Inga Tuigamala : Worth taking a risk on All Blacks wings

Opinion

Two positions will be of special interest to me when the All Blacks take on Italy in Christchurch tomorrow.

The first is on the wing, where Lelia Masaga gets a chance, taking over from Cory Jane.

And the other is at centre, where the time has arrived for Isaia Toeava to stand up and show he is a bona fide test player.

Firstly, the wings. It goes without saying almost that Joe Rokocoko needs to come up with a big performance. Joe has the goods as a star test wing, as we all know.

But he needs to go looking for the work, to get enthused, to find the old magic.

On the other side, Masaga gets his chance and the good news is that the Chiefs flyer at least has the potential to live up to All Black test quality.

I think it was a mistake to play Jane against France. He is in the same mould as Leon McDonald, a fullback who can do the basics really well.

But you want something more than that on the wing.

The All Black traditions are of great wings, men like John Kirwan and Jonah Lomu.

They could break defences apart, turn games on their ear, and get the crowds sitting on the edge of their seats.

Jane - and maybe a couple of others who have been under All Black consideration - doesn't have that extreme potential.

What the All Blacks need are players of Sitiveni Sivivatu's and Rupeni Caucaunibuca's calibre - the thrilling excitement machines.

It is a big step up for Masaga, but that's what getting your chance at test level is all about.

We can even afford the odd risk in pursuing superstar wings. We have enough quality in terms of our backline defence and covering loose forwards to give these sorts of players a chance. Another name I would throw in there is David Smith, a brilliant stepper who can leave defenders grasping.

As for Toeava, he has been given so many chances to stamp his mark and the time has come for him to do so.

The selectors have been criticised for moving him around too much but at some point, you've got to play so well that you take the decisions out of other people's hands. Italy would seem as good a place as any to do that.

I think we are starting to see that sort of attitude from Ma'a Nonu, who is consistently producing the goods at second five-eighths.

People say that the selectors haven't found the right position for Toeava, but it is up to him to produce the performances to show where he is best suited.

The second test against France was an improvement and it brought a much-needed victory. But there will still be a few players looking over their shoulders at this point, knowing they are on thin ice and wondering if they will be in the Tri Nations squad.

What the public, and the selectors, will be hoping to see is a team of players jumping out of their skins, willing to put it all on the line for the national side.

As Buck Shelford said, you had to be prepared to piss blood at times.

You want players with Brad Thorn's mentality, no-nonsense types who will walk through brick walls for the cause. They'll need it in the Tri Nations, especially after watching what the Springbok forwards did to the Lions.

Italy's strength will be in the forwards but I wouldn't expect too much from their backs. They tested Australia for about 60 minutes but were no match for them after that.