Rugby: Kirwan needs Luatua at best in all roles as the Blues begin season

Jimmy Cowan calls the shots over the scrum during Blues training. Picture / Getty Images

Blues coach John Kirwan has already made mention of his satisfaction at Steven Luatua's leadership at this early stage of the season, but now he will be hoping his big loose forward delivers in every other area - beginning in game one against the Chiefs on Saturday.

Luatua captained the team to their pre-season victory over the Hurricanes at North Harbour and a week before in their heavy loss to the Chiefs in Whangarei, but the stage is now set for him to kick on and show Kirwan the sort of form that saw him selected for the All Blacks in 2013, a breakout year in which he played 11 tests.

Last year was a disappointing one for the 1.96m Luatua - he was dropped from the national team, playing three tests and starting only one - and struggled to make much of an impact for Kirwan.

The World Cup, beginning in September, will be an obvious aim, but a more immediate one should be how he can ease the pressure on new skipper Jerome Kaino.

Kaino went home from training with the flu yesterday and won't be back on deck until tomorrow. He is expected to take his place in the starting line-up against the Chiefs at North Harbour's QBE Stadium for when the phoney war of pre-season gives way to proper hostilities, but he will be eased into the first three rounds of the season - the All Blacks coaches sending down a directive that none of their top players can play more than 60 minutes in any of the first three matches.

The careful management doesn't end there, either. Kaino must be rested for two matches (not including the two byes) during the season, and it's here in particular that the 23-year-old Luatua must take a leading role.

Kirwan said of the rest plan: "I don't think that's a bad thing. Last year what we did which worked quite well was tell them [top All Blacks] to go away and come back on Thursday and still be available [for game in weekend], but this year the All Blacks want them to have the full week off."

Kirwan told the NZ Herald recently that he could have looked after Kaino better last year. After his return from Japan, Kaino missed the Blues' early trip to South Africa, but then played in the remaining 12 matches, with Kirwan saying his big No 6 could have done with a break.

It is a balancing act made slightly more problematic already this season by Blake Gibson's broken jaw and Luke Braid's recovery from shoulder surgery. However, Kirwan, who has at least three fit and in-form halfbacks to choose from in Jimmy Cowan, Bryn Hall and Jamison Gibson-Park, has been encouraged by the early form of 19-year-old loose forward Akira Ioane.

Luatua said his difficult times last year - he was castigated by Steve Hansen for poor fitness leading to a poor workrate - were eased slightly by talking to experienced players within the Blues.

"For me, just talking to some of the senior guys who have been through that before ... that's what gives me encouragement as well, knowing that some great All Blacks have done their time in and out of the team. Hopefully it's my time."