Its action time as the 2012 Super Rugby season which is one of the most anticipated events in the rugby union calendar kicks off tonight.

Quite fittingly, Blues and Crusaders kick-off proceedings at Auckland’s Eden Park - the same venue that played host to the Rugby World Cup final.
 
We then cross over to the Australian capital where the revamped Brumbies will be looking to repeat their pre-season win over the Western Force.

The action continues in Pretoria when the Bulls and Sharks go head to head for what should be another brutal South African derby.

But the much talked about match of round one is the Blues and Crusaders game where the two Kiwi outfits will resume their long-standing rivalry in a repeat of last year's opening spectacle.

The three-time Super Rugby champs, Blues host the seven-time winners of the championship - Crusaders, with both sides aiming to kick-off their grueling campaigns on a winning note.

There will be 18 All Blacks on the Auckland pitch - 10 for the Blues, 8 for the Crusaders with another three more on the respective team benches, including halfback Piri Weepu who misses out on a starting spot for his new team in blue.
 
The Crusaders have had the better of the Blues in recent years, having won four of the last five clashes, although the Blues prevailed in their outing at the same venue last year after coming from a 6-19 half-time deficit to stun their visitors 24-22.

On paper, the Blues boast the stronger team of the two and it’s no wonder they are the favorites - not only for this opening hit-out, but to finish the season top of the New Zealand Conference.

The Blues and Crusaders match kicks off 6.35 tonight.

At 8.40pm Brumbies will take on Western Force.

Meanwhile at 5.10 tomorrow morning, Bulls will play Sharks in Pretoria.


Story by: Dhanjay Deo