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Former All Black coach John Mitchell has been up close with the Blues lately. He liked what he saw, even though it meant a 33-6 pounding for his side.
Mitchell thought they would give the Sharks a serious hurry-up in the first Super 14 semifinal this Sunday, even with the fatiguing effects of lengthy travel through Sydney and on to South Africa.
That was before he knew about the absence of midfielder Luke McAlister with a hamstring strain. "That does leave the Blues a bit short because Luke does have such variety to his game," Mitchell said. "He gives a greater dimension to the backline - as we found out."
His exit did not mean the Blues' task was terminal but it called for some creative thinking. Ali Williams' absence was not beneficial, either, but he was at best only going to be on the bench because of the form of captain Troy Flavell and Greg Rawlinson.
On the evidence of the Blues' work at Subiaco Oval, Mitchell thought they would be far more ruthless than in their pool match at Albany, when they succumbed 32-25 to the Sharks. If they hammered away at the breakdown and contact areas as they had in Perth, they would be well on course to an upset in Durban.
While the Force fell away in their final match, they had improved and were the only side in the competition to defeat both the Bulls and Sharks. "I think the Blues will want to ramp up the pressure on their back three," Mitchell said.
Both J.P. Pietersen and Francois Steyn could be suspect in the air, or with their handling, and it would be a useful tactic to test them early and often. Percy Montgomery was a steady influence, fairly organised in his play and would help his younger teammates - but he could also struggle at times, defusing kicks.
Conversely, the Sharks could look to gain a lot of mileage from their kicking towards the edges of the field. Ruan Pienaar was adept at box-kicking and mixed up his play particularly well for such a young player.
"I think the Sharks will try to unstructure the Blues with their kicking, they will make them work very hard to gain any momentum. And, of course, they will have that crowd support over there which can drive a side along too, for some extra help," Mitchell said.
The Force coach, whose contract was renewed recently for another four years, had no concerns about the ability of the Blues forwards to cope with the rival pack. The lineout looked dependable and their work at the breakdowns was tidy. The only chink was the occasional wobble in the scrum. Sometimes tighthead prop John Afoa got caught out of position, but they were a combative unit.
Loosehead Tony Woodcock was the best in the business and Mitchell was envious. "He gave our tighthead a hard time, he just makes them work so hard all match, he never lets up.
"He is very quick on the engagement and often leaves his opponent in awkward positions where he cannot deliver enough power through the scrum.
"Woody is great on the close-quarter combat, his defence is strong, he does his share of pick and drive moves and is a very impressive customer."
Mitchell, who carved out a solid reputation in a long career as a loose forward, admired the improvements in Jerome Kaino's game.
Kaino brought a lot of intensity to his play, either carrying the ball or in the tackle, while Daniel Braid had stacked on some weight and made the Force's job much harder at the breakdown.
"They have good locks who are strong in the air and the whole pack delivers a lot of physical presence. We felt they produced far more impact up front than they have in other seasons."
