There is plenty of hype around today's clash between the Highlanders and the Crusaders. But it is still a game of rugby, where the winning of key areas will decide the result. Rugby writer Steve Hepburn looks at where the game will be won or lost.
Kick-offs
For many, they are just a way to restart a game. But they are really so much more than that. This is the age where possession is king. You are the pauper if you have not got the ball. So, controlling the ball well from a kick-off and then getting out of your own half is vital. Whoever can do that well, and can challenge the team doing it, will have a huge advantage.
Ball handling
So, you get the ball. That is all well and good. Now you have to hang on to it. The ball handling under the roof at Forsyth Barr Stadium should be exemplary, with weather conditions not being a factor. In a game which is bound to be close, a few knock-ons can be the difference between winning and losing. The tackles will be tough, so ball security from both teams had better be on the mark or the offending team may find itself behind the 8-ball.
Goal-kicking
Colin Slade has been kicking and playing like a well-oiled machine over the past few games. He has helped himself to 52 points in the past two. But can he put to rest the demons which rode on his back when he played for the Highlanders last year? It was like the ball and the posts were in a love affair when Slade was kicking. He hit the posts with alarming regularity.
Highlanders first five-eighth Lima Sopoaga has been in fine kicking touch. In fact, he has been outstanding. He is slotting goals at a rate of 85%. The only concern is he has been off the field for a couple of weeks because of an ankle injury. Hopefully, for Highlanders' fans, his radar has not gone wandering.
If he misses a few, then there is always Hayden Parker in the stands to come on and find the posts.