KEY POINTS:
There are few players with more at stake in Saturday's Super 14 rugby semifinal in Christchurch than Hurricanes lock Jason Eaton.
The athletic Eaton and lively youngster Jeremy Thrush will dispute possession with Crusaders Ali Williams and Brad Thorn, the southern locking duo who are favoured by many to be reunited when the All Blacks squad is named in just over a week.
Williams is comfortably New Zealand's premier lock now that Chris Jack has departed for England, Keith Robinson has retired and the injured James Ryan is questioning his future in the sport.
All Blacks coach Graham Henry recently identified lock and second five-eighth as the positions throwing up the least options as he finalises his test squad.
Brisbane and Kangaroos rugby league veteran Thorn is revelling in his second stint in rugby and despite his 33 years and comparative lack of height, may have impressed enough with his power-packed game to force the selectors' hand.
About the only time 10-test All Black Eaton has grabbed the headlines this year was when he had his flowing locks and Grizzly Adams-like beard shaved for charity in February.
It marked his return to rugby after nine months recovering from a serious knee injury that ruined his World Cup dream last year.
Since then Eaton hasn't earned the plaudits that accompanied his first two years of Super 14 rugby and All Blacks tenure in 2005 and 2006.
Eaton has read and heard the odd snipe from media commentators and former All Blacks about his form and accepts they have a point - to a degree.
"I think people are just expecting a bit more from me at this stage and I'm probably just not delivering on the expectations," Eaton said.
"I've been a bit of a mixed bag. I haven't been playing outstandingly, a lot of people have mentioned I'm not playing that flash a football.
"It's going alright, I'm not too worried about it.
"Obviously Coops is quite happy, he hasn't dropped me yet."
Coops is Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper, who has started the 25-year-old in all 13 games while splitting time between Thrush and Craig Clarke.
While Eaton hasn't shone in the open field with his trademark bursts, raw statistics place him among the hardest-working locks in the competition.
He is fourth for tackles made with 78, placing him only behind New South Wales Waratah Daniel Vickerman's 105, Blues captain Troy Flavell's 88 and 81 from Queensland Reds skipper James Horwill.
In the category of defenders beaten - not a lock's main asset but a facet of growing importance as the game speeds up - Eaton is level on top of the locking pile with Horwill and Mark Chisholm of the ACT Brumbies.
In terms of lineouts won, Eaton is well down the field, but that can be attributed to the Hurricanes' heavy reliance on loose forward Rodney So'oialo for lineout ball.
Eaton hopes he has done enough to earn an international recall but accepts Saturday's opponents have mounted a strong case.
"They've been going well, they're the form locking combination in New Zealand at the moment," he said.
"But any game for a New Zealand player is a chance for us to put our hands up for selection for the All Blacks.
"It's as a team that we don't want to have a messy day at the office. No doubt they've put a lot of work into our lineout and scrums. It will be a good test."
Eaton believed the Hurricanes tight five had developed considerably this year, with their solid set piece work during last week's 17-19 loss to the Blues the best indicator yet.
"The Blues have been easily the best scrum in the competition and I think we had the better of them at scrum time. It was pleasing that," he said.
"If we can disrupt the Crusaders' set piece, we can stop them getting started.
"Then it's a matter of just not letting them get on the front foot. At defence and at ruck time we've got to catch them behind the advantage line."
Both teams are to be named today, with the Hurricanes sweating on the fitness of captain and No 8 So'oialo, while halfback Piri Weepu was confident of shaking off a hamstring strain.
The only real injury doubt at the Crusaders surrounds a knee knock to No 8 Mose Tuiali'i but coach Robbie Deans is likely to make 2-3 changes from the side who were embarrassed 14-26 by the Highlanders at Christchurch on Saturday.
- NZPA
