Donald in great Nick

Their names were never going to be read out yesterday morning but the day will come when both Stephen Donald and Nick Williams make an All Black squad.

Both played for the world champion New Zealand Colts side last year and both showed significant enterprise and ability in Friday's All Black trial.

Donald is a more squarely-built version of Stephen Larkham and shares that same penchant for slipping through the thickest traffic unharmed when an ugly smash seems the most likely outcome.

He appeared understandably nervous in the first 20 minutes in Napier, throwing a few shockers off his left hand. Once he settled, though, he was more than handy, with his passing, running, option-taking and kicking all pointing to a big future.

Jimmy Gopperth has been the first-five to catch the eye this season but Donald looks a more complete package.

In the brave new world of professional rugby, first-fives can no longer sign an opt-out clause on defence. Donald is ethereal on attack and anything but when he doesn't have the ball. And first-fives with presence are all the rage.

As are No 8s, which is why Williams excites. In his few fleeting Super 12 appearances this season, he ran like an angry bull and tackled with a level of aggression only normally worked up by those who do their banking over the phone.

At the trial he was hungry for work and made some telling runs. If there is a concern with the All Black forwards, it is the limited number of genuine ball carriers.

Williams can most definitely tick that box and although he didn't really show it in Napier, he does do a nice line in clever offloads.

What was probably most impressive about his performance was that even in lofty company, Williams never once looked like a man who was frustratingly short of match practice.

Places in the Junior All Blacks might come their way. Both need to have the rough edges polished out of their game and that may be the right environment.

Henry felt that Donald and Williams, as well as many other less experienced players, would have taken a huge amount not only from the game but also the week in training camp.

"We have to think about places for 2007 (World Cup)," said Henry. "Giving players opportunities here and learning what they learned with Ian Foster and Colin Cooper and the other senior players, just gives them a little bounce ready for the next level. It reinforces their enthusiasm for the game.

"We sat down with Colin and Ian on Thursday night so we are a fair way down the track with the Junior All Blacks."

Scott Hamilton can be put in the same category as Donald and Williams. Hamilton has discovered a vein of form of which even he must have doubted he was capable.

He lacks the glamour factor and looks every inch a journeyman enjoying his 15 minutes of fame. But there is a growing sense that he may in fact have enough ability to stay in the limelight for a good while yet. His finishing for the Crusaders was of the highest order and again in Napier he thundered past a few defenders after Ma'a Nonu and Ben Atiga created space.

If he could somehow acquire a fully operational time machine and travel back two years to when Sitiveni Sivivatu was ineligible and Rico Gear was a bit-part centre for the Blues, Hamilton wouldn't be a million miles away from the test squad.

The other big positive were the performances of all the locks. The All Black selectors have talked about the numerous talents on the cusp of the big time, yet it has always seemed they are trying to convince themselves more than anyone else.

Turns out they may not be bluffing. Kevin O'Neill and Tom Donnelly toiled honestly for the Possibles, Brad Mika showed up well when he came off the bench and Bryce Williams just needs some game time to push his case.

There weren't many who went backwards as a result of their performance on Friday night. Probably only Casey Laulala, who looked short of confidence having spent the last few weeks on the sidelines, and Josh Blackie will feel he could have done more to get himself into the game.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY