Imitation could be finest form of flattery

Chiefs first five-eighth Aaron Cruden is prepared for anything the wild Wellington weather might throw up on Saturday night, and has a perfect template to follow from the man he’ll mark in the Super Rugby semifinal.

Cruden’s matchup with Hurricanes playmaker Beauden Barrett promises to be an intriguing battle, with the pair in a red-hot duel for the All Blacks’ No 10 jersey.

Both are so crucial to their team’s chances, with whoever pulls the strings the best likely to be playing in the final next weekend.

With his confidence seemingly at an all-time high, following his efforts against Wales, Barrett has taken games by the scruff and been a real standout, with his display in the horrible conditions in the quarterfinal against the Sharks last weekend a thing to behold.

The forecast for the capital this time round could mean anything is possible - rain is set to develop, then clear later, with a northwesterly rising to gale. It’s a big factor which co-captain Cruden knows will have to be managed.

‘‘Obviously you face a few elements there,’’ said the man who played two Hurricanes.

‘‘You never really know until the day with Westpac Stadium.

‘‘We’re a team that like to play an expansive type of game, we’d prefer the ball to be dry, but ultimately you can’t control the conditions, unless you’re in Dunedin, I suppose, you get a roof over your head. So whatever it comes to, we’ll be prepared.’’

And there is no better blueprint than Barrett’s to follow, after he kicked cleverly in behind the Sharks and constantly pinned them in corners to control the game.

‘‘Rugby can be an easy game if seasons with the it’s played at the right end of the field and you’re smart with what you do with the ball,’’ Cruden said. ‘‘Weather conditions down there can be tricky, but ultimately it’s the same for both sides. So the team that’s able to cope best, that’s able to apply pressure and be at the right end of the field, ultimately generally comes out on top.’’

While Barrett has had the bigger impact of late, Cruden was in stunning touch earlier in the competition, and has continued to be a key part of the Chiefs’ success. So with the two magicians ready to take down one another with their respective bag of tricks, is the clash with Barrett something to inspire him?

‘‘Not really, no,’’ Cruden said bluntly. ‘‘Playing in a semifinal motivates me, not really one-onone competitions.

‘‘He’s really at the top of his game at the moment and he’s going to be one of the players that we have to try and shut down.’’

Easier said than done, though, right?

‘‘Well, try and prevent them from having the ball at times, force them to come out of their half deep in their zone. I guess the thing is you sort of can’t limit every opportunity that players have, so you just have to do the best with what you can.’’