KEY POINTS:
Nothing but a win will suffice for the Blues.
Victory will give them another shot at Super 14 salvation next week, defeat will send them home to more sorry season reviews.
Simple. And that should be the message for the Blues from their coaching staff.
Do not overcomplicate matters. Scrum strongly, consolidate at the lineouts, run straight and support your mates in the backline and the results will occur.
That sort of theme has been bandied about this week by coach David Nucifora as he prepared his side for their final trip to Dunedin under his command.
It may also double as a farewell for his assistant Greg Cooper who is believed to be on his way to an overseas post after this series.
Emotions will also run high for the locals with skipper Craig Newby playing his final home game against many former teammates from the Blues region.
The Blues feel they have found some late formula to complete an unlikely late run to the playoffs and have made just the one change in midfield while they were hedging on the fitness of captain Troy Flavell and loosehead prop Tony Woodcock.
Hedging has been a bit of a dirty word this week in some examination of the NZRU's financial policy but it was a necessary tactic from the Blues who had to give Woodcock in particular, as much time to convince the medics he had recovered from a foot complaint.
The problem will be if the Blues achieve a win but lose their senior forwards to repeat injury for a quarter-final shootout against the Hurricanes next week.
Looking ahead is not allowed though. All that matters is tonight otherwise next week will be irrelevant.
Nucifora has stayed solid on his strategy of switching positions for Nick Evans and Isa Nacewa although it still appears to reduce both of their effectiveness.
If conditions are at all messy, then Evans should be whistled up to control most of the tactical kicking and Nacewa left to counter with his wings.
The injection of Taniela Moa has sped up the delivery from the breakdown and had Evans had that sort of service earlier in the series, the backline might have been more productive.
Moa can be erratic but he also has more variety to his game which has checked inside defenders from leaving their posts early. Most of all Nucifora will want his frontrow to reinforce the promotional material he issued on their behalf this week, the endorsement of the All Black calibre of Woodcock and Keven Mealamu and the developing game of tighthead prop John Afoa.
They will square off against several mean critters for the Highlanders while the local lineout will sense they can disrupt the Blues lineout or at least restrict their approach.
Men like Newby and Jimmy Cowan know how to graft hard, play percentage rugby and ramp up the pressure on their rivals.
They have only been flogged once this season, the rest of the time they have been resilient.
The Blues have to understand that, they have to be patient, they have to show a lot of the composure which has been absent too often this year.
HIGHLANDERS
Dunedin, 7.35 tonight
Paul Williams
Glen Horton
Aaron Bancroft
Johnny Leota
Fetu'u Vainikolo
Mike Delany
Jimmy Cowan
Craig Newby (c)
Alando Soakai
Adam Thomson
Tom Donnelly
Hoani MacDonald
Clint Newland
Jason MacDonald
J. Mackintosh
BLUES
Nick Evans
David Smith
A. Tuitavake
Benson Stanley
Rudi Wulf
Isa Nacewa
Taniela Moa
Nick Williams
Daniel Braid
Jerome Kaino
Troy Flavell (c)
Anthony Boric
John Afoa
Keven Mealamu
Tony Woodcock
Highlanders: David Hall, Chris King, Isaac Ross, Steven Setephano, Toby Morland, Daniel Bowden, Niva Ta'auso.
Blues: Nick White, Bronson Murray, Kurtis Haiu, Justin Collins, Danny Lee, Isaia Toeava, Ben Atiga.
