Justin Marshall's Chalkboard: Perenara primed for Smith

TJ Perenara looks like he has rediscovered his mojo for the Hurricanes. Photo / Getty

I'll be taking more interest than most in one particular showdown during tonight's Hurricanes-Highlanders match-up - Aaron Smith v TJ Perenara.

It should be compelling and one of the reasons for that is Perenara looks like he has rediscovered his mojo. In today's Chalkboard Column I want to talk about Perenara's strengths and why it is important he plays to them.

Last season, as I'll explain, I believe he went away from his strengths and became indecisive and a little predictable.

His first season of Super Rugby was great but after getting into the the All Blacks he lost the inclination to play the game the way he knows best.

I know myself that the worst thing you can do as a halfback is think through the game too much. If you're not running the game on instinct, you become indecisive and laborious.

The best piece of advice I ever received was from Wayne Smith. He said: "Marshy, I've got three words for you and three words only - 'Trust your instincts'."

The message he was giving me was that I was a good rugby player and I was there for a reason. I needed to be playing the way I did to get me into the All Blacks. Perenara looks like he has taken a similar message on board this season with the Hurricanes.

You're not always going to make the right decisions. You're going to run when you should have passed, kicked when you should have run, but as long as you're making those decisions decisively, you can still turn it into a positive.

Last year I could almost see TJ thinking on his way to rucks. I wonder if he was thinking, "Clear the ball, clear the ball". In other words he was thinking like Aaron Smith. He had almost been programmed into thinking he had to play like Smith.

That's not TJ's game. I couldn't play like Stu Forster or Graeme Bachop and Perenara shouldn't try to play like Smith - he's got different strengths.

I'm not sure what is happening inside the Hurricanes' camp, but they seem to have unshackled Perenara and subsequently he has found form.

It should make for a cracking match-up tonight.