Bleyendaal is deputy to Daniel Carter but with the champion five-eighths still on rehab, the former captain of the national under-20 side will make his Super 15 debut tonight.
"He is class, absolute class and has been player of the day in our three matches so far," coach Todd Blackadder enthused.
"He has got all the skills, he is tough, good on defence and has a tactical awareness."
So given a similar ball supply, Hobbs and Bleyendaal will be asked to deliver a tactical template to suit conditions and the game plan. They will have been well-drilled on the outlines but both will need to feel the tempo of the game and respond with their strategies.
It may seem a subplot with men like Keven Mealamu, Ali Williams, Jerome Kaino, Alby Mathewson, Rene Ranger and Isaia Toeava squaring off against the Franks brothers, Sam Whitelock, Tom Donnelly, Kieran Read, Andy Ellis and Israel Dagg from the Crusaders.
If the nerve centre of either side short-circuits, the strain will affect the rest, although mistakes are usually more prevalent as sides work through the early stages of the competition.
Juggling resources is part of a coach's brief and while Lam had little choice with Weepu, Blackadder had to wrestle with fitting three All Black props into two selections.
"It's like asking them to be vegans, it is just not in their DNA," he said. "But it is a unique position, I trust all my men and this is my choice this time."
Owen Franks had the bench card tonight but would be ready for some thunder when summoned to the fray. Games against the Blues were usually so tight that the cavalry was important and he and All Black hooker Corey Flynn would help that impact.
The Blues have been unbeaten in pre-season, just like tonight's foes, and Lam has had a near full roster to choose from. The run-in to this season has been longer than normal and while he has some understandable anxiety about tonight's outcome, Lam feels calm that all the bases have been covered.
"I want to have a tough job picking a team every week and I'm sure that is the direction where we are heading," he said.
"There is excitement and I only get nervous when I feel we haven't covered everything. But I feel we have ticked things off, the players have the tools to go out and do the job.
"I also realise I am not on the field and that is why we have some key leaders amongst attack, defence, backs and forwards who can give Kevvie [Mealamu] the information to pull things together.
"I am confident in what we have done and in our ability and now we have to put it out there."
Eden Park, 7.35 tonight
BLUES
Isaia Toeava
David Raikuna
Rene Ranger
Benson Stanley
Rudi Wulf
Michael Hobbs
Alby Mathewson
Jerome Kaino
Daniel Braid
Chris Lowrey
Ali Williams
Anthony Boric
Charlie Faumuina
Keven Mealamu (c)
Tom McCartney
CRUSADERS
Tom Marshall
Sean Maitland
Robbie Fruean
Ryan Crotty
Israel Dagg
Tyler Bleyendaal
Andy Ellis
Kieran Read (c)
Matt Todd
George Whitelock
Sam Whitelock
Tom Donnelly
Ben Franks
Q. MacDonald
Wyatt Crockett
Blues: Pauliasi Manu, Tevita Mailau, Brad Mika, Luke Braid, Piri Weepu, Hadleigh Parkes, Sherwin Stowers.
Crusaders: Corey Flynn, Owen Franks, Luke Romano, Luke Whitelock, Willi Heinz, Adam Whitelock, Patrick Osborne.
