Rugby: Are Lions walking into perfect storm against the Blues?

Patrick Tuipulotu. Photo Andrew Cornaga.

James Parsons had a coffee with Sir Graham Henry this morning, a chance encounter with a man who has coached both the British and Irish Lions and the All Blacks, and which the Blues skipper will take as a good omen before his team's match against the tourists tomorrow.

As the pair sat in a café near Eden Park, the venue for the Lions' match against the Blues - their first against a New Zealand Super Rugby team - Henry couldn't help but note the excitement on Parsons' face, a feeling that has spread through the entire team and which Warren Gatland's men should take as a warning.

The Lions began with a mistake against the Provincial Barbarians in Whangarei in their tour opener at the weekend, and another flat start against a team which has a lot more firepower could spell serious trouble for them.

With Gatland holding many of his big guns in reserve for the unbeaten Crusaders in Christchurch on Saturday and the Blues, including the likes of Sonny Bill Williams, Rieko Ioane, Augustine Pulu and Steven Luatua, ready to play the game of their lives, the stage is set for the Lions to walk into a perfect storm.

Not that a still smiling Parsons was giving too much away today. "It's huge, I'm pretty excited - 12 years ago I was watching in the stands as a fan and I relished that so to be now playing a part in this tour, it's massive," he said.

The test Parsons was referring to was the one in Christchurch on a horrendously cold winter's evening and which of course included the controversy involving All Blacks captain Tana Umaga, who is now his coach, and Lions skipper Brian O'Driscoll.

If there is anything to take out of that match for Parsons it will have been the intensity, a physicality he is likely to have experienced during his two tests with the All Blacks and which he and his teammates are looking forward to.

"Physicality is a big factor in Super Rugby, we understand that. But you've got to realise that international players playing in a jersey as prestigious as the Lions' are going to bring a different intensity.

"There's no expectation on us. All the expectation is on them. It's great for us. We're going to play our game and back our skills in front of 40-plus thousand and family and friends at Eden Park - it's going to be a special time to step up and perform in a big game."

Blues' assistant coach Al Rogers, a Welshman, is in a unique position himself, and he recognises the need for a positive start.

"As they've already alluded to - they're going to have to match fire with fire and we're going to have to do the same thing," Rogers said of the Lions.

"Obviously I followed them as a young fella. I'm well aware of the history and the passion that goes behind the team and what the jersey means to the players so to have the opportunity to be on the other side and have that challenge is very, very special."

Blues midfielder Sonny Bill Williams has been passed fit which means TJ Faiane drops to the reserves bench and Melani Nanai out of the match-day squad.

It will be a special occasion even for Williams, who has just about seen and done it all as a league and rugby player. Certainly it will be for Steven Luatua and Charlie Faumuina, who will be playing their final home games as Blues players before moves overseas.

But Parsons, his eye on the bigger picture as usual, said a victory in such a unique one-off match couldn't be used to vindicate a Blues season which will again end once the round-robin does.

"We're not using it as a redemption... we're a Super Rugby team and we want to be in the Super Rugby playoffs. That is something we haven't achieved.

"We have to get better in our own conference to give ourselves the best opportunity. This is a one-off fixture. To get a result would be great... but redemption would come next year if we get into the finals."