Rugby: Perofeta gets chance in Blues side to face British and Irish Lions

Blues 1st-five Stephen Perofeta during the team training session at Alexandra Park. Picture / Brett Phibbs

If there was ever any doubt about the standing in which the Blues hold Stephen Perofeta, there won't be now that the 20-year-old has been picked to start at first-five against the British Lions.

For the biggest game of the Blues season, coach Tana Umaga has made the biggest call - handing the No 10 jersey to a young man who hasn't yet worn it in Super Rugby.

But Umaga has seen enough of Perofeta to feel it is the right thing to do in the absence of regular first-five Piers Francis who is in Argentina with the England team.

Blues 1st-five Stephen Perofeta during the team training session at Alexandra Park. Picture / Brett Phibbs

Perofeta has been plagued with injury so far this year but made a cameo appearance off the bench in Samoa last week and Umaga now feels the youngster is ready to be thrown, literally, to the Lions.

"I think all our selections were difficult," said Umaga. "Ihaia [West] hasn't played for a while and Stephen has been involved with us for the last two weeks so it is an opportunity for Stevie to step up and we think he is ready to do that.

"He has got a lot of support and experience around him to do that. I think his skill-set belies his age. He is only a young man. He could have been on the tour with New Zealand Under-20s but we kept him behind obviously with losing Piers to England duties we wanted our 10s to be here.

"We want to make sure he [Perofeta] is developing but he has earned the right to start for us this week. We don't want to put too much pressure on the young man but an opportunity to play against the British and Irish Lions doesn't come around very often. Stevie has got a cool demeanour and he will handle that."

To some extent the Blues are going to hit the Lions with a touch of the unknown by playing Perofeta.

The Lions won't have seen anything from him and while they will understand that the Blues are a side that like to play wide and fast, the visitors will be guessing somewhat as to how Perofeta plans to string it all together.

He's renowned for his running game and ability to see space others don't and that potentially gives the Blues a chance to take the Lions well outside their comfort zone.

What became clear in the opening tour game is that the Lions are perhaps a little further behind in the basics than they would like. If the pace is higher than it was in Whangarei and the Blues mix their point of attack, they will fancy the Lions won't settle easily or quickly into any kind of rhythm.

That's important for the Blues because the game against the Lions is their chance to make a definitive statement about where they really sit in terms of heir overall ability.

Just because they sit bottom of the New Zealand Conference and are out of the Super Rugby playoffs, doesn't mean they are not a quality side.

They have only lost one game to a non-New Zealand team this year and sit inside the playoffs on points - but won't make it because of the daft structure.

Rather than talk about what sort of side they think they are, the match against the Lions is the ultimate opportunity to go out and prove it and that message has been delivered to the players.

Blues: Michael Collins, Matt Duffie, Rieko Ioane, George Moala, Sonny Bill Williams/ TJ Faiane, Stephen Perofeta, Augustine Pulu, Steve Luatua, Blake Gibson, Akira Ioane, Scott Scrafton, Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, Charlie Faumuina, James Parsons, Ofa Tu'ungafasi.

Reserves: Hame Faiva, Alex Hodgman, Sione Mafileo, Patrick Tuipulotu, Kara Pryor, Sam Nock, Ihaia West, TJ Faiane/Melani Nanai