Tevita Mailau will start at loosehead prop for the Blues against the Bulls on Sunday (NZT). Photo / Getty Images
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Think cauldron, think intimidating, think scrummaging exam. Enough of those thoughts would coincide with taking on the Bulls in the oppressive atmosphere at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
Packing down any time against South African sides is usually a mission but a debut against the Bulls in their own
lair is an even greater demand for new Blues loosehead prop Tevita Mailau.
His selection is the greatest surprise in a Blues side showing five new choices from the opening match against the Force and a rearranged back four.
Coach Pat Lam explained that starting Mailau, who has national championship experience for both Auckland and Northland, was a deliberate tactic to give the Blues the benefit of finishing the match with All Black props John Afoa and Tony Woodcock who would come off the bench. Captain and fellow All Black Keven Mealamu was also "looking good" as he continued to recover from his hamstring strain and was a strong chance to start Sunday's match.
Mailau and openside flanker Josh Blackie are the new faces in the pack. The inside backs are a new formation with Chris Smylie replacing unavailable new father Taniela Moa at halfback, Jimmy Gopperth slotting in as backline director instead of Tasesa Lavea and Jamie Helleur coming in for the injured Benson Stanley in midfield.
The changes also fit Lam's version of rotation, a deliberate ploy to compare the merits of some players and to also ease his squad through the early stages of this torrid longhaul competition. Lavea had played soundly last week against the Force but this was Gopperth's chance to show his starting skills at five-eighths while others would get their chance from the bench which meant leaving Lavea out of that reserve list.
Rejigging the back four was a reaction to thoughts about the anticipated kicking onslaught from the Bulls. Toeava had played fullback for the All Blacks and had experienced the vagaries of playing at altitude and was best suited to that role for this match. The rest of the threequarter group was then given new responsibilities in a revamped formation.
Lam and his coaching assistants Shane Howarth and Mike Casey gained some valuable insights about their next Super 14 task when they made a hit and run visit to watch the Bulls play their first game.
Within hours of the Blues' arrival in South Africa, the trio were in the stands at Loftus Versfeld to get a feel of the atmosphere and to see some of the Bulls' patterns as they opened the series against the Reds.
Lam said the Loftus preview for the coaching staff was invaluable as they worked on a gameplan to deal with issues like the heat and altitude.
