KEY POINTS:
Strong teams have a variety of ammunition. The Blues suggest they have an array of methods to challenge their rivals while tonight's foes, the Reds, look uncertain if their pack does not deliver some damage.
The message for the Eden Park hosts will be all about ramping up
the impact of their forwards, combating the serious physical test from a tenaciously-powerful Reds group.
Among all the vocal shenanigans prefacing this Super 14 contest, one observation will not have escaped the Reds: They will have noticed, in the last round, the Blues' pack could not dominate the Hurricanes, who were without five All Blacks.
Coach David Nucifora preferred to dwell on his side's set-piece efficiency, which he rated the best of their season, but he also accepted there were defects.
"The breakdown and the carry error was probably not our best. They muscled up on us and they managed to slow our ball down," he said.
Cue the Reds, whose modus operandi is to strike with their defence and to hammer the breakdown areas. David Croft is a terrific scavenging loose forward, Mitchell Chapman is a growing presence and, with captain John Roe, they will test the Blues flankers at the collision areas.
At times, Jerome Kaino and Daniel Braid have shone but more so when the ball is away from the impact zones, when they are the link players creating some Blues momentum. If that fizz reappears tonight on top of some forward solidity, the Blues could chop up the visitors.
They have a backline which oozes attack and invention - dangers which Reds coach Eddie Jones identified when he described the Blues as a side that played "Polynesian basketball".
"Auckland have a rich mixture of Samoans, Tongans, Fijians, Maoris in the mix with New Zealanders," Jones said.
"They play this fantastic style where they offload, they play off quick line-outs, they play off quick turnovers.
"They want the game to be unstructured like a basketball game, we want to have structure in the game. We can't beat them at that game but we certainly can beat them at a structured game."
It was a taunt the Blues would do well to ignore unless the tight five imposes itself and they create consistent momentum and field position.
The Blues have been on the wrong side of lopsided penalty counts in the last two matches and they may opt for a more conservative tactical approach, kicking for territory, rather than risk attacking from deep in their own half.
Midfield danger Luke McAlister said the Blues had put in some mixed performances this season but their confidence had never wavered. He also fingered his forwards as the key to a result tonight.
"They [Reds] are a forwards-based team I think and they like to muscle up front.
"Our forwards will have to get up this weekend and dominate up front," he said.
Who will prevail, the basketballers or the bashers?
If the Blues play anywhere near their potential they should begin a run of home games with a victory.
Eden Park, 7.35 tonight
Blues: Ben Atiga, Doug Howlett, Isaia Toeava, Luke McAlister, Anthony Tuitavake, Isa Nacewa, Steve Devine, Jerome Kaino, Daniel Braid, Justin Collins, Troy Flavell (c), Greg Rawlinson, John Afoa, Derren Witcombe, S. Taumoepeau
Reserves: Chris Heard, Nick White, Anthony Boric, Angus Macdonald, David Gibson, Sam Tuitupou, Rudi Wulf.
Reds: C. Schifcofske, Henari Veratau, Ben Tune, Peter Hynes, Brando Vaalu, Berrick Barnes, Nic Berry, John Roe (c), David Croft, Mitchell Chapman, James Horwill, Ed O'Donoghue, Rodney Blake, Sean Hardman, Ben Coutts
Reserves: Ole Avei, Cam Treloar, Tom McVerry, Herman Hunt, Quade Cooper, Charlie Fetoai, Will Genia, Caleb Brown.
