Muscle tussle in Dunedin

Standard theory has the Highlanders trying to derail the Blues up front in their Super 12 match tonight at Carisbrook.

There will be no reduction in that strategy but coach Greg Cooper may have latched on to a few other ideas after watching the Blues final trial match against the Waratahs.

The Blues are all about creating quick ball through the pace and support of their loose forwards or getting over the advantage line through Sam Tuitupou to bring their dangerous backline into play.

Tuitupou was a menace in Whangarei against the Waratahs but he did not have to confront any strong defenders.

The Highlanders loose forwards Josh Blackie and Craig Newby will match the Blues for speed and aggression while midfield defenders Seilala Mapusua and Anthony Tuitavake are a robust pair.

Cooper might have sensed a lack of combination between Blues captain Xavier Rush at No 8 and halfback David Gibson as an area his side could exploit to disrupt the Blues rhythm.

The Blues duo were not alone in their lethargy. But a repeat lack of fluency will be preyed on by bustling Highlanders halfback Jimmy Cowan.

While Gibson has a neat pass and is a snappy runner, his lack of power can be exploited by defenders. There is no alternative yet with the more experienced Steve Devine still not fully prepared for an entire game after his knee reconstruction.

There will be the inevitable comparisons between how Carlos Spencer and Cameron McIntyre, the five-eighths who was unwanted at the Crusaders, try to control the game.

Spencer has declared his fitness while McIntyre will want to assert his intentions after first-choice Nick Evans fell to an ankle injury.

But it is the tussle of the muscle which has all the ingredients to enthral the Carisbrook crowd and keep referee Steve Walsh especially vigilant.

Highlanders captain Anton Oliver, in his historic 100th Super 12 match, will be hellbent on disrupting the Blues with the aid of his regular henchmen Carl Hoeft and Carl Hayman.

If they can unsettle the less experienced Blues grouping of Saimone Taumoepeau, Keven Mealamu and John Afoa, then there is a chance for an upset like the Highlanders achieved two years ago.

But Cooper would have to acknowledge in private conversations the danger from the Blues.

It is that threat from classy speedsters like Joe Rokocoko and Mils Muliaina which will leave the Highlanders uneasy. That and the knowledge that Luke McAlister had a bad day last week but is a goalkicker with a high success rate.