Superiority in Blues lineout is clincher, coach says

Greg Rawlinson was a key part of disrupting the Brumbies' lineout, sending a warning to the Waratahs. Sandra Mu / Getty Images

If the Blues generate lineout authority they feel they can disrupt much of the Waratahs' battle plan and achieve an upset tonight in Sydney.

The Blues' setpiece solidity against the Brumbies helped reverse their losing trend and set off warning bells for a Waratahs side that has lost only once this season.

Since blindside flanker Rocky Elsom was suspended and removed from the lineout choices, the Waratahs have got by using locks Daniel Vickerman and Al Kanaar with some occasional help from burly No 8 David Lyons.

But the way Ali Williams, Troy Flavell and Greg Rawlinson disturbed the Brumbies lineout sent alarm signals across the Ditch.

Like all modern coaches, the Waratahs' Ewen McKenzie dwelt on the statistics.

As a counter he noted the Brumbies made 13 linebreaks, a figure he probably felt his side could duplicate if they attacked the defensive channels of John Senio, Tasesa Lavea and Luke McAlister.

"But the difference probably was that the Blues really gave the Brumbies a touch-up up front, particularly at the lineout," he said.

McKenzie thought the Blues upset or claimed nine of the Brumbies lineout throws, a massive percentage that proved the difference. It's a tactic Blues coach David Nucifora wants nailed again tonight.

"If you upset the Waratahs lineout you cut off a large part of their game," he said. "They pretty much feed off their lineout, and that area of their game is not quite as strong this season. They have some damaging runners, but if you upset the quality of their ball, you affect what they can produce."

McKenzie could have been reading his counterpart's notes or a summary of the Blues' scratchy start to the series.

"You can have all the running and passing skills you like, but in the end you have to win the ball first and it's going to be a fierce challenge up front," he said.

While Williams led the lineout disruption, his locking partner Rawlinson was dealing to runners, hitting rucks and mauls and doing a great deal of the necessary mundane work. He will also take to Sydney other messages from All Black scrum adviser Mike Cron that he felt improved his game last week.

"He will tell you things about angles for your feet or shoulder position in the scrum, all pieces which help the jigsaw," Rawlinson said. "We got more confidence as that game went on, and it is something to build on for the Waratahs.

"We have to take a very physical attitude to this game, cut down their space because they can cut you up."

Mat Rogers, Lote Tuqiri and Wendell Sailor are murderous attackers when defences cannot regroup after several phases, so the loose forward scrap has enormous implications.

The Blues are battling here because of injury. Specialist opensider Daniel Braid is not available and has been replaced by utility Angus Macdonald, while blindside lineout target Troy Flavell is hampered by a hip problem, which could rule him out today.

Combination changes and uncertainty are not the best loose forward weapons against Lyons, Phil Waugh and the boisterous charges of Wycliff Palu. So the struggle for setpiece supremacy takes on even greater importance as a counter and a weapon to give Senio, Lavea or McAlister the chance to impose the Blues' tempo on the match.