Rugby: Blues just need to maintain intensity

Blues coach Pat Lam. Photo / Glenn Jeffrey

Forget the Bulls, it was only four points and it'll mean nothing unless the Blues repeat the feat against the Stormers.

That's the message that has been drummed into the Blues this week as they aim for the one thing that has eluded them so far in 2010 - consistency.

"That's what we're working for," coach Pat Lam said. "The results haven't been consistent, but the level of performance and what we're trying to do as a group [has been]. The work ethic is there every week... and hopefully the results will get more consistent through that."

Proving himself to be the perfect antidote to the unloved days of rotation, Lam has named an unchanged 22 for tomorrow night's clash with the Stormers.

There is a small question mark hovering over prop John Afoa, who spent time training away from the main group yesterday, but Lam said it was just a matter of managing his workload after the bone-crunching Bulls clash.

"The boys are performing well and there's a lot of pressure from the guys below trying to get in there.

"But everyone is working well, working hard and deserves to go out again," Lam said. "Some [were] training for the first time this week. We've had to manage the load. Obviously it was a huge physical effort and there's another one this week."

One of the queries facing the Blues is whether they can again ratchet up the intensity to the level displayed against the front-running Bulls.

It is a valid concern because in terms of a physical challenge, the Stormers lose little in comparison to the Bulls. Defensively they have been immense, conceding just 75 points, 70 fewer points than the next best Reds.

"If you've got clarity of game plan and clarity of what we're trying to do, it's up the individual to bring that intensity," Lam said.

The Blues' coach pointed to the fact the Stormers tend to kick the ball more than most other teams and that presented a different challenge to the in-form back three of Isaia Toeava, Joe Rokocoko and Rudi Wulf.

Rokocoko's game, in particular, has enjoyed a revival this season and that is due in part to the new rule interpretations, which encourage teams to have the ball in hand rather than launch aerial inquiries.

"He's not far [off his best], he's getting better and better," Lam said.

"The real key here is that Joe's not out there as an individual, he's working within the team structures. Between him, Ice [Toeava] and Rudi, they're working as a unit. You can see when they attack, they attack as a group."

While the Blues sit in eighth place and the Stormers in fourth, a bonus-point win by the Blues, while denying the visitors a bonus point, would see the Auckland side leapfrog the Africans, such is the bunched up nature of the competition.

The Stormers have not been afforded the luxury of an unchanged line-up. Four changes have been made to the side that went down in a shock defeat to the Force in Perth last week.

JD Moller comes in for the injured JC Kritzinger at loosehead prop and lock Adriaan Fondse gets his first start of the season. Halfback Ricky Januarie makes way for Dewaldt Duvenage and Juan De Jong comes in at second five-eighths following a calf injury.

BLUES
Isaia Toeava
Joe Rokocoko
Rene Ranger
Benson Stanley
Rudi Wulf
Stephen Brett
Alby Mathewson
Viliami Ma'afu
Serge Lilo
Jerome Kaino
Anthony Boric
Kurtis Haiu
John Afoa
Keven Mealamu (c)
Charlie Faumuina

STORMERS
Gio Aplon
Sireli Naqelevuki
Jaque Fourie
Juan De Jong
Bryan Habana
Peter Grant
D. Duvenage
Duane Vermeulen
Francois Louw
Schalk Burger (c)
Andries Bekker
Adriaan Fondse
Brok Harris
Tiaan Liebenberg
JD Moller

Blues: Tom McCartney, Tevita Mailau, Filo Paulo, Peter Saili; Chris Smylie, Luke McAlister, Paul Williams.

Stormers: Deon Fourie, Eusibio Guinazu, Anton Van Zyl, Pieter Louw; Ricky Januarie, Willem De Waal, Tim Whitehead.

Eden Park, 5.30pm tomorrow