MIKE BLAIR was amenable enough when he spoke to the press via video conference from poolside at the team’s hotel in Cape Town yesterday afternoon, but he very deliberately avoided engaging in any sort of hyperbole about the magnitude of Saturday’s United Rugby Championship play-off semi-final clash against the Stormers.
“I believe it's you guys' [the media’s] job to talk up how big a game it is – we are more focused on how we achieve that outcome to get the result that we want,” he stated.
“It is something we were very aware of in the lead-up to the Glasgow game last week – not talking about what the outcome, the European qualification, the 1872 Cup, the Scottish-Italian Shield. We were focused on what it took to get to that, not that end result.
“So, I will let you use your superlative language to talk that up, but we really want to focus on how we are going to get the result as opposed to what the game is about.
“It's really important to play the opposition not the occasion. We have had a good balance about our rugby this season where we have got confidence to play but we have an understanding that you can't do that the whole time.
“We want to stay relaxed and trust what we are trying to do.”
Blair added that the team will not be discussing their dismal recent record in knock-out matches, which consists of one win – against Bath in the European Challenge Cup round of 16 earlier this season – from nine games played over the last six years.
“I just don’t see the point of addressing it. I don’t see why we would. There is a certain amount of emotional energy you get going into a game and we want to focus that on us, and getting our energy right, which leads to us getting our communication right, and our mental and physical aspects right,” he said.
“Saying that this is a knock-out game, I don’t see how that leads to positive emotion,” he added. “If we get our bits right, that will lead to the best chance of winning the game, rather than worrying about if we don’t get it right then we’ll lose this knock-out game.
“It might sound a bit boring, but that’s how I believe you win games. You understand what you are trying to do, you are relaxed, you are focussed, and you are confident about what you are trying to put on the pitch.”
Meanwhile, Blair revealed that Scotland hooker and club co-captain Stuart McInally could be in line for his comeback after a month out with a calf injury this weekend.
“Stuart has made the trip [to South Africa],” he confirmed. “We are just seeing how he gets through the next couple of days. He has been looking okay at the moment so we will make a decision on that later in the week.”
He added that he would not be unduly perturbed if McInally doesn’t make it. “Dave Cherry and Adam McBurney have done really well when they have been in the jersey as well,” he reasoned.
The Stormers are on an eight-match winning streak coming into Saturday’s contest. They have earned plaudits for their offloading game, but Blair stressed that the challenge his team face is far more multi-faceted than simply trying to close-down that particular threat.
“I think that’s probably a stand-out of their game, but they’ve obviously got a very strong forward pack with a balance between size, speed and power,” he said. “And in the backline, they have the same sort of combination, so they are going to present a real test to us across the pitch, which we are aware of.”
And he warned the Stormers that they will face a similar sort of challenge.
“Edinburgh have had success over the past couple of years but from an attacking point of view it was not a priority,” he pointed out. “It was built round a strong defence and a good kicking game, so what we have tried to do is expand on that a little bit.
“I don't think we are Kamikaze, or playing Barbarians rugby, but we have confidence that when we see an opportunity and space then we try to take it. We are still very aware that balance in the game is very important, especially so in this game, but we’re not going to be afraid to have a go.”
