All Blacks: Slade sure suspect leg will hold out

Colin Slade (left) will play in tonight's test against Fiji. Photo / Getty images

Colin Slade does not want any more surgery.

He could have more to help an adductor muscle problem but has decided to battle on.

Now he's got to load it a shade more with goalkicking on his duty list for tonight's test against Fiji. He has upped his practice and reckons his leg will stand up to the regime.

"I've played with it for 18 months, it is a matter of reconditioning it and managing it for kicking again," he said.

"It has not held me back too much. It takes a while to warm up and I have not done a lot of kicking in the last three months because of my jaw issues.

"When I do too much it lets me know."

Slade did not have any ideas about hawking the job around once he was picked to start ahead of Daniel Carter.

He tried to sidestep his thoughts on why he was chosen as backup for the maestro, suggesting we ask the selectors.

"Obviously they gave me a few reasons but it is around my ability to play in the backfield," he said.

"I suppose I have not played a lot of rugby this year but they have shown a lot of faith in me and I hope to repay them and play well and train well.

"I've had the added benefit of playing at fullback and wing in the last few years and the way the game is going, a 10 has to drop back a bit and look and direct things and I am comfortable doing that."

Unlike Quade Cooper, though, he would not opt out of the first line of defence.

The switches were nothing new, he'd played that way for some time.

He should also have been very familiar with Carisbrook this year but one match and lots of training were his lot because of injury.

His combination with halfback Jimmy Cowan would help him settle and he had a huge amount of experience around him. Ma'a Nonu was a go to man, Conrad Smith was further out for advice so he would have stacks of help.

"It did not take me too long to get back into it. I have been building on the little form I have and getting on with it.

"We are building a base now and getting on with it."