KEY POINTS:
Ask the Blues, and the name of one Sharks player keeps coming up. It is not that the Super 14 leaders fear Ruan Pienaar ... but they know how vital the halfback is to the visitors' success.
It has been a common theme for the Sharks' opponents this
season - shut down Pienaar and your chances improve significantly.
The theory has been valid, but only two sides have conquered the Sharks this season.
"Pienaar is a very influential player," Blues coach David Nucifora said.
"He is the connection for much of their play, he moves their side around the field.
"He almost plays like a first receiver. He is picked as a halfback but he has a much bigger role than that. He is central to so much of what they do ...
"We would like to put a lot of pressure on him but it is not that easy to do. And it could also be a mistake to concentrate too much on him, because they have speed and flair throughout the rest of the team."
Pienaar was duly named in the Sharks side yesterday which had a few changes caused by the return of seasoned fullback Percy Montgomery.
His recovery from a leg injury has pushed teenager Francois Steyn into the first five-eighths role ahead of Butch James, who needs a break to get over a few niggles.
In his comeback year, former Springbok captain Bobby Skinstad has been chosen to play No 8, and the abrasive A.J. Venter will be at blindside flanker.
Tomorrow's match at North Harbour Stadium has real significance in the race for the playoffs and host advantages.
The Blues lead the series from the Crusaders, but defeat to the third-placed Sharks would be unpalatable before a tough trip to South Africa then Perth.
"It is very important to nail this match before we go away, and we have picked a side we need to confront them," Nucifora said.
His team have none of their protected All Blacks except Tony Woodcock.
"There was a bit of dual thinking in also working out who we would need for the following game against the Stormers in Cape Town."
The Sharks had a strong blend of youth and experience, they did not rely on forwards rumbling the ball up the park, they had speed and individuals like Pienaar who could break games open, Nucifora said.
They had been successful in South Africa but their young backs would discover there was more pressure on the road. It was the Blues' task to apply that force, and one priority was to cut down Pienaar's space.
"He is brilliant," said his Blues opposite, Steve Devine. "He is the best halfback in the Super 14 and has the potential to be the best in the world.
"You just watch his skills whether he is running, kicking or passing."
The Sharks hope the Blues will watch their 23-year-old champion all match, and will be so focused on Pienaar - son of former Springbok fullback Gysie - that they miss a few other Shark attacks.
