Paku wary of Mehrtens magic

"Wings on strings" is what Wellington fullback Shannon Paku reckons his side will need to counter the kicking game of Andrew Mehrtens tomorrow.

"The thing with Mehrtens, you have to have it in the back of your mind that he will look to find a grassy patch somewhere," Paku says.

Canterbury possess one of the best kicking games in the country, with Daniel Carter's left boot meaning they can pressure both sides of the pitch, Paku says.

"You have to have wings on strings to make sure you cover it. You can't play as singles or even a double, you need all three of you covering as much of the field as possible.

"We have to watch our field position, we can't get too deep, because they throw it wide with flat passes, and you saw against Bay of Plenty they set Caleb Ralph free on the end of the line."

* reports on nzherald.co.nz/rugby throughout the wekeend

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