Rugby: Coach adamant Kaino will be Blues blindside

Jerome Kaino. Photo / Getty Images

Jerome Kaino has developed into a world-class blindside flanker and Blues coach Pat Lam has no intention of using him at No 8 in next year's Super 15.

Kaino has played both positions for the Blues, including last season, but he's likely to be a fixture on the side of the scrum next season.

The 27-year-old is playing with more consistency and mongrel than he did earlier in his career and has matured into an automatic choice for the All Blacks.

"He's proven he's one of the world's best No 6s and that's one of the reasons why we stacked the No 8 position," Lam says. "I don't really want to move Jerome there."

It means No 8 will be one of the most hotly contested spots when the Blues gather for pre-season training on December 13.

Lam had originally envisaged a loose trio of Kaino, openside Daniel Braid and Brad Mika at No 8 - the same three who made up the Auckland loosies when Lam coached them to the 2007 Air New Zealand Cup title as well as the Ranfurly Shield - but a serious knee injury to Mika has meant he will be out of action until the middle of the competition.

It forced Lam to reconsider the balance of his 32-man squad and, together with uncertainty over Ali Williams' recovery from his long-term Achilles tendon injury and the fact loose forward is an area of high attrition, was a reason why the Blues opted for 19 forwards and 13 backs.

Lam now has plenty of options to play at No 8, with Peter Saili, Chris Lowrey, Matthew Luamanu and even Luke Braid all in the frame.

"It's all on for those guys to compete now," Lam says. "Experience is crucial at this level and with Brad not available until at least half way through the competition, there's a real opportunity there for those younger guys.

"That's what the next two months are all about, who puts the work in. It's whoever can nail. It should be an exciting time for all of those guys."

Luamanu arguably possesses the most potential of them all but the North Harbour youngster is still raw and needs to work on his conditioning. He is clearly a devastating runner with the ball in hand but there's a lot more to the role than that.

"Without a doubt he can do things when he carries the ball," Lam says. "He was probably one of the strongest carriers of the ball in the ITM Cup. But at that next level, it's what you do without the ball.

"He's only young and he now has a chance in a professional environment to get up to scratch with his workrate and fitness. He has great potential but the challenge for him and us is to take it to another level."

Just as Kaino has done.