The games within the big game

RugbyHeaven | Thursday, 27 March 2008

It's a match that has All Blacks trial written all over it as the Hurricanes host the Crusaders in Friday night's Super 14 feature. But who has got the most to play for in the many head-to-head battles?

RugbyHeaven co-editors Duncan Johnstone and Marc Hinton sift through the many matchups in the backs and forwards and to look at some of the crucial calls facing Graham Henry and his national selectors.

 

BACKLINE - Duncan Johnstone

Andy Ellis against Piri Weepu and Casey Laulala against Conrad Smith loom as the most influential personal battles from this massive match as the All Blacks look at their options at halfback and centre.

There's certainly bit of sting to the No 9 confrontation. It was Ellis, after all, who stole Weepu's World Cup jersey late last year in the biggest surprise of the All Blacks squad chosen to head to France for the ill-fated campaign.

As it turned out Weepu's pain was probably eased the longer that tournament went on. But it's the Super 14 now and he needs to start showing Mr Henry that he is still a viable option.

Weepu is an enigmatic talent who can fizz and frustrate in the same match. At his best he looms as the top halfback in the country now that Byron Kelleher has departed. He's got size, great anticipation, a clever kicking game (that includes goalkicking), a solid pass and he loves to run at the opposition.

But he still appears to be a little way off his best. A bit like his Hurricanes team he has stayed in the frame without really hitting top gear. It's time to fire up and what better way than to try to dominate Ellis?

Ellis has a smooth game that is based around doing the basics right and then choosing his moment for a bit of individual genius.

He doesn't have the power play of Weepu but he does have a superb pass and if you are looking for a halfback to set a backline of talent free, then there aren't many better around.

Of course it helps to have a dominant pack in front of you and Ellis certainly gets a cruisy ride behind the red and black juggernaut.

Meanwhile the midfield muddle needs to be sorted out once and for all this season and Laulala and Smith are certainly two characters who have been putting their hands up for the No 13 jersey.

Laulala has hardly had a fair crack at things at test level despite his consistent form for the Crusaders.

They keep talking about his continued growth down south and it's hard to argue against that with his dominant displays for Robbie Deans' outfit. He has even added a bit of a mean streak to his game this year with some punishing defence.

If you are looking for the form New Zealand centre at the moment then it's either Laulala or the Blues' Isaia Toeava.

Smith has led a charmed life in recent times, earning selection despite limited game time because of injuries. But, when push came to shove for the quarter-final against France, he was overlooked for the makeshift option of Mils Muliaina.

Smith, like Weepu and his team, has had a slow start to this season. But there were encouraging signs against the Brumbies in Canberra and this is the sort of match where he needs to show his authority.

These guys are specialist centres and I certainly feel it's about time a specialist was selected. May the best man win.

 

FORWARDS - Marc Hinton

 

Nowhere does the array of head-to-head battles at the Cake Tin have more resonance  than at No 8 where we've got the country's form player, in the Crusaders' Mose Tuiali'i, going toe to toe with the incumbent All Black in Rodney So'oialo.

This really should be a heavyweight contest. Down in Crusaderland the drums are beating loudly for their talented No 8. They believe he's been the best on the New Zealand scene for the past two years now and the time has come for that to be recognised.

There's also recognition around Title Town that if Tuiali'i doesn't get an All Black recall this year, he could take up one of those big-money contracts being waved around by desperate northern clubs at the moment.

He's also playing superbly, to be fair. His work with ball in hand has been first-rate and he's a constant source of go-forward for the Crusaders. He's got a nose for the try-line too, gets around the field extremely well and, like most of his team-mates, doesn't miss a lot on defence.

Then you have So'oialo, long an enigmatic figure in the All Black loose trio. The guy is classy, there can be no doubt about that, but his critics have pointed to his lack of impact at times and wondered if he lacks the physical presence to really dominate the position at test level.

But the man has ticker, of that there's no doubt. He plays hard, he plays to the final whistle and he does have some outrageous skills for a No 8. He's also coming into some useful form as the Hurricanes season slowly builds to the level they'll need to operate at to return to playoff territory.

I believe both No 8s will be primed for this matchup. Tuiali'i will know this is the sort of contest where he really needs to shine and he'll regard the chance to get one over his All Black rival as gold.

But So'oialo will sense the challenge and like all champions he'll respond. Graham Henry and co will be paying close attention to this special head-to-head.

But it's far from the only contest up front that will have national repercussions.

Hurricanes openside Chris Masoe has his critics, but he is coming off a huge game against the Brumbies and will regard the chance to battle the best of them all, Richie McCaw, as a gilt-edged opportunity to reinforce himself as the country's premier backup loose forward.

At hooker there's a cracking little contest brewing too, where Corey Flynn of the Crusaders will be keen to usurp Andrew Hore as the likely No 2 No 2 for this year's international season. There's not a lot between these two hard men, though Hore has a habit of rising to these sort of challenges.

And at tighthead prop there's also an All Black audition going on. Neemia Tialata of the Canes seemed the natural successor to Carl Hayman, with age on his side and a developing power game too. But he's started the year slowly, and the old warhorse Greg Somerville of the Crusaders remains a reliable option at No 3. Can Tialata stand up to that renowned Crusaders scrum? It will be his biggest acid test of the year.

But it's the lock battle between the Crusaders' Brad Thorn and the Canes' Jason Eaton that I like most outside of the No 8 clash.

If you factor out Troy Flavell, who's not exactly a Henry favourite and supposedly soon to depart anyway, these could be the next two contenders to join Ali Williams in the All Black second row.

Thorn has the advantage of playing alongside Williams on a weekly basis and there's no doubt his return from league, mark II, has been impressive. The big man is thriving in Robbie Deans' superbly organised system.

But Eaton, too, has his merits and he is a highly skilled operator at lock with a fairly useful engine to boot. He may not be the workhorse that Thorn is, but Eaton can go a long way to completing a dream return to test duty with a strong showing against the classy Crusaders second row.

There is one last battle worth mentioning. The collective one. Whoever wins that combat will go a long way to grabbing victory. It's going to take some effort to deny this Crusaders pack in their current form. We await the Canes' response.