Rush job for Blues is an option but Flatley and Sailor await

Having seen it work to great effect, the Blues management are keen to persevere with the rush defence they employed so successfully at Carisbrook.

Led by Carlos Spencer, the Blues midfield were granted a licence to get in the face of Highlanders first five-eighths Cameron McIntyre and close his space down early.

The strategy was largely effective with McIntrye frequently caught in possession or hurried into clearing the ball poorly. The pressure exerted by the Blues midfield was instrumental in the build up to their second try and was also a factor in rattling the Highlanders, whose forwards were under the cosh.

There were occasional lapses, though, when the integrity of the Blues line was not maintained and McIntyre ended the match with five line breaks to his credit.

Blues backs coach Joe Schmidt says the tactic is sound but the execution needs to be improved ahead of the clash with the Reds this Friday in Auckland.

"The couple of times Cameron went through, it was missed tackles. It wasn't big, genuine holes. I think for the gains they got, they certainly suffered more losses. In any game you have got to try and pick your times to do it. You can't afford to do it every time otherwise you risk being exposed," Schmidt said.

"It might be different against the Reds so we'll look at it as an option game by game. It's something we'll always have in our armoury. We rate our players and leave it to them when they call it. When you have an experienced guy like Carlos, he knows how to lead the line and read the game. It worked more times than not."

The Blues had originally designed the tactic with Nick Evans in mind, believing it would be imperative to stop him from getting his raking kicks away or using his lethal acceleration.

Having practised it during the week, they felt it could be used just as effectively against McIntyre, who was named in place of the injured Evans.

Schmidt and his fellow coaches will be aware the Reds have a talented inside pairing of Julian Huxley and Elton Flatley, who have the ability to control the game and ignite a back three which includes Wendell Sailor and Chris Latham.

The rush defence wasn't the only tactical surprise thrown by the Blues. They continually split their forwards at kick-off and used dummy runners in front of the ball when they went wide.

The latter tactic has been a matter of some controversy in the past with those teams who have employed it often accused of obstructing defenders. But the Blues were able to get their runners far enough past the ball to avoid those accusations.

Other good news for the Blues is that Ben Atiga has a good chance of being fit for selection this week.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY