Rugby: Reds v Blues: The colourful playmakers

Despite some indifferent form the Reds will rely on Quade Cooper (left) to help them beat the Blues. The Blues will bank on Tasesa Lavea in the must-win game at North Harbour Stadium tonight. Photo / Getty Images

Quade Cooper or Tasesa Lavea - who fires wins. That's the situation for the five-eighths who meet in tonight's Super 14 clash at North Harbour Stadium. They are two players with multiple skills and inventive talents, but who sometimes bamboozle themselves with their imagination.

The heat is on both with the Blues recalling Lavea and banking on his guidance to see them to their third straight win, while Cooper has been retained by the Reds against a backdrop of growing criticism after they plunged to their fourth straight defeat a week ago.

This is a game the Blues must win to stay in the race to the play-offs. Defeat against one of the lesser sides would be a disaster, while the Reds have to regain some respect and self-confidence after the humiliating last loss to the Lions. The Blues have rested a few key and wounded players, like Keven Mealamu and Jerome Kaino, trusting that their lieutenants will deliver, while the Reds, despite coach Phil Mooney's initial threats, have stuck with the fit troops who fronted at training this week.

The performance of the five-eighths will go some distance towards sealing the final outcome. Their direction, tempo and use of possession will set the tone for their teams as they enter the last month of round-robin action.

Both Lavea and Cooper were born in New Zealand, moved to Australia to check out their sporting levels where Cooper stayed and became a Wallaby, while Lavea, after an NRL stint, returned home. They have kept tabs on each other's progress and had the mutual admiration vocab working before tonight's meeting.

"Quade is a tall bloke, a nice passer of the ball, good footwork and I know that he has been copping a bad time of it over in Oz so he will be out to change that around in this match," Lavea said of his foe. "They will all want to come out swinging and I'm sure we will have our hands full with some of the stuff that Quade tries.

"If we relax against someone like that he can cut you up. I know that if things have not gone well you want to go out there and prove things for yourself so I know how he feels. He is young and a good player with time on his side."

Lavea is not quite so twitchy. Even though injury has cut into his career he has played enough to understand the peaks and troughs of the game.

He said the alternate selections with fellow Blues five-eighths Jimmy Gopperth had not fazed him. Some selections were dictated by injury, but he was not sure about the others. "It keeps me on my toes though and I feel lucky this week because Jimmy played so well in our last game. Whenever we get a chance we want to play well so maybe that's the plan.

"I am conscious of not overplaying my hand because then we can come unstuck. It is all about sticking to the pattern, playing a role, directing operations and being patient."

Cooper with three test caps has just turned 21 and is eight years Lavea's junior. He moved to Queensland during secondary school with the ambition of trying to crack the rugby scene.

"Initially, I wanted to be an All Black but I guess there were more opportunities in Australia and once I got into Queensland schoolboys and higher honours, playing for the Wallabies became the goal. It has been a lot of hard work which has paid off for me and my family," he said.

"I have watched a fair bit of Tasesa [Lavea] play and he is very talented, picking out his runners or using his kicking game. This will be another challenge for us in what has been a pretty tough old season. We have four games left and need to make something of our season."

Pressure was always there in rugby, said Cooper, and a five-eighths was always in the firing line.

The Reds' playmaker said his side had picked up their work this week and wanted to reproduce that against the Blues.

For their part, the Blues have had to contend with the distraction of authorities investigating the incident involving Rene Ranger last week, they are at home but away from the familiarity of Eden Park and have been entrusted to complete the job without regular skipper Mealamu. However stand-in captain Justin Collins should snap the group out of any concentration lapse.

He will also enjoy the absence through injury of former Blues flanker Daniel Braid at the breakdown.

Victory for the Blues will keep the heat on those teams ahead of them in the table, especially the Hurricanes, who host the Blues next round.

FOUR STEPS TO THE TOP FOUR

What the Blues must do to make the Super 14 playoffs:

* They must win tonight.
* They need to avoid injuries and have damaged tighthead prop John Afoa return to the coalface next week.
* Be it Tasesa Lavea or Jimmy Gopperth, they have to settle on the best pivot for increased rhythm and backline fluency.
* They must secure two wins from their last three games against the Hurricanes, Brumbies and Crusaders. Stumbles among the leading group will be a boost.