By Jacques van der Westhuyzen
Chester Williams has acknowledged there is a lot more pressure on him as coach of the Cats than there was when he was running out for the team on the wing just a few seasons back.
Williams is on his first overseas tour with the team as coach after taking over from Tim Lane for the home leg of the Super 12 last season.
"There's definitely more pressure on me now," he said on Thursday. "As a player all you do is run out there and play. As coach you have to concentrate on the right preparation and do all the planning. The focus is completely different. What happens out there now comes back to me - whether we're successful or not," he said.
The Cats, winners of just one match this year - in the opening round against the Bulls - start the overseas leg of their campaign against the three-time winners, the Blues, in Albany on Saturday.
"It's up to me to get the players up for all the games on tour. I've got to ensure they're hungry and motivated."
The Cats, after a two-day flight from Johannesburg, via Perth and Sydney, to Auckland, come up against a team that has yet to find the form that saw them win three titles, but were impressive against the Brumbies last week, denying the defending champions a score. And as if the challenge ahead of them was not big enough, the Cats have also had to deal with troubles off the field in the last week.
"The toughest thing for the players has been getting over the time zone difference. It was a long flight to get here and I think the air-conditioning on the plane got to the guys. A lot of the players were suffering with flu earlier in the week, but they're over that - and the jet-lag - and are keen to play after the bye last weekend."
"The Blues were impressive against the Brumbies and they're looking like a better team than the one we saw in the earlier rounds. They'll be full of confidence after last week's win so it won't be easy for us."
In new flyhalf Tasesa Lavea and the powerful and slippery Doug Howlett, Mils Muliaina and Joe Rokocoko the home side have backs that, if given enough ball, will rip the heart out of any team. Williams knows a mighty challenge awaits, but he's confident his backs will match the star-studded Blues.
"We've had to alter our game-plan a bit to counter the threat posed out wide, but I back my players to stand up to the task ahead of them. My men are just as quick and difficult to handle. The most important thing is that we make the most of the possession that comes our way and don't give them turnover ball."
In Hamilton, also on Saturday, the Sharks and the Chiefs enter the battle of the woodenspooners with AJ Venter leading the Sharks after Bok hooker John Smit failed to recover fully from a rib injury. Dick Muir's men will hope to repeat their performance against the Brumbies two weeks ago as they go in search of their second win of the season.
Later on Saturday afternoon, the Stormers, led by De Wet Barry, host Australia's Reds. Bolla Conradie gets a chance at scrumhalf and he'll be keen to show off his potential.
In Pretoria, the Bulls square up to the competition's most successful team, the Crusaders. Heyneke Meyer has opted for rookie flyhalf Morné Steyn and again paired Ettienne Botha in midfield with JP Nel. Habana will run out on the wing.