Rugby: Unarrested development

New Zealand's Save Tokula skips clear of Niue's Afe Leona during the NZI Sevens Tournament in Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The ITM Cup is considered a development competition that provides a place for young talent to shine. These are the five players to keep an eye on this season.

ONE - LIAKI MOLI
(Auckland)
By all accounts it might be quite hard to miss Moli. He'll be the bloke in Auckland's second row smashing everything in sight.

A member of the successful New Zealand under-20 side, Moli is a ball carrying, big tackling lock in the Brad Thorn mould. The core of his game is his power, although age-grade coach Dave Rennie says Moli offers a competent set of core
skills as well.

"He's a big powerful boy," says Rennie of Moli. "He's not massive but he's very physical, gets his hands on the ball and he's very good at the cleanout. He's also very good aerially and I think he has a big future."

With Kurtis Haiu and Andrew van der Heijden the two senior locks in the side,
Moli stands a good chance of winning ample game time - initially from the bench probably - but he'll have his eye on more.


TWO - TAWERA KERR-BARLOW
(Waikato)
An exceptionally talented halfback with a game that is perfect for the current laws. Kerr-Barlow is a runner, an instinctive breaker who has explosive pace and a neat range of soft skills that were witnessed last year when he flew down the wing in Hamilton against Auckland and flipped a memorable pass behind his back.

His confidence is sky high after being part of the successful under-20 side and while he may be starting the season behind Brendon Leonard, there is no guarantee he'll end it there.

THREE - JULIAN SAVEA
(Wellington)
The World Junior Player of the Year is the latest in a long line of super talented backs to come out of the capital. Winger Savea is 100kg, lightning quick and equipped with finishing instincts of the highest order.

He has two main hurdles to overcome - the first is winning a starting place in a squad that includes Hosea Gear, Buxton Popoalii and Alapati Leiua.

He's also a contender to make the New Zealand Sevens Commonwealth Games squad that will take him out of provincial action for most of the latter half of the competition. Still, he's the sort of player who won't need much game time to make his mark.

FOUR - SAVE TOKULA
(Waikato)
Centre/winger Tokula is not a newcomer to this level but he's a player ready to become a household name. The 25-year-old made his Chiefs debut earlier this year, scoring a superb try against the Blues at Eden Park. It was a score that demonstrated his pace, power and vision.

Tokula is a big man, runs fast and as is elusive when he has to be, direct when he thinks that would work best. Struggled in his first two years with his hands and positional play, but seems to have improved out of sight on that front and could be a damaging force for the Mooloo either on the wing or at centre.

FIVE - RONALD RAAYMAKERS
(Counties)
A bruising blindside who can also cover lock, hopes are high in South Auckland that Raaymakers can add some steel and an abrasive edge to a pack that has not always been enable to impose itself.

Counties coach Milton Haig says he will use Raaymakers in both the back and second rows as suits the team. "He's a typical bruising farm boy is Raymond in that he does an awful lot of the hard, dirty work that other players don't want to," says Haig.

"He's made big strides in the last 12 months - acknowledged by his selection in the New Zealand Under 20s - and we have big raps on him."

At 1.95m and 110kg, Raaymakers is mobile with the engine to run for 80 minutes. He is mobile, likes to carry and is comfortable in the tight exchanges.