Devine guidance for Blues

Steve Devine says flair is not always the ideal way to attack the Highlanders. "Any team struggles against them if you don't do the basics well." Picture / Dean Purcell

Shrewd or desperate? Those opposing views on the return of Blues halfback Steve Devine will get some feedback tonight when he tangles with the Highlanders at Carisbrook.

The Blues have turned to the former All Black as a key man in the search for victory after the clumsy defeat in the opening round of the expanded Super 14.

Following that loss and analysis of their next opponents, Blues coach David Nucifora said he would not be surprised to see the Highlanders pick running halfback Chris Smylie. Highlanders coach Greg Cooper obliged, choosing Smylie ahead of All Black tourist Jimmy Cowan until a nagging hip injury forced Smylie to withdraw late yesterday.

There was no double-counter from Nucifora who had decided Devine had to begin the second round game for the Blues to increase the organisation of the forwards. The experienced Devine would start but share the duties with rookie John Senio. While Devine is well-versed about top-level rugby, he has played only a few minutes since the last NPC season.

He then had more surgery on a troublesome ankle but missed all Super 14 trial games because of a trapped nerve in his leg. His move off the bench into the Hurricanes match was brief before he left, badly dazed, after being clobbered by Jerry Collins. At that stage, when the Blues needed to apply a clamp through their pack, they lost their way.

Nucifora is banking on Devine's authority to guide the Blues forwards in what will be a relentless examination from the Highlanders pack.

"Any team struggles against them if you don't do the basics well," said Devine. "We have got into trouble in the past and found flair is not always the ideal way to attack the game. Our errors spiralled last week and we have to get that rate well down."

Devine played down his lack of recent matchplay saying no one had got into their stride yet.

The Highlanders forwards were an impressive group last week against the Crusaders but the rest of the side's play was too predictable to cause the defence too much discomfort.

The Highlanders did not appear to have the firepower to attack from first-phase. Instead they tried to find space after midfield crashball from Seilala Mapusua but that scheme was easy for the Crusaders to defuse.

In contrast the Blues will want to attack more from set play where the skills, evasion and pace of Luke McAlister, Anthony Tuitavake, Doug Howlett, Joe Rokocoko and Isa Nacewa can be used. But all that talent will be redundant if the Blues pack wilts in the scrum and lineout. They began well against the Hurricanes but then faded.

They will face even greater scrutiny tonight from a scrum led by Anton Oliver and Carl Hayman and a lineout where James Ryan, Tom Donnelly and Craig Newby will contest the Blues throws.

It is still early in this expanded Super 14 series but successive defeats for tonight's vanquished will be an uninviting burden to carry into the next round.