By WYNNE GRAY
Frontrunners against the basement boys. That is the bleak scenario facing the cellar-dwelling Cats tonight, a view coach Tim Lane accepts is widely held.
"I think zero population would give us any chance," he said about playing the Blues.
"We have potential, but it is top versus bottom, and
apart from our work against the Brumbies and Highlanders, we have been inconsistent."
Lane, who doubles as the assistant Springboks coach, lauded his side's attitude at training, but lamented it had rarely been translated into match-day form.
"Even though we are young, we have not played anywhere near our potential, we need to get a bit more domination up front," he said.
The Blues have turned to their A team for tonight's game, a match in which they will want to rediscover their rhythm in advance of the last pool game against the Hurricanes.
Tony Woodcock, Keven Mealamu and Daniel Braid return to the pack and Steve Devine resumes at halfback for the series leaders.
Fijian wing Rupeni Caucaunibuca is still suffering from the leg injuries which have troubled him in the last few weeks, and there is no guarantee he will be available next week.
While the Blues have been able to rotate their selection, the Cats have arrived in Auckland with the bare 22 players.
Reserve midfielder Gcobani Bobo is doubling as a reserve loose forward, a position from which he captained South Africa Schools.
The Cats had a run at Eden Park last night, but nothing strenuous as they guarded against injuries which had forced five players to return home in recent weeks.
They have lost Jannes Labuschagne, Enrico January, Hendro Scholtz, Joe van Niekerk and Adrian Jacobs to injury, while veteran hooker James Dalton also quit, his motivation not up to scratch for a full season of top-level rugby.
Super 12 schedule/scoreboard
