It’s only week one in Super Rugby but the Blues say their first game is one of the biggest of the season.

The Blues are trying to shake off their underachiever tag and they start their season on Saturday against the Chiefs, Super Rugby winners in two of the past three years.

With the team then heading to South Africa for games against the Stormers, Cheetahs and Lions, coach Sir John Kirwan says they will potentially be facing difficulties if they don’t handle that schedule well.

“We need to get off to a good start. We need to have a good first period, so for us I believe it’s one of the biggest games of the season,” Kirwan said of the Chiefs clash.

“They’re touted to be champions and they’ve had the measure of us for the last couple of years so we know it’s going to be a huge game for us, and always is.”

The Blues hadn’t confirmed their team by early Thursday afternoon because of doubt whether skipper Jerome Kaino would recover in time from an illness, but Kirwan did confirm that Hawke’s Bay pivot Ihaia West, who joined the Blues only midway through 2014, would get the number 10 jersey.

“Ihaia’s just continued to grow and we’re really happy with him,” Kirwan said.

“We need him to step up and take control of the rugby team, which he did last year, and which he did at the Bay, and we’re just expecting him to continue to grow.”

Kirwan also indicated former All Black Jimmy Cowan is likely to start at halfback.

Apart from Kaino, outside back George Moala is also in doubt after suffering a minor knock in last week’s warm-up match against the Hurricanes.

Pita Ahki, Blake Gibson and Dan Bowden are all definitely not playing due to injury, while forwards Patrick Tuipulotu and Keven Mealamu are being held back after their workload with the All Blacks last year.