Richard Loe: Returning All Blacks do Canterbury few favours

When I watched Auckland play Wellington on Friday night, I thought Auckland made mistakes that Canterbury would grab and gobble up in Saturday's Shield challenge.

When I watched Canterbury play Otago yesterday, I thought the Auckland backs would eat Canterbury alive if they defend like that again.

Otago scored some good tries but the Canterbury defence was dismal. The Auckland backs are a lot slicker than Otago's and they will cause far worse wounds if the red and blacks don't shape up on Saturday.

They looked disjointed with more All Blacks back in the side and I had to wonder what it was they'd been doing all week.

I have said many times in the past that there is no substitute for game time. Players need time to find their rhythm and I thought that Canterbury were sadly missing theirs.

There is no question that loading up with two All Blacks last week and three this week helped put them off their stroke. They just didn't gel as a team.

There is always a question of combination and rhythm when players are coming back from a rest like that but I also felt that, with their All Blacks back, Canterbury were resting on their laurels a bit.

The turning point came when first five Cameron McIntyre went off early. Aaron Mauger moved into first five but he looked as though he was having his first game of the season and, even though Richie McCaw scored a try, it wasn't a spectacular McCaw try or performance.

The Otago forwards had a big game and did a lot of damage running in the tight-loose stuff.

I don't think I have seen so many 50-50 passes squeezed out through the back door and held for a long time.

They got a bit of a roll on and they competed hard at rucks and mauls and stopped Canterbury getting quick turnover ball.

The Otago front row had a great match and prop Chris King proved a point - let go from the Crusaders and loaned to Otago (from Canterbury) but he paid matters back with interest yesterday and Carl Hayman and Anton Oliver had big matches as well.

I think Canterbury also missed Mose Tuiali'i at No 8 and Chris Jack and Mauger had forgettable games. It was a pretty shabby performance.

It was also galling because I came away from Friday night thinking that Auckland didn't stand much of a chance if they made mistakes like they did.

Don't get me wrong - they scored a couple of fantastic tries and those backs are razor sharp. But the forwards were a little disjointed, I thought. They made plenty of fundamental mistakes up front, errors that Canterbury are usually very good at benefiting from and scoring seven-pointers from all over the park.

Auckland or Canterbury on Saturday? Auckland if Canterbury defend like they did this weekend. Canterbury if they remember to tackle and Auckland forget the fundamentals up front.