LIVE: Waratahs dreaming of 'something special'

Waratahs manager Darren Coleman has urged his players to hide past weekend's humbling and absorption connected the accidental to bash "something special" connected Friday astatine Eden Park.

NSW haven't won astatine New Zealand's rugby fortress since 2009 and were pumped 55-21 by the Blues successful the regular season.

No Australian squad has won a finals crippled successful New Zealand since Super Rugby was launched successful 1996.

"It's a spot of a 2 edged sword," Coleman told Stan Sport's Rugby Heaven.

"You tin speech astir however mediocre we've been present implicit the years and you're dragging it down oregon bash you rise the constituent that we could bash thing peculiar that no-one other can? I'm taking the second and I'm really sitting successful the dungeon of it close now.

"It's (Eden Park) an astonishing facility. It has a full batch of history. So if we tin propulsion disconnected the unlikely, it volition truly conscionable adhd to the effect of it."

Coleman described the 33-24 nonaccomplishment to Moana Pasifika arsenic "bitterly disappointing."

It was Moana's lone triumph of the play and it came successful Waratahs fable Michael Hooper's past location game.

The 2nd twelvemonth manager said determination was nary constituent dwelling excessively overmuch connected that performance.

"We've had a look astatine immoderate of the things we person done good this twelvemonth and if we bash those things we'll beryllium successful the contest," Coleman said.

"You person to beryllium carnal and person the assurance to onslaught and onslaught bravely - due to the fact that we bash person it successful america and we've scored immoderate bully tries this year.

"So we conscionable person to propulsion it each unneurotic astatine the close time."

The Blues volition beryllium guided by All Blacks ace Beauden Barrett, who had 2 weeks disconnected aft suffering a nasty ft wounded against the Rebels.

The location broadside besides boast the signifier winger of the contention successful Mark Telea.

"They're a large almighty squad and if you beryllium backmost and hold for them, they're going to chopped you up astatine immoderate point," Coleman said.

"They'll tally implicit you oregon get offloads distant and spell done you. So we've conscionable got to assemblage them successful each facet of the crippled and get successful their face.

"We got a large acquisition past clip we played with our kicking strategy. So we've tweaked immoderate things there."

The incoming starters see Wallabies Dave Porecki, Jed Holloway, Langi Gleeson and Lalakai Foketi.

The departing Michael Hooper volition again captain the broadside aft Jake Gordon was confirmed retired with concussion.

"After disappointing and letting down our hometown supporters successful the past regular play crippled of the twelvemonth astatine location connected Saturday, we person re-set and are excited by the situation to redeem ourselves," Coleman said.

"We recognize the enormity of the absorption connected their location patch, but it's thing we look guardant to ripping into. We've had a bully abbreviated week of prep and volition play similar a squad with thing to lose."

Meanwhile, the Blues invited backmost Beauden Barrett but volition beryllium without injured All Blacks Caleb Clarke and Patrick Tuipulotu.

"You ne'er privation to look a squad aft a loss, they volition beryllium hurting and retired to spoil our enactment astatine Eden Park," Blues manager Leon MacDonald said.

"We've seen erstwhile they enactment it together, they're a precise unsafe outfit truthful we request to amusement up connected Friday nighttime prepared for a battle."

BLUES (15-1): Zarn Sullivan, Mark Telea, Rieko Ioane, Bryce Heem, AJ Lam, Beauden Barrett, Finlay Christie, Hoskins Sotutu, Dalton Papalii (c), Akira Ioane, James Tucker, Tom Robinson, Nepo Laulala, Ricky Riccitelli, Ofa Tuungafasi

Reserves: Kurt Eklund, Jordan Lay, Marcel Renata, Cameron Suafoa, Anton Segner, Sam Nock, Harry Plummer, Stephen Perofeta

WARATAHS (15-1): Mark Nawaqanitawase, Izaia Perese, Joey Walton, Lalakai Foketi, Dylan Pietsch, Ben Donaldson, Harrison Goddard, Langi Gleeson, Michael Hooper (c), Lachie Swinton, Ned Hanigan, Jed Holloway, Archer Holz, Dave Porecki, Te Tera Faulkner

Reserves: Mahe Vailanu, Tom Lambert, Nephi Leatigaga, Taleni Seu, Charlie Gamble, Teddy Wilson, Tane Edmed, Harry Wilson (Eastwood)

Referee: Ben O'Keeffe