Rugby: Blues confront whole new team landscape

Blues centre Isaia Toeava in action. Photograph / Brett Phibbs

For much of their last Super 15 campaign the Blues used a strikeforce of Jared Payne at centre and Isaia Toeava at fullback.

It was a comfortable fit and a telling combination which went a long way to giving the backline some consistent substance.

This season, the landscape has changed with Payne continuing his career in Ireland and Toeava's schedule likely to be tailored to cope with persistent injury niggles.

Toeava will travel to Melbourne this week with the Blues and start his first trial game against the Rebels, while fellow All Blacks Ali Williams and Piri Weepu are also being lined up for their first hit-out this season alongside other All Blacks Jerome Kaino and Anthony Boric.

"Isaia can play fullback, centre or a few other positions for us," coach Pat Lam said. "At fullback he has the vision and counterattack, he passes well off either hand and he makes those half breaks which get us going.

"However he'll have to be managed this season, we'll have to watch his workload."

Captain Keven Mealamu won't travel to Melbourne as he continues his rehabilitation from off-season surgery but Lam expects his leader and hooker to get some time in the Blues' final pre-season match, before they begin the competition on February 24 against the Crusaders at Eden Park.

The Braid brothers are also unlikely to play this week as Luke is still completing his rehab from shoulder surgery while elder brother Daniel has been bothered by a tight hamstring.

Centre was one of several positions where Lam was considering his range of choices. New squad member George Moala played strongly in that role last weekend but had a tender shoulder and may not be ready again for another run this weekend.

However Rene Ranger, Benson Stanley, Rudi Wulf or Ma'a Nonu, when he makes a likely return next month from Japan, could all vie for the centre duties this season.

"We've got a few ideas and we're working through them and that's the beauty of having these practice games," the coach said.

Lam had his squad training at the navy base on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula this week where they've been mixing ball skills with classroom tuition and other team-building exercises. That involved splitting into groups which had to navigate their way through a series of darkened tunnels.

"We asked at the start if anyone was claustrophobic and three-quarters of them put their hands up, so we told them their best plan was to stay together, although we would extricate them if they felt worried," said Lam.

"They all got through the drill, the quickest lot in 25 minutes, the last in an hour.

"It helped with team-building, communication, leadership and trust; I think we got a lot out of it."