KEY POINTS:
Players always want to test themselves against the best so Blues flanker Daniel Braid has ticked off that part of the sporting wishlist tonight at Eden Park.
After a lengthy layoff from shoulder surgery, Braid returns to the Super 14 where he is pitched into combat in the
critical collision areas of the game against Schalk Burger - one of the key components of the resurgent Stormers.
Burger is also one of the great modern loose forward warriors; fearless, utterly physical with great skills, power and staggering levels of fitness, who is a driving force for his province and country.
His return after suffering a severe neck injury several years ago has been rousing, just the sort of inspiring template Braid will look at as he embarks on his return at Eden Park.
Braid is the New Zealand Player of the Year after his outstanding exploits in the professional and provincial scene. He started every game last year for the Blues in a series of consistently quality performances but was unable to crack the World Cup squad.
That form continued but with it came the frustration of shoulder surgery which postponed the 27-year-old's start to this series.
He was able to gauge his recovery in a development game last week and gave the medics the green light about his revival. Braid looks to have bulked up while undergoing his enforced conditioning and said his fitness was fine.
But there are a number of other issues for Braid to deal with tonight.
His instincts will have to alter to accommodate the law variations, there will be the increased pace of the game, the new defensive demands and the timing needed to counter not only Burger but his loose forward mates Luke Watson and Francois Louw. That trio blasted the Chiefs and with halfback Ricky Januarie, are the hub of the Stormers' plans.
Braid is just one piece of the Blues' jigsaw which has to gel if they are to repel the momentum the Stormers have built in the past two matches after a stretch of three losses to start the tournament against the big guns - the Bulls, Sharks and Crusaders.
The Blues like to think of themselves as similar artillery but they have fired too many blanks in successive defeats to the Sharks and Force.
Coach David Nucifora rejected claims his minimal selection changes contributed towards some of that staleness. However, the flat effort last week has brought five alterations.
Joe Rokocoko and Ben Atiga were misfiring, Justin Collins had been worked hard and Braid was an ideal replacement, although it did seem unusual to jettison loosehead prop Tony Woodcock.
Whatever the rationale, the outcome needs to be a W in the results column.
The Blues were not collected enough to deal to the Force last round, when Nick Evans retired they lost their tactical kicking, their kick-returns were wayward, they looked like a collection of individuals rather than a team.
Five-eighths Evans has been cleared after his concussion but the Stormers will want to test his condition for themselves, they will target the Blues inside defensive channels to check Evans and remove Braid from the next phase as well.
The Blues pack have to rediscover the clout they had early in the series, they must suck the energy from the Stormers to allow men like Anthony Tuitavake, Isaia Toeava and Rudi Wulf to threaten.
After a rollicking start to the series, the Blues have lost their way and shed that mental advantage. Tonight is about renewing that momentum as the tournament is almost at the halfway mark.
