Rugby: Blues' caution shows in reshuffle

Jerome Kaino has been promoted as the new skipper charged with leading his retooled team to victory against the Lions side. Photo / Getty Images

The Blues' winning run has stopped and so has the selection security.

Four All Blacks, including captain Keven Mealamu, have been shifted to the reserves while another, Luke McAlister, has been called into a seriously rearranged side for Saturday's match against the Lions in Johannesburg.

Jerome Kaino has been promoted as the new skipper charged with leading his retooled team to victory against a Lions side which has lost both matches to start this year's series.

New selections in the backline are Sherwin Stowers and McAlister while Peter Saili, Luke Braid, Kurtis Haiu and Tom McCartney are up to do the business against the Lions pack.

The shakeup follows the bland 26-12 loss to the Sharks, where the Blues' standards were well down on those they showed in opening the Super rugby series with a win against the Crusaders.

Coach Pat Lam believes this game at altitude in Johannesburg will need the collective impact of 22 players.

"You are faced with different challenges, particularly when you travel and come out of physical games, and there are players with bumps and bruises and there are players who are fresh," he said.

"It is going to be a 22-man effort at altitude. Any of you who have been up here or played in it, even me running round on the training field, you feel the burn and it reminds you of your playing days.

"It's tough but it is a mental challenge. At altitude you weigh up the best team to start and the best team to finish."

But retooling the pack will bring its risks against a Lions side which has shown much more sting, fitness and control under the instruction of former All Black coach John Mitchell. The Lions have lost both games, narrowly, but they were playing the Bulls and Stormers - last year's Super rugby champions and runners-up.

"We're definitely on an upward spiral," Mitchell said this week.

"The match [against the Stormers] was a big mental deposit for us. We're not far away. We have to keep working hard for each other and eventually we will get our reward as a group."

Mitchell and his backline assistant, former Blues five-eighths Carlos Spencer, have made just one change to their side, drafting in one-time test lock Wickus van Heerden for the injured George Earl.

Conversely the Blues have shuffled their players, looking for some spark after the dross in Durban.

McAlister has been picked to guide the backline after being cleared of concussion and playing 30 minutes last week where he made a similar impact to the deposed Stephen Brett.

Left wing Stowers makes his first start for the Blues instead of Rene Ranger while in the pack openside flanker Luke Braid will debut in place of his older brother Daniel. Other backup forwards, Kurtis Haiu, Peter Saili and Tom McCartney also start.

Haiu's promotion to start at lock looked likely but not at Anthony Boric's expense. The All Black was one of the more consistent players against the Sharks while his partner Ali Williams was seldom involved but has retained his place.

Johannesburg, 6.10am Saturday

LIONS
Jaco Taute
Lionel Mapoe
Waylon Murray
Doppies La Grange
Michael Killian
Elton Jantjies
Jano Vermaak
Warren Whiteley
Josh Strauss
Derick Minnie
F. Merwe (c)
Wikus van Heerden
Patrick Cilliers
Bandise Maku
J.van Rensburg

BLUES
Isaia Toeava
Joe Rokocoko
Jared Payne
Jeremy Stanley
Sherwin Stowers
Luke McAlister
Alby Mathewson
Peter Saili
Luke Braid
Jerome Kaino (c)
Ali Williams
Kurtis Haiu
John Afoa
Tom McCartney
Tony Woodcock

Lions: Martin Bezuidenhout, Kevin Buys, Dries van Schalkwyk, Cobus Grobbelaar, Rory Kockott, Burton Francis, James Kamana.

Blues: Keven Mealamu, Charlie Faumuina, Anthony Boric, Daniel Braid, Toby Morland, Stephen Brett, Rene Ranger.