Blues v Crusaders: The returning star who can reignite Blues - Phil Gifford

The Blues celebrate a try earlier this season. Photo / John Cowpland, SmartFrame

A tale of two teams

Who would have imagined before the season stated that the odds on the Blues at home to the Crusaders this Saturday night at Eden Park would virtually be 50-50?

After a nightmare injury run in 2024, the Crusaders now have the luxury of being able to replace last weekend’s five-try hero Macca Springer, with another gifted wing, Chay Fihaki.

On the other hand, the Blues’ casualty ward is still crowded, with 12 players injured. But the situation is picking up for Blues coach, Vern Cotter. Hoskins Sotutu is back from suspension, and there were signs that Stephen Perofeta could unleash the Blues’ speedsters out wide.

Blues loosie Hoskins Sotutu returns to action against the Crusaders. Photo / John Cowpland, SmartFrame

At the Crusaders, coach Rob Penney is taking an approach you’d expect from a solid, practical man. He’ll know that at some point the Blues are too talented to not have a game where things finally click for them. He’s fielding the team he’d probably put out if this was a finals knockout game, not a round-six match.

Praise where it’s due

The Crusaders’ captain, David Havili, has occasionally been a lightning rod for criticism, but his leadership and form this year has been exceptional. At second five-eighths he’s been a threat with the ball, accurate with his kicking, and a rock on defence. Leadership comes in many forms in rugby, not all of them obvious to anyone outside a team. Leading by example is an age old cliche, but it is true. Think Buck Shelford or Richie McCaw. There’s more than a hint of “follow me” in the way Havili runs the Crusaders.

A home away from home?

The massive contributions made by Pasifika rugby players to rugby is out of all proportion to population numbers. Which is why it’s sad that the Moana Pasifika game with the Chiefs couldn’t be played in Tonga. What you’d now hope is that the new venue for Friday night’s game, Pukekohe, will still get a large support group for Moana from South Auckland.

It’ll be a big challenge for Moana, as the Chiefs have no obvious areas that might be exploited. Look at the Chiefs’ line-up. A hard working, polished forward pack? Check. A commanding first five-eighths in Damian McKenzie? Check. Fire power to burn out wide with Eroni Narawa, Shaun Stevenson and Leroy Carter? Check. For Moana to win, especially without Ardie Savea, will take even more of the impressive spirit and courage than they’ve already shown this year.

Hands across the Ditch

In the Sydney Morning Herald, Peter FitzSimons has noted how television audiences for Super Rugby have not only increased by double digits in New Zealand, but also by 11% in Australia. One of the reasons for Aussie interest, he suggests, is that “weirdly, Australian teams are winning regularly”.

He’s right, which makes Saturday afternoon’s game in Dunedin, where the Highlanders will face the Reds, more interesting than the match-up would have been as recently as last year.

Going into this round, the Reds are in third place, the Highlanders in sixth. So what might have been just another day at the office for the ‘Landers instead shapes as a real contest.

Daring fullback Finn Hurey returns for the Highlanders, as does second-five Thomas Umaga-Jensen. Interestingly, the Landers’ captain, Timoci Tavatavanawai has been moved to the wing to allow Umaga-Jensen to take the midfield role. Tavatavanawai has been a revelation at No 12, but he’s such an industrious player that hopefully on the wing he’ll still see enough ball to influence the game.

Paler shade of Les Bleus

About the only thing we can guarantee about the French team that will be here in July is that their superstar captain, Antoine Dupont, who ruptured his right cruciate ligament in March will not tour. France enjoys great playing depth at the moment, so their team won’t be weak. Having watched the French stun the All Blacks at Eden Park (1994), Twickenham (1999) and Cardiff (2007), and almost rain on the All Blacks' parade in the 2011 World Cup final, nothing Le Bleus do now could surprise me.

Antoine Dupont will mis the French tour to these shores later this year. Photo / Photosport

But it’s still a pity that the tests in Dunedin, Wellington, and Hamilton will not be played by a full strength French side, the current European champions. Not having a real clash of the hemispheres is even being mourned by Stephen Jones in London’s Sunday Times. “It’s a shame,” he wrote, “that the French never take their top team Down Under.” (In case you wondered, he thinks a full strength France would beat the All Blacks.)