Lee Stensness: Wing men have to come to the party

The Blues' slow start in the Super 14 has produced common complaints from pundits and the public looking for reasons and scapegoats.

These often focus on the paucity of ball that they are providing to their superstar wingers, or alternatively that those wingers are not looking for enough work and are just hanging on their respective wings, waiting for the ball to come to them.

Both arguments can't be right - or can they?

It is fair to highlight that Doug Howlett and Joe Rokocoko have not been involved enough in, nor had the impact on, games that all concerned - players, coaches and fans - would like.

But I would defend those players from shouldering the blame - primarily because, of all the positions on the rugby field, wing is most reliant on the efforts of others to provide opportunity.

Sure, the Blues could get it out to the wing every time they had the ball but it's a bit like, well, having a great pair of legs - you still don't wear shorts in the snow. It is just not practical or beneficial to do so. The quality of the ball and/or the position on the field need to be appropriate or more bad than good will come from it.

However, often teams can get too particular about providing the 'right' type of ball to wingers - they try to provide overlaps and space to maximise the talent available. But the downside of that is that they don't supply the ball when circumstances are not 'ideal'.

This type of conservatism is sensible when your wingers are normal players. With players of the calibre of Howlett and Rokocoko the 'ideal' is preferred but it is not essential. They can make things happen in a man-on-man situation when others cannot.

Now that I have said that it is the nature of playing on the wing that you rely on others for opportunities, these two players should still be demanding opportunities and ball.

They may well be doing so on the field - and if so, forgive me, but it is hard to tell from a distance. Howlett and Rokocoko are senior members of the Blues, both in terms of experience and ability, and they have the mana and tactical expertise to insist on receiving the ball how and when they want it.

In the 'good old days', inside backs called the shots and wingers said: "What was the call again?" Then: "What's that one?", then: "OK" and mainly they got what they were given.

However, the game has changed and just as props are now expected to be able to pass, wings need to contribute more tactically on the field - especially if they are as experienced and intelligent as the Blues pair.

-HERALD ON SUNDAY