Rugby: Hickey learning as he goes

Simon Hickey. Photo / Getty Images

Simon Hickey is raw, likely to make a few critical mistakes and run down some dead alleys. But the 20-year-old first-five is, for the remainder of this Super Rugby campaign, unquestionably their best option.

If the Blues are to be a chance, they must give Hickey a chance: a prolonged run in the No 10 jersey.

His performance against the Waratahs was steady rather than spectacular. It was six out of 10 and didn't necessarily, seen in isolation, scream out that here was the future of the franchise.

But in the context of his previous start against the Brumbies, it provided all the evidence required to suggest Hickey can grow in confidence and stature if he's backed.

He's only 20 and not a full member of the Blues squad. Inevitably he'll make mistakes and his skills will come up short at times. What matters is that each time he plays, he shows some quantifiable evidence that he's processed his previous performance and is not repeating mistakes.

That was the strength of his performance on Friday - he kicked out of hand better, chose his times to do it and had a good handle on his decision-making.

"I had my moments," said Hickey. "There was some good stuff, and some stuff that I would change. In the second half we took control a little bit and toughed out a win.

"It is tough [playing Super Rugby] but as you play more games you become more comfortable with it and I think it is just about learning from your errors. In Canberra, I certainly had a lot of learning. I was trying to take those [lessons] and make amends I guess. The next time you get to play you have to show you have learned. We talk a lot about things that have happened and what I have to work on."

The other quality Hickey has to offer is a level head. This last week he has been restored to the Blues No10 jersey and named as captain of the New Zealand under-20s. Yet there was no euphoric sense of him being blown away by it all. He says he's not a long-term thinker but a week-to-week man and his goals extend no further than delivering a better performance than his last.