All Blacks: Italy last chance to shine for fringe players

All Blacks loosie Liam Messam could struggle to keep his place in the squad for the Tri-nations. Photo / Brett Phibbs

The improvement curve shown against France must continue against Italy for a clutch of All Blacks rugby players battling to retain their place for the Tri-Nations.

Lock Ali Williams and halfback Brendon Leonard are likely to be fit for Saturday's Italian test in Christchurch, ratcheting the heat up further on some.

The performance review of several players following the 1-1 series draw with France won't make for pretty reading while others must contend with big names coming back in their position.

A prime example is at loose forward, where veterans Richie McCaw and Rodney So'oialo seem certain to return for the opening Tri-Nations test against Australia in Auckland on July 19.

The injured Adam Thomson will probably make way, with Liam Messam also in the hot seat. Both were missing from an improved New Zealand showing in Saturday's 14-10 defeat of France in Wellington.

All the loose forwards would appreciate another chance to shine against lowly-rated Italy, including Kieran Read, who made a smooth transition to No 8 on Saturday, alongside introduced flankers Jerome Kaino and Tanerau Latimer.

Read had accepted McCaw, So'oialo and possibly others would squeeze out some of the current squad, creating a competitive feel in the process.

"I don't think we can keep them out but you've just got to do the best you can from the opportunities you get," Read said.

"I'm looking forward to stamping my mark in my own way as an All Black."

Read has been whispered as a possible captain of the future and the mature 23-year-old admitted he had made a concerted effort to get up to speed as quickly as possible.

"For me personally, I've led at Super 14 level and for Canterbury as well so I've got to really step up. You can't be young guys when you're wearing an All Blacks jersey. You're there for a reason."

Read's allround skills made him the ideal buffer on Saturday for power flanker Kaino and the tackling/scavenging role of openside Latimer in his first test start.

Their technique and aggression was superior to that of Read, Messam and Thomson in the first test loss at Dunedin, aided considerably by a more cohesive tight five performance.

Read still reckoned Italy would have taken heart from how the French pack squashed the New Zealanders at Carisbrook.

"They really base their game on forward dominance," he said.

"They're probably going to base their game on exactly what the French did in that first test, which is try to take it to us up front."

All concerned will hope there is no repeat of the big freeze that marred Saturday's test and prompted New Zealand coach Graham Henry to label it a "lottery".

The roll of the dice very nearly went France's way courtesy of their mercurial back division.

Cedric Heyman's solo try will rank among his country's finest and he helped spark some other dangerous attacks, including a chip that was spilled over the tryline by fellow-winger Vincent Clerc in the tackle of standout All Blacks lock Brad Thorn.

First five-eighth Stephen Donald said the French propensity to link and pass from deep cast the mind back to the match-winning try at Eden Park in 1994 when France sealed an historic 2-0 series win.

"The '94 game was on TV today and there were probably a few dark memories from that going down in the boys' heads," Donald said.

"I probably wonder about the last pass that led to that (Heymans) run but it was a great try."

Donald's future status is in the spotlight courtesy of another mixed performance and a strained hamstring.

Accepting he hadn't controlled the game as he wanted, Donald was pleased with how the All Blacks team had addressed their Dunedin issues.

"I thought the attitude was 10 times better," he said.

"I don't know what was going on last week. We struggled with our rhythm, we struggled to get that first ruck sorted.

"I guess we got caught on the hop a bit and we spent a pretty big week working on that."

New Zealand and France will meet next on November 28 in Marseille, where the French have won the only previous encounter, 42-33 in 2000.

- NZPA