MELBOURNE, May 7 (Reuters) - The Auckland Blues will look to prove they are the real deal in Super Rugby Pacific on a tough road trip to the Canterbury Crusaders, while Australia's underperforming sides scrap to keep in touch with the playoffs positions.
The second-placed Blues have lost 19 of their last 20 matches away to the Crusaders and will throw something different at Rob Penney's team when they meet the defending champions at the new Te Kaha stadium on Friday.
Blues coach Vern Cotter has opted to keep Beauden Barrett on the bench following Stephen Perofeta's successful return in the number 10 jersey in their thumping 45-19 win over Moana Pasifika last weekend.
"(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 shift against Moana.
"Getting through that 65-odd minutes was reassurance for me that I can still enjoy it ... This week's been a lot the same around building that confidence."
The Blues beat the Crusaders 29-13 at Eden Park earlier in the season but Cotter is drawing little comfort from that win.
"You never get the same picture twice against the Crusaders, especially down in Christchurch," he said.
"They’re a side that pride themselves on their physicality and accuracy, and our focus has been on staying connected to ensure we are at our best for the full 80 minutes."
Veteran prop George Bower 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.
The fourth-placed Queensland Reds, who host the Waikato Chiefs at Lang Park on Friday, are level with the Crusaders on 27 points but have played one game fewer.
Carter Gordon, Australia's form flyhalf until succumbing to injury, returns on the bench for the Les Kiss's side.
The Reds may be Australia's best hope of ending New Zealand teams' reign over the competition, given the ACT Brumbies' mid-season slump.
After racking up three straight defeats, the Brumbies have fallen to sixth, the last playoff position, before a crunch match against Western Force at Canberra Stadium.
Fijian Drua, the New South Wales Waratahs and Otago Highlanders are all within striking range of the Brumbies, five points behind.
The Waratahs have dashed fans' expectations of better this season and face a tough trip to Otago on Saturday after a poor home defeat to the Force.
Their A$5 million signing Joseph Suaalii is under huge pressure after conjuring only three carries for three metres gained on his return from injury against the Force.
Coach Dan McKellar put the blame on his teammates getting bullied at the breakdown.
"I can't flick a switch and be like, Su (Suaalii), here's space. You've got to earn that," he said.
Two points clear of the Blues, the Wellington Hurricanes meet bottom-placed Moana Pasifika in Auckland in the other match on Saturday looking to shore up top spot.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
