All Blacks: Perfect 10 proving elusive

Inspirational captain Richie McCaw returns after injury. Photo / Getty Images

The search for the perfect 10 has stalled, for the time being, on Luke McAlister, although Graham Henry gave a nod to the future when he hinted Aaron Cruden could be considered for the end-of-year tour.

The All Blacks yesterday named their 30-man squad for the Tri Nations, featuring the return of inspirational captain Richie McCaw. But much of the focus remained on the identity of the holder of the problematic No 10 jersey for the Bledisloe Cup clash in two weeks' time.

With Stephen Donald injured, that role will fall to McAlister, who struggled mightily in that position during the test against Italy last weekend.

"He [Donald] has torn the tendon of one of the smaller hamstring muscles," Henry said. "He's unlikely to be right. He's going to be very doubtful for the Australia test but hopefully he'll be right for Bloemfontein [on July 26]."

The All Blacks have struggled to find a suitable replacement for the incomparable Dan Carter and Henry conceded the issues at No 10 had occupied a lot of the selectors' thinking.

"I think Steve played pretty well against the French. I know the media thought he was pretty poor in the second test but you need a bit of time at international level to get your feet underneath the table and feel comfortable. It's a huge step."

For all the panel's apparent confidence in Donald, Henry acknowledged there are wider problems at No 10 in New Zealand rugby. He admitted being disappointed that nobody had put their hands up at Super 14 level and made a case to be picked ahead of McAlister.

For the past two years McAlister has played at No 12 or 13 for Sale in England.

"Yeah, probably. I thought Steve Brett made some strides for the Junior All Blacks, I thought he played better for the Juniors than he did for the Crusaders," said Henry.

"Playing five-eighths today is a lot more difficult than it was when Wayne Smith played , or Grant Fox played because you've got to run the ship in phase-play situations. It's not so demanding from the set-piece situations but from the phase-play situations, when you're trying to get people organised, it's a hell of a difficult ask - much more difficult today than it has been in the past because of the picket-like defence. Unless they get good support from the guys around them, who should also be talking, it makes it an almost impossible job."

Henry even went as far as to say that if you looked around the rugby world now there were very few first-fives who you look at and say they were "class", excepting Lions playmaker and "cool customer and bright boy" Stephen Jones.

"You're expecting guys to come in an be almost god-like in that position with no experience - it's bloody difficult."

Which is why, Henry said, McAlister found the transition back to five-eighth difficult, even against the relatively modest opposition from Italy.

"He's finding the transition back to five-eighth from the midfield, where he becomes the navigator again, bloody hard," Henry said. "It's just going to take some time but the trouble is we haven't got a lot of time."

Time is something Aaron Cruden, cancer survivor and captain of the world champion under-20 side, has plenty of, but Henry is hopeful it won't be long before he starts putting his name in lights on the biggest stage.

"We're every hopeful that he has a big Air New Zealand Cup and he becomes a big consideration," Henry said. "He was fabulous, I thought, in that under-20s. He's world player of the year, he ran the ship well and he's obviously got a lot of character.

"It's thought-provoking, isn't it, to throw him into a Tri Nations test is a pretty long bow ... but Smithy [Wayne Smith] and I were discussing it on Friday and he's the sort of guy, if he has a great Air New Zealand Cup, could be in consideration in the near future."

For the time being, however, the immediate future lies with Luke.

The squad
John Afoa, Jimmy Cowan, Wyatt Crockett, Aled de Malmanche, Stephen Donald, Jason Eaton, Bryn Evans, Owen Franks, Hosea Gear, Andrew Hore, Cory Jane, Jerome Kaino, Tanerau Latimer, Brendon Leonard, Luke McAlister, Richie McCaw (c), Keven Mealamu, Mils Muliaina, Ma'a Nonu, Kieran Read, Josevata Rokocoko, Isaac Ross, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Conrad Smith, Rodney So'oialo, Brad Thorn, Isaia Toeava, Neemia Tialata, Piri Weepu, Tony Woodcock.