Lee Stensness: The loss of a player is sometimes a blessing in disguise

When a team is affected by injuries and unavailability it can be a curse but also a blessing in disguise. It's hard to say where the line is but the Blues definitely crossed it on Friday night when injuries caught up with them.

In a one-off situation where one player is injured or unavailable, it can be a curious blessing. The rest of the team, while having sympathy for the missing player, rallies around the new player. The new guy must fit in quickly and it's in everyone's best interests to make sure the process of assimilation is as smooth as possible.

This is where the benefits for the team are accrued. Incumbent players elevate their contributions both on and off the field - they are forced to think about the other player's role and how they can make it easier for him. Team tactics and moves are often simplified, which I believe is a good thing as simple moves are usually the most effective and carry a lower margin of error.

In these one-off cases, the new player often has a blinder as they are desperate to play well because this may be their big chance to break into the team on a more permanent basis and they don't want to let the rest of the team down.

A personal example was the 1996 Super 12 semifinal: Blues vs Northern Transvaal (The Bulls). I had been dropped as a second-five the week before but Carlos Spencer had pulled a hamstring so I had to fill in at first-five.

I knew that it was going to be a one-off as he would be ready the next week should we win but my motivation was not personal - it was very much not to let the team down and not be the reason we didn't make the final. It gave me real focus and determination.

As it turned out, we won 48-11 and Carlos was back in for the final but I was satisfied that I'd done my job and not let the side down.

A new player can also benefit the team in that the opposition may know little about them and are not quite sure of what to expect, both from the individual and in terms of a possible change in tactics. The risk to a team of using a replacement player comes if the new player isn't up to it, lets the pressure get to him or if the player tries to do too much and attempts to win the game by himself. This is why the coach will usually say things to the new player like "just relax, play your own game and concentrate on the basics".

Although individuals can perform well, such as Craig McGrath for the Blues on Friday night, until he in turn was injured, combinations and familiarities are imperative to any team's success.

Get too many injuries and the disruption outweighs any possible benefits.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY