MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Beauden Barrett will look to mount another case for the All Blacks' number 10 jersey and inspire the Auckland Blues to a rare Super Rugby Pacific win over the Canterbury Crusaders at their Christchurch house of pain.
Barrett was instrumental in back-to-back wins over the Wellington Hurricanes and Moana Pasifika, and fans will hope for another blinder on Friday as the defending champions battle to remain in contention for the playoffs.
"I’m just enjoying playing footy at number 10," Barrett told New Zealand media.
"Time in the saddle is nice.
"The challenge going south is a huge one. They’re top of the table at the moment so that’ll be a real test of where we’re at."
It will be a test that comes hot on the heels of their last one against the leading Crusaders, who thumped them 42-19 at Eden Park four weeks ago, triggering scathing reviews from home media.
Barrett was missing from a depleted Blues team that night while nursing a fractured hand.
Now, four points out of the top six playoff spots, the Blues are in better nick for the rematch as they look to overcome a record of 13 defeats from their last 14 matches at Rugby League Park.
Rob Penney's Crusaders, meanwhile, return home in great spirits after taking top spot from the Waikato Chiefs with their victory over the Wellington Hurricanes.
The Chiefs stumbled against the New South Wales Waratahs in Sydney last weekend, leaving them in second place, a point behind the Crusaders.
Barrett's rival for the All Blacks' number 10 shirt, Damian McKenzie, had a rare shocker against the Waratahs and will look to rebound against the seventh-placed Otago Highlanders at Waikato Stadium on Saturday.
Four points adrift of the Chiefs, the third-placed ACT Brumbies have returned to their traditional standing as Australia's leading Super Rugby team.
The Brumbies beat the Queensland Reds 39-26 at Lang Park last weekend and will hope for another away win in Pukekohe on Saturday when they face 10th-placed Moana Pasifika.
Moana were crushed by the Blues in their home derby last week and will be without skipper Ardie Savea as Tana Umaga rests the powerful All Blacks loose forward.
The Waratahs will again try to shed their reputation as home track bullies when they take on bottom-placed Fijian Drua in Lautoka, searching for their first away win this season.
The fifth-placed Waratahs lost the only match the teams have played in Fiji but the Drua's usual home dominance has gone out the window with defeats to the Brumbies and Crusaders this term.
While the Reds take a bye, Western Force return from one to host the eighth-placed Hurricanes in Perth.
The sixth-placed Force have not lost to a non-Australian team at home this season and will look to take another New Zealand victim.
It would mean overcoming an abysmal record against the Hurricanes, who have won 12 of their last 13 matches at all venues.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
