There will be more than Super Rugby Pacific spoils on the line when the Blues take on Moana Pasifika at Eden Park on Saturday.
The Auckland showdown will pit flatmates against each other, with Blues captain Dalton Papali'i already ramping up the mind games.
Papali'i shares a household with Moana Pasifika players Ezekiel Lindenmuth and Sam Slade, and are teammates at Counties Manukau.
He gave insight into the flat dynamics during game week, and the lengths he's going to throw them off their game come Saturday.
"I haven't talked to them," he joked. "They walk in the door, and I walk out the door, so I don't want to talk to them right now.
"When it comes game time maybe a couple of cheap shots in the ruck maybe. But yeah, all jokes aside it's going to be a good one."
"Fifty bucks up on the rent for them. I'll try to play a few mind games off-field to try to affect them on-field."
While a mismatch on paper, with the Blues expected to pile more misery on Moana Pasifika, the winless outfit are always a threat in possession.
At the forefront of that are backs Levi Aumua and Timoci Tavatavanawai, who rank as some of the competition's most devastating runners.
Papali'i expects a tough challenge from the pair, but their task will be made easier with the return of All Blacks midfielder Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
"Those are key players for them, they have a few highlight reels around and can score tries from everywhere but one good thing about our coaches and our players is that we leave no stone unturned.
"We try really learn the opposition we're playing so I think we pretty good in a good spot at the moment."
"He's [Tuivasa-Sheck] a freak, he's finally come back from an injury. Just having his presence on the field and his aura.
"He's been in the team for a while, but sometimes you look at the backline and you see him, you just get a special feeling, knowing that calibre of the player is in your team and the person he is on the field, so pretty excited to see how it goes."
