KEY POINTS:
As the new kid on the block, Super 14 rugby rookie Willie Ripia certainly shows every sign of knowing his way around.
The Hurricanes first five-eighths has settled seamlessly since earning promotion to the starting 15 last month.
Ripia, 22, really turned heads last weekend when his deft kicking touches led to two tries as his team beat the Lions 38-12 to maintain their push towards the playoffs.
His assured performance underlined why he has supplanted the established Jimmy Gopperth as coach Colin Cooper's preferred No 10, and Ripia now earns his third successive start in the hot seat for the 13th round match against Western Force in Wellington tomorrow night.
Much rides on the result, with victory all but assuring the third-placed Hurricanes of a playoffs berth and leaving next week's game against the Blues to determine their home semifinals hopes.
The game also represents a step up again for Ripia as he confronts Force first-five Matt Giteau, a universally admired player and one billed across the Tasman as among the world's premier No 10s.
Ripia is busy enough concentrating on his own game to know he cannot afford to be distracted, but he appreciates that duelling with Giteau means he needs to raise the bar further.
"He's simply world-class, he beats everyone. I'm excited and looking forward to that challenge," said Ripia, who has bulked up from 79kg to 91kg in the past year to meet the physical demands of the professional game.
He will definitely need to be on top of his game against Giteau, a quality runner and the go-to individual for the ninth-placed Force.
Ripia said he continually worked on the defensive side of his game, which he described as a work in progress. "A lot of teams base their attack around No 10 so I have to work on it all the time."
Coach Colin Cooper said: "We could have used him earlier, but we wanted to make sure he was ready.
"This is a tough competition and he came from playing part-time in the NPC. But he's grabbed his opportunity and keeps forcing us to pick him. He's certainly showed he has the ball skills and that he can see space."
Cooper said Ripia could expect to be thoroughly tested tomorrow after introducing himself to a wider Super 14 audience against South African outfits the Cheetahs and Lions.
"This game will be quite tough for him ... there might be space against a South African side [but] that won't be there against an Aussie team. The Aussies also use the ball more so our defensive systems will be tested more.
"I'm just hoping that Giteau does a lot of tackling rather than a lot of running."
Cooper has made three changes to his starting 15, with All Blacks prop Neemia Tialata taking over from John Schwalger, winger Hosea Gear being preferred to Shannon Paku, and Conrad Smith returning to centre in place of Tane Tu'ipulotu.
Flanker Jerry Collins continues to recover from a rib injury.
The changes reflected the competition for places within his squad.
"That sort of competition makes people do their role better."
- NZPA
