Rugby: Blues under scrutiny from the top

Isaia Toeava has been one of the more consistent performers for the Blues. Photo / Greg Bowker

For much of this week the All Black coaches have been prowling around the Blues compound, sussing out the players and talking to the coaching staff.

There is nothing ominous about their visit, nothing out of the ordinary. It is part of the roster they agreed with each franchise to visit twice during the season for discussions with the staff and chats with players they consider to be in a wider World Cup group.

So how would their notes on the Blues read? Who has picked up some approval comments and who has a few question marks or crosses next to their name?

The Super 15 is only a third completed, giving players oodles of time to shift up and down on those ratings, plenty of time to shift closer to the All Black frame or slide out of the reckoning. Let's don our All Black capes and see how some of the candidates measure up.

A group of seven might have received approval ratings as those who have advanced their cause. Six have been All Blacks - Isaia Toeava, Rene Ranger, Alby Mathewson, Jerome Kaino, Anthony Boric and Keven Mealamu.

They have been consistent performers, men who make a difference, players who remain effective contributors even when the Blues have their production dips.

Toeava and Ranger have brought regular incisions, they can lose their way sometimes on defence but they bring invaluable attacking clout to the Blues. Mathewson's distribution has been consistent while his scuttling speed has proved a real weapon as defences tire late in games.

Add the uncapped name of Jared Payne to that list, the Northland captain who has brought such accurate authority to his work at centre. It is hard to recall a mistake from him this season, he is bringing a Conrad Smith flavour to the Blues, the consistency which has been missing from too many of their previous campaigns.

Payne is competing in the most talent-laden section of All Black contenders with Richard Kahui, Tana Umaga, Robbie Fruean, Sonny Bill Williams and Conrad Smith all offering regular pick-me performances. But he is saying he is an option.

Up front there will be commendations for Kaino, Boric and Mealamu. The captain and his chief lieutenant Kaino have blasted into their work this season while Boric has been steady as other locks - and almost himself last week - have fallen to injury.

Those in a middle group would be Benson Stanley, Luke McAlister, Stephen Brett, Tony Woodcock and John Afoa. They have all produced strong moments and others of lesser note which suggest they are either working towards more consistency or have plenty of wriggle room left in their games.

The McAlister-Brett axis is the intriguing scenario with Brett appearing more sound this season and reclaiming his first receiver role while McAlister will be favoured by the national selectors because of his history with them - but in what role?

Both Woodcock and Afoa have started this year with more impact than last and in concert with Mealamu need to head the tight five impact into tomorrow's match with the Chiefs and into the second half of the series.

Those who have been in reverse?

Left wing Joe Rokocoko admits he is struggling to find his mojo again. It seems to be increasingly difficult for Rokocoko to get his mitts on the ball and goad defences. His timing is off, his sense of space a shade adrift but we have seen the man regain his strikepower before. Whether we see it again this year will be burning up the selectors and the senior wing.

Injury has brought uncertainty for Williams and Braid. Williams made his way back after several seasons lost to Achilles tendon injury but is now in the middle of a month-long sojourn to heal a hamstring. He started four games for the Blues but was only getting back into rugby mode when he was dinged again.

Braid has struggled with neck problems and when he played, he has not been as prominent as others such as Matt Todd, Scott Waldron or Adam Thomson.