Video: Henry and Rokocoko support Blue's chancesKEY POINTS:
Both the Hurricanes and the Blues have plenty of class out the back, but for me it will be the battle up front which will determine the winner in tonight's game.
The individual match-ups will be intriguing and I am sure Mr Henry and co will be careful
observers.
Looking at the front rows, the Hurricanes will miss Neemia Tialata. After a slow start he has been in great form until the big-time wrestling stunt he pulled last week.
His encounter with Tony Woodcock would have been mouthwatering. Woodcock, with Keven Mealamu, has munched most other front rows this season. He has been technically superb and relentless in concentration at scrum time.
Such has been his dominance that a few referees have assumed his techniques have been illegal and he has been unfairly punished.
Tim Fairbrother has done well this year at both loose and tighthead prop and will be respected by Woodcock and co.
If I were Colin Cooper I would be telling Fairbrother to stick close to Andrew Hore at scrum time to negate the dual shunt from Woodcock and Mealamu which will be aimed at him.
Hore has been the form hooker of the Super 14 - outstanding with the ball in hand, accurate at the lineouts and a nuisance to all opposition. He's also picked up five tries. The Hurricanes No 2 may well have his head in front for the first test team announcement.
Mealamu is the senior pro whose game has become more controlled, preferring to stick more to the tight.
The Hurricanes would be foolish to allow him too much latitude as I suspect he still has the passion to be top dog.
John Afoa has become a strong scrummager to complement his running and defensive skills - his offload to Evans in Dunedin last week was as good as it gets. For the Blues to win up front, Afoa will be needed in the middle of the tight stuff.
For his part, John Schwalger is a lump of muscle who has served his apprenticeship and will be a handful with the ball under his arm. Again Cooper will want him to stay tight.
Strangely the locks who make the biggest difference may not be the household names - Jason Eaton and Troy Flavell - but new guys Jeremy Thrush and Anthony Boric.
For the Hurricanes, Thrush shows great maturity for a young man - he understands the game and is a thinker. How he performs at lineout time will determine the quality of the Hurricanes possession.
Ditto for Boric - since he has had starting spots he has developed to give the Blues reliable clean ball at lineout and has taken the pressure off Flavell.
Eaton seems unsure as to his role - should he stay tight or roam wide, showing his great ball skills? I think Cooper will be asking him to stay tight tonight - this is his challenge.
Flavell has old-fashioned passion and will die for the cause. Sometimes his emotion takes over but he's the kind of player it is better to play with than against. The other Blues forwards will die for Flavell - what better compliment for a captain?
Modern rugby makes the battle at the breakdown more than a contest between the loose forwards but this is the area where games can turn. On paper the Hurricanes have the best.
Jerry Collins and Rodney So'oialo are pros and with Chris Masoe they have a physical presence unmatched by other New Zealand teams. But they will miss Scott Waldrom who plays with the pace of an out-and-out No 7.
The Blues may try to exploit this using the mobility of Daniel Braid and Jerome Kaino to claim quick ball for themselves and slow things down for the Hurricanes. The Blues could set their second-phase targets a bit wider than normal to negate the Hurricanes trio and suit Braid and co.
Williams is an old-fashioned No 8, good at taking the ball up and handy with the close-in defence. His ability to get wider in defence and attack may have a say in the Blues performance.
The reserves will have a part to play. I like the balanced look of the Hurricanes forward bench but think the old heads of Nick White and Justin Collins will be useful for the Blues when the squeeze comes in the last 20 minutes.
Great individual match-ups and All Black spots - there is much to play for! But the players shouldn't be thinking about this.
The forward pack which plays as a unit and sticks it out for 80 minutes will win this match - and with victory comes a chance to deliver semifinal performances that stake a claim on All Black jerseys.
* John Drake was a member of the 1987 World Cup-winning All Blacks
