Highlanders first-five Lima Sopoaga has firmly entered the minds of the All Blacks brains trust in Rugby World Cup year.
The spotlight has gone on other first five-eighths around New Zealand after news Aaron Cruden had ruptured his ACL.
Beauden Barrett, Dan Carter and Colin Slade are in pole for the likely three World Cup playmaker spots, but selector Grant Fox says Sopoaga has impressed.
"We'll wait and see what happens, but there's another guy who's playing well in Lima Sopoaga," Fox said. "He's quite possibly, right at this point in time, the form five-eighths of our teams in the competition."
Fox says the key to unlocking Dan Carter's form is consistent game time to build his confidence.
