The Crusaders boast possibly the best team in the competition, and although they are traditionally slow starters, will provide the Highlanders with their toughest examination in the first half of the competition. To beat them will require a much more accurate performance than what they delivered last week and a more direct approach is needed.
The key to disrupting the Crusaders' game is to gain dominance up front. This is easier said than done as they boast possibly the best tight five in the competition, all technically very good at set-piece time, whilst also providing high work rates around the field.
However, the Highlanders won't shy away and if they are to beat them they must take them on at their strength before then looking to exploit the weaknesses that lie wider out.
Attacking rucks in a positive manner will be crucial as this will force the Crusaders to commit more forwards to the breakdown and will lessen the effectiveness of their stellar loose forward trio in the loose. This has become something of a trademark of the Highlanders during the Jamie Joseph era, but with the new breakdown interpretations it has become much harder to do so successfully and the ability to execute the tactic efficiently will be the Highlanders best weapon against their South Island counterparts.
The set-piece provides more of an issue as the Crusaders remain technically the best team in the competition in this area. At lineout time they have four legitimate options in Sam Whitelock, Tom Donnelly, Kieran Read and George Whitelock, with the first three in particular outstanding jumpers.
In contrast the Highlanders relied primarily on Adam Thomson in their first encounter, who while brilliant, can't be relied on as the only option against a more proficient lineout. Josh Bekhuis is a good jumper and needs to be utilised, while the likes of Nick Crosswell and John Hardie need to be used on occasion to keep the Crusaders guessing.
The scrum was one of the big pluses for the Highlanders in their first outing, but will face a much sterner test against a front row containing Owen Franks, Ben Franks and Wyatt Crockett in the propping roles and Corey Flynn at hooker. Owen Franks has arguably the best technique of any tighthead prop in the world at the moment and is one of the strongest players going around. On the other side Ben Franks isn't quite as proficient technically but brings all the strength of his brother and will pose a tough matchup for Chris King.
Wyatt Crockett meanwhile has shown himself to be a top performer in this area of the game at Super Rugby level and brings a physicality to the game that few others possess. Corey Flynn's contribution shouldn't be underestimated either, who remains one of the best scrummaging hookers in New Zealand and will match Andrew Hore in this department. They no longer have Brad Thorn pushing through, but still have a good pack behind the front row and won't be pushed around.
Getting the better of this scrum will be a huge challenge, but it will be one the Highlanders will be up for and if they can get some ascendency they will go a long way towards winning the game.
Why is this forward dominance so key?
Firstly it will limit the outstanding loose forward trio of Kieran Read, Matt Todd and George Whitelock, who complement each other well and will be dominant if on the front foot. But it will also put pressure on a backline who while dangerous if let loose, may struggle if on the back foot.
Tyler Bleyendaal was outstanding against the Blues and will most likely reprise the role of starting first five-eighth. But as has been proven time and again, Super Rugby is a significant step up from the ITM Cup and a lack of experience at this level makes Bleyendaal a prime candidate to pressure into rushing decisions.
This will be hard to do if the Crusaders gain the upperhand up front, as Bleyandaal will receive clean ball on the front foot to release to his dangerous backline. But if they are on the backfoot and receiving messy ball, the time to make decisions is cut down and inexperienced players can be liable to making errors.
The other player to target comes in the damaging centre, Robbie Fruean. Fruean has developed a reputation as a devastating runner, capable of breaking tackles and containing a turn of speed. But if the Highlanders can shut down this aspect of his game, he offers little else and could prove to be a non-factor. He has a tendency to run across the field and run his wingers out of room, often looking to run himself rather than distributing, wasting what is one of the most lethal back three's in the Super 15.
Defensively he can be suspect too. While he has shown in the past that he is capable of putting big hits in, he can be guilty of looking to grab his man rather than hit then grab, making him an easy target to run through. If Tamati Ellison can reproduce the form he showed against the Chiefs, this could be the key matchup for the Highlanders, as if Fruean is allowed to run, the Crusaders become a much harder team to contain.
On attack the Highlanders require a much more direct approach. Too often against the Chiefs the ball was being thrown from side to side without any forward momentum being gained. This week they should look to take their opponents on around the fringes and then look to attack through the midfield after some momentum has been gained.
If the ball can then be delivered to the devastating back three at the right times, the Crusaders will struggle to stop them.
But all this hinges on gaining forward dominance. In most situations winning this battle would be one the Highlanders would be favoured to get the better of, but against a very strong Crusaders team this will be a challenge. Whether or not they meet this challenge could well be the deciding factor on Saturday night.
- Jeff Cheshire. I am a 19 year old Physical Education student at the University of Otago and have lived my whole life in Dunedin. I began supporting the Highlanders at the age six in the 1999 season and have followed the team religiously since then. I am looking forward to writing about the Highlanders in what will hopefully be a successful 2012 Super 15 season.