KEY POINTS:
Lachie Munro is having to learn patience.
The gifted 20-year-old got his first start for Auckland in their emphatic win over Southland in Invercargill last weekend. He scored a classy try, too, with a deft chip over the top and regather.
But tonight he's back on the bench, with first choice Isa Nacewa restored to the No. 10 jersey.
In Munro's eyes, with a Super 14 contract the big carrot this year, it's probably not ideal.
Still, smart rugby heads will have noted his talents. The versatile Nacewa is the man in possession. Like Munro, he is a good footballer, and more seasoned.
Munro had a shoulder injury early in the season and was disappointed not to get a start when he recovered his fitness.
"But it was good to play last week and hopefully this is temporary, I can play well and push my way back in," Munro said.
He made his debut last year and caught the eye with sharp running skills and a lack of inhibition in his attacking senses. He appealed as a player unafraid to have a crack at the opposing line.
Munro played in four of the international sevens circuit events for New Zealand last year - at Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai and South Africa - but he missed out on a contract this year.
But there was a silver lining.
"It was great because I managed to get a bit of size on. I'm nearly 8kg heavier than last year, which is handy round the park," he said. "I'm trying to build my body shape to where I want to be to play Super 14, if I can make it. It's a huge work in progress."
Munro, as all good first five-eighths eventually master, is learning the importance of organising and running the backline.
In his case, he's surrounded by All Blacks at training. The preferred midfield pairing are captain Sam Tuitupou and Ben Atiga, and there's no shortage of current and former internationals in the pack.
Mess things up and as a nipper in the side you expect some gyp.
"It's tough in training and games to boss guys round who've been here a lot longer than you. But you're trying to do that and they give you licence to. Still, it's pretty intimidating when the others are so experienced."
Munro was a late developer in rugby. Clearly he's got a wide array of sporting gifts.
Hockey was his first early love, and he trialled for the national under-18 side.
Then there was a baseball camp in Australia at which Major League scouts were nosing about for rising talent. Munro was a second baseman and clearly he could play. The only other New Zealander at the camp was Scott Campbell, who signed a contract with the Toronto Blue Jays 13 months ago.
Munro knows he needs to toughen up his defensive work.
"I need to make a few more front-foot tackles instead of just trying to get people down and look after myself.
"That comes from trying to look after my shoulder but you've got to try and forget that. If I get hurt, I get hurt, but you can't hide on the field, and you can't hide from your team."
Munro likes the way Auckland are progressing this season. Four games, four wins tells its own story but on top of that they're playing pretty well, averaging just over five tries a game.
"We're trying to build on our structures and our game and hopefully continue to improve for the important games later in the season.
"The backline is going well. We do a lot of work on our moves and it's good we're scoring tries off set pieces, which we didn't get a lot of last year. We scored a lot more of them in 2005 than last year and it's really showing off the work we're doing at training."
Will Munro nail a Super 14 contract next year? Maybe.
Much will depend on what he does in the next couple of months.
With Nick Evans and Nacewa in the Blues franchise, his chances of getting a nod from coach David Nucifora are remote.
But there's at least one other franchise, yes, that one way down there, which would surely benefit from a young No. 10 with speed and skill bursting for an opportunity.
"I thought I might have had an outside chance of getting drafted somewhere. I almost feel I'm where I was last year. It didn't come about but hopefully I might get lucky."
