The Auckland Blues will look to prove they are the real deal in Super Rugby Pacific on \u2060a tough road trip to the Canterbury Crusaders, while Australia’s underperforming sides scrap to keep in touch with the playoffs positions.<\/p>\n
The second-placed Blues<\/a> have lost 19 of \u200ctheir last 20 matches away to the Crusaders<\/a> and will throw something different at Rob Penney<\/a>‘s team when \u200cthey meet the defending champions at the new Te Kaha stadium on Friday.<\/p>\n Blues \u200ccoach Vern Cotter<\/a> has opted to keep Beauden Barrett<\/a> on the bench following Stephen Perofeta<\/a>‘s \u200csuccessful return in the number 10 jersey in their thumping 45-19 win over \u200cMoana Pasifika<\/a> last weekend.<\/p>\n “(I have) a bit more confidence as to how my body is and where my mind is,” former All Black Perofeta, who has suffered an injury-blighted season, told reporters after a big \u200cshift against Moana.<\/p>\n “Getting through that 65-odd minutes was reassurance \u2060for me that I can still enjoy \u200cit … This week’s been a lot the same around building that confidence.”<\/p>\n The Blues beat the Crusaders \u200b29-13 at Eden Park earlier in the season but Cotter is drawing little comfort from that win.<\/p>\n “You never get the same picture twice against the Crusaders, \u200bespecially down in Christchurch,” he said.<\/p>\n “They\u2019re a side that pride themselves on their physicality and accuracy, and our focus has been on staying connected to ensure we are \u2060at our best for the full \u200b80 minutes.”<\/p>\n Veteran prop George Bower<\/a> is in line for his 100th match for the fifth-placed Crusaders, who have three games left in the regular season to shore up their title defence.<\/p>\n The fourth-placed Queensland Reds<\/a>, who host the Waikato Chiefs<\/a> at Lang Park on Friday, are \u200clevel with the Crusaders on 27 points but have played one game fewer.<\/p>\n Carter Gordon<\/a>, Australia’s form flyhalf until succumbing to injury, returns on the bench for the Les Kiss<\/a>‘s side.<\/p>\n The Reds may be Australia’s best hope of ending New Zealand teams’ reign over the competition, given the ACT Brumbies<\/a>‘ mid-season slump.<\/p>\n After racking up three straight defeats, the Brumbies have fallen to sixth, the last playoff position, before a crunch match against Western Force<\/a> at Canberra Stadium.<\/p>\n Fijian Drua<\/a>, the New South Wales Waratahs<\/a> and Otago Highlanders<\/a> are all within striking range of the Brumbies, five points behind.<\/p>\n The Waratahs have dashed fans’ expectations \u200cof better this season and face a tough trip to Otago on Saturday after \u200ba poor home defeat to the Force.<\/p>\n