A pre-season comment from Blues captain Xavier Rush is giving Super 12 leaders the Waratahs all the motivation they need for their Friday night match in Sydney.
Victory for the Waratahs should consolidate their top spot while the Blues must win to have any hopes of claiming the one playoff
vacancy.
When the sides met in February in Whangarei, the Waratahs won easily, but Rush joked his team would be happy to play the visitors again in May.
"By then you guys would have peaked, troughed and then be on the way out," Rush said in reference to the Waratahs' series record.
That time has arrived and the Waratahs have not forgotten.
"We have reasonable memories," Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie said yesterday.
The Blues were always dangerous opponents like the Crusaders and Brumbies and his side had to regroup after their first win in nine attempts against the Reds.
With a mounting injury toll, the Blues' must-win match may end as a forgettable finish for coach Peter Sloane. His side showed poor execution and decisions which cost them in their latest 22-20 loss to the Hurricanes.
The halfback plight officially became a crisis when fourth choice Craig McGrath limped off in that defeat and was replaced by Northland's John Senio.
There is optimism Steve Devine will recover from his shoulder problem to face his old team-mates at Aussie Stadium. Further casualties are fullback Mils Muliaina (shoulder), Daniel Braid (groin) and Tasesa Lavea (hamstring).
