Rugby: Brett in spotlight as Blues regroup

Stephen Brett. Photo / Getty Images

Blindside flanker Jerome Kaino will return for the Blues but there are no clues about Stephen Brett's involvement in Friday's clash with the Stormers at Eden Park.

The first five-eighths is in a group of seven players who have been involved in each of the 12 matches this season. But Brett's continued selection has stirred great debate.

Patience was dwindling before the 31-37 loss to the Reds in Brisbane. Brett's contribution and control was mixed but he was not Robinson Crusoe.

If coach Pat Lam and his assistants wanted to make a change, that option has been compromised by Benson Stanley's concussion which rules him out for this round.

They will also consider the benefits of making a change in their last game before the bye and the signals an alteration would give when there were other under-performers against the Reds.

Breaking the starting inside back axis of Brett and Luke McAlister would put further strain on the backline resources which have been depleted by injuries to Isaia Toeava and Stanley.

Kaino's return will boost the forwards. The All Black blindside flanker sat out the Reds match to rest a hamstring strain, but his return will help strengthen the Blues' resistance.

"We missed not only him but players playing to their true potential," Lam said of the last round defeat. "A lot of [the] guys did not perform as they could have at times and when we play as a team we are pretty good and when we don't we are well below average.

"That was pretty much the situation at Brisbane as we have gone through the review. People went out as individuals on defence and attack; we were very, very awful."

A range of factors contributed to that inadequate performance and the coaches had to be careful not to put blame on the team collectively for individual faults, Lam said. The key was for the squad to learn from their faults and deliver a far better start.

They had been fortunate to collect two bonus points from that match against the Reds and were buzzing about getting back on home turf at Eden Park, the coach said. It had been some time since they last played there in mid-April against the Waratahs.

Defending the Stormers' rolling maul will be a priority on the training ground and a great deal of work on sharpening details at the breakdown and on attack is needed.

The Stormers did a job on the Blues last year, winning 33-21 at Eden Park, and the hosts are focused on revenge rather than their upcoming bye. They saw the Stormers' impressive start last round and also the way they responded when the Chiefs applied a great deal of pressure.

Loosehead prop Tony Woodcock is still in a moon boot while Daniel Braid is getting better each day and both may come back into selection contention after the bye round.

Lam said his side were frustrated they let slip their chance to open a gap in the New Zealand section.

"We just have to front and win. On the weekend we let our guard slip and we just have to come back."