs and Hurricanes down the Brumbies and the Reds respectively, the Crusaders will play the Pretoria-based side next weekend at Loftus Versfeld.