KEY POINTS:
Shades of disquiet about the Super 14 accompanied the stand-down of 22 All Blacks but there will be greater anxiety today in Canberra now the Brumbies have lost captain Stirling Mortlock.
His impact in the opening win against the Chiefs was widespread until he received a head knock,
an injury which has troubled the centre in the buildup to the second game against the Blues tonight.
Yesterday Mortlock was ruled out and will be replaced by Adam Ashley-Cooper, and Peter Playford will make his Super 14 debut on the left wing.
In a boost to the Brumbies, however, Wallaby Mark Gerrard has been included in the 22-man squad despite earlier being ruled out because of a knee injury.
Coach Laurie Fisher said the decision to rest Mortlock was a precautionary one.
One player does not make a side but Mortlock's physical impact is a central part of the Brumbies' strategies on attack and defence. They have reclaimed playmaker Stephen Larkham from paternity leave.
However, the Blues take the confidence of an opening victory against the defending champion Crusaders and and there are signs they are more settled about their tactics and planning.
If there is any respite in this hectic competition, the Blues had that assistance last week. They were able to put an entire pack of past or present All Blacks out against the rookie Crusader forwards and, apart from the scrums, were able to control decent chunks of the game.
It was an effective start but the Blues will face a stronger forward challenge from the Brumbies who have international experience in their side, an improving scrum, lineout power and the tandem scavenging of George Smith and Julian Salvi.
Throw in a re-energised George Gregan, Larkham, tactical kicking from Julian Huxley, the power of Clyde Rathbone and this match takes on a whole different scope for the visitors.
Coach David Nucifora has had to replace his injured midfielders but having All Black Luke McAlister on the bench was some luxury anyway, while Anthony Tuitavake played centre for a great deal of last season.
As much as you churn over the likely outcome of this game between the two form unbeaten sides in round one, you come back to the work of the forwards and the contribution of the rival five-eighths Larkham and Isa Nacewa.
Nacewa was an enterprising selection to take the match to the Crusaders. The concept worked but he will not get the same leeway from the Brumbies.
Nacewa admitted he felt some panic rising against the Crusaders as the game tightened in the second half. That pressure will intensify tonight and the Blues could use McAlister as an optional first receiver from phase play to defuse some of the heat.
Larkham is a ball player and distributor who will want to test the Blues' defence out wide rather than using last week's strategy where Huxley's tactical kicking exerted unrelenting pressure on the Chiefs' lineout.
If the Blues pack do not deliver, though, they cannot expect the backline to bail them out. There has to be more sting, more cohesion and clout from the loose forwards, more of the edge new skipper Troy Flavell showed last week at Eden Park.
He does worry the Brumbies, a concern which showed in comments their star lock Mark Chisholm made this week about combating the energy Flavell brought to his work.
Canberra, 9.40 tonight
BRUMBIES
Julian Huxley
Clyde Rathbone
A. Ashley-Cooper
Gene Fairbanks
Peter Playford
Stephen Larkham
George Gregan
Stephen Hoiles
George Smith
Julian Salvi
Mark Chisholm
Alister Campbell
Guy Shepherdson
Jeremy Paul
Nic Henderson
Reserves
Saia Faingaa, Salesi Maafu, Adam Wallace-Harrison, Jone Tawake, Patrick Phibbs, Matt Carraro, Mark Gerrard.
BLUES
George Pisi
Doug Howlett
A. Tuitavake
Luke McAlister
Rudi Wulf
Isa Nacewa
David Gibson
Jerome Kaino
Daniel Braid
Angus Macdonald
Troy Flavell (c)
Greg Rawlinson
John Afoa
Derren Witcombe
S. Taumoepeau
Reserves
Chris Heard, Nick White, Anthony Boric, Justin Collins, Steve Devine, David Holwell, Ben Atiga.
