Breakdown tactics crucial to mastery
The Marlborough Express
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How much did the Tasman Makos rugby team learn from their earlier defeat this season to Canterbury?
That's one of the many questions to be answered tomorrow night at AMI Stadium in Christchurch when little brother Tasman travels south to see if they can exact revenge on big brother Canterbury for their first round 15-44 beating in what doubles as an Air New Zealand Cup quarterfinal and a virtual Crusaders trial.
Matching Canterbury in the set-pieces is crucial to the Makos success and likewise the breakdown and this is where all eyes will be on referee Jonathan White to see if he polices the most contentious area of rugby fairly, both ways.
Canterbury and Crusader teams are masters at this phase. Some have accused them of cheating but cheating or not, they manipulate very well, slowing down opposition ball and making sure their own is freed up quickly.
Makos coach Todd Blackadder was once on the end of favourable decisions as Canterbury captain but as coach of a so-called unfancied team, he's experienced the frustrations of decisions tending to favour the higher ranked teams, none more so than Matt Stanish's shocker in the Wellington match which could well have prevented the Makos from winning the Ranfurly Shield.
Blackadder admitted his team sat back too much in the earlier clash with Canterbury. "I thought we got a good lesson in intensity. Everything we did that day was on the back foot. We let Canterbury play. There was no line speed at all and they managed to work their magic and they just outplayed us.
"We've learnt from that. Since that game we've been improving. We've been building all year. It's not going to get any tougher than this.
"Canterbury are the form side and they will go into the game with a lot of confidence. Our mindset is, we've got to go into it with nothing to lose."
Being a former Canterbury captain and one of the province's favourite sons plus the fact that he's the Crusaders coach won't affect how Blackadder sees the match nor will it affect several other players who have tasted rugby in Canterbury.
"Once you run out onto the field, it's all go."
He said the match gives players from both teams another opportunity to "have a go at each other. I think it will be great. Provincial pride and performances will come before that (Crusaders selection)."
With All Black captain Richie McCaw added to Canterbury's subs bench, the Makos will have their work cut out in the breakdown area. Kieran Read, George Whitelock and Hayden Hopgood are a classy unit.
Add McCaw in and it only gets better for the Red and Blacks.
However, the Makos also have one of the competition's most consistent performers in this area, Jonathan Poff, and with a back-up needed for McCaw in the Crusaders, it's his chance to impress as it is for a host of Super rugby candidates in both teams.
Tactics are all important. The Makos need to get numbers quickly to the initial breakdown to control it and a good kicking game is vital against a Canterbury team which will punish deficiencies in that area.
Blackadder has been consistent in his selections all season and this team is no exception.
A place obviously had to be found for All Black lock Brad Thorn but an injury to flanker Jack Lam means no-one loses their place in the 22.
The coach said it was a close call between Alex Ainley and Joe Wheeler on the blindside flank but he's opted for Ainley's starting experience and what he said was Wheeler's considerable impact off the bench.
It's also a huge challenge for starting prop Tristan Moran who replaces the injured Ben Franks. Moran is up against Wyatt Crockett with veteran All Black Greg Somerville at tighthead.
Few if any give the Makos a chance of winning tomorrow night but then the same situation applied before the Wellington Ranfurly Shield challenge and they almost pulled it off.
This Makos team has already created history by making the quarterfinals against the odds. Coach Blackadder and recent performances have instilled great self belief.
Canterbury might just find little brother a whole lot more aggravating than they imagined second time around.
