Naholo needs to deliver for his sake
The real Waisake Naholo made a brief appearance for the Highlanders against the Hurricanes last Friday. Even though he got just 24 minutes on the paddock, as part of his All Blacks player management plan, he was prominent.
It was a hint of what he can do and it was not before time.
The wing can still play an important part of the All Blacks’ Rugby World Cup squad but the reality is his form has not been great for a while.
He had an underwhelming end of season tour for the All Blacks and there has been some early defensive issues in the early rounds of Super Rugby.
If there is an established All Black who needs to lift his form, it is probably Naholo.
Against the Hurricanes, it was his determination to look for work that caught the eye.
He was dangerous when given space on the right wing but when play didn’t come his way he moved in tighter to work around the ruck and help his forwards.
It was the performance of someone determined to take control of his own destiny rather than let the season drift by and suddenly find himself on the outer. There will be some good players squeezed out when the All Blacks name their 31-man Rugby World Cup squad later in the year.
The All Blacks might only take four outside backs to the Rugby World Cup, as they did in 2015, due to Damian McKenzie’s ability to play fullback.
With Ben Smith and Rieko Ioane certainties and Jordie Barrett highly probable, that leaves only one spot.
Already, youngsters across the country are making their claims.
Braydon Ennor and Will Jordan at the Crusaders have been outstanding and Etene Nanai-Seturo looks like a rare talent.
George Bridge hasn’t quite ignited this season but he is too good to stay dormant all season. However, Naholo still has an ingredient none of them can match: power.
At his best, the Fijian can run over opponents as well as past them and when he is in that mood he becomes a compelling candidate.
His strength also allows him to be as good as any wing in the competition at the breakdown, while his leg drive allows him to win those crucial few metres after contact. That quality gives the All Blacks selectors great balance when they come to building their squad.
Naholo and Ioane bring the power, while Smith and probably Barrett bring the aerial game.
It means that if Ioane were to get injured at any point during the Rugby World Cup Naholo could slot into the No 11 jersey with a minimum of disruption.
So, the arguments for Naholo are convincing.
Nonetheless, Naholo is tryless so far this year and only managed four for the All Blacks in 2018, with two of them coming against the Wallabies in the opening game of the Rugby Championship.
It all adds up to one thing: when Naholo runs out at Forsyth Barr Stadium in the Highlanders No 14 jersey on Saturday, presumably to face Bridge, he needs to remind everyone of what a good player he can be.