Lambie meets nemesis

Living in the shadows of Morné Steyn and Dan Carter cannot be easy, but that is what Pat Lambie and Aaron Cruden have to do.

Their paths from precocious junior internationals to lead Super rugby pivots have been markedly similar, and Saturday's meeting will be a clash of contrasting but also similar styles.

Both are calm and measured generals who are approaching their best form for their respective Super rugby sides, which bodes well for Heyneke Meyer and Steve Hansen.

The last time they faced off in Super rugby was in 2013, when, on their way to their second title, the Chiefs saw the Sharks as nothing more than a speed-hump during a 37-29 win in Hamilton.

Provided that Lambie recovers from a groin problem for which he sat out Tuesday's training session, the duo could serve up a duel that could make the hottest of Durban's curries seem mild.

The Sharks will be looking to find a semblance of consistency after their bonus-point win against the Cheetahs last week - and Lambie has been at the heart of any good they have achieved in their stop-start campaign.

With a low-intensity war being waged for the Bok No10 jersey, Lambie has made sure his team's unreliable performances have not rubbed off on his personal game management.

It seems to have gone up a level, especially from a line-kicking and tactical-kicking perspective. Despite his running and passing excellence, those important ingredients had been viewed as a chink in his armour.

The accuracy of that kicking will be put to the test against one of Super rugby's most dangerous counter-attacking units.

The Chiefs' 28-19 win against the Stormers was a lesson in how to convert stray kicking into try-scoring opportunities despitelittle front-foot ball.

The Chiefs scrum was savagely mauled by the Stormers, and with the Sharks also having a monstrous scrum, that could also be the case at Kings Park.

Somehow Cruden found a way to cope with that imperfection on Saturday, but he faced a less deadly pivot in Kurt Coleman.

Chiefs coach Dave Rennie correctly pointed out that a dominant scrum does not always result in points on the board, and the past two Chiefs results have been testament to that.

Cruden's calmness under pressure has been exhibited many times in an All Black jersey, and, as a Super rugby winner, he carries some serious street smarts.

How Cruden functions under the customary Sharks strangulation will go a long way to determine the quality of the ball.

But then, this is a Chiefs team with three wins in South Africa from five matches in the past three years. Cruden had a hand in those, including the 18-12 win at Kings Park three years ago, when he got the better of Lambie.