The Super Rugby stakes will go up a couple of notches for the Blues and Crusaders when they meet in Timaru on Saturday night in a battle between New Zealand's top two sides.

The result will go a long way to determining who will finish top of the conference.

The Blues are just three points behind Queensland in third spot on the overall Super Rugby ladder and, if results go their way, they could find themselves top of the table with one round remaining.

For blindside flanker Jerome Kaino, the game against the fourth-placed Crusaders, who are just two points from the Auckland-based franchise, is more than a round-robin fixture.

"For us, it's like a semi-final or a final. If we nail this game, then the path to the playoffs is a lot clearer for us. If not, then things are going to be pretty tough," he said.

The Blues go in as underdogs after three successive defeats that have brought then back down to earth.

"We've got a lot of confidence in this team, although we've taken a couple of knocks with those losses," Kaino said.

"We've reviewed those games and we know it's only our fault. If we made the most of our opportunities, maybe we would have won them."

Kaino cited the set piece and the kicking game as areas the Blues would have to get right against the Crusaders.

Of prime importance was matching an opposition pack that had seven All Blacks among its starters, with only injury to Richie McCaw denying them a full set of Test players.

"Even with Richie missing, they have a lot of high-calibre loose forwards and our breakdown ball is going to be crucial."

When the sides meet in Auckland in round one, the Blues overcame a 13-point deficit to score a 24-22 upset.

But Kaino said the fact that was back in mid-February and the way the Crusaders had progressed since then meant the Blues "can take things from that game, but not too much".

The Blues will also have a one aspect of history running against them.

The Crusaders have played in Timaru four times before, the first against the Chiefs in 1997, and won each time.

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