Squire must start by doing basics well
IS Liam Squire still a chance to make the All Blacks squad this year?
You bet he is, but he must keep his head tonight.
Squire is set to come off the bench in the match against the Jaguares tonight. He is likely to get about 30 minutes.
It will be his first game of the year after hip and knee injuries and there will be plenty of eyes watching his performance.
The rugged loose forward has a minimum of five games, including tonight, to make an impression on the three wise men.
Squire on the top of his game is a beast who puts a big mark on any game in which he plays. A bruising hard runnner and a brutal defender.
But, and this is the big but, he has not played all season, and there is bound to be rust in his system.
What he can not do is go out and go totally helterskelter and try to knock everyone and everything into next week. He needs to do the basics well and not try for the milliondollar play.
It may be a subdued effort from Squire tonight but that should be all he is aiming for.
The Jaguares are a good opponent for the 28yearold to come up against.
They play a closequartered physical style which the Highlanders will have to combat.
As for All Black considerations, Squire has benefited greatly from the rather stopstart nature of the season for most candidates.
Not many players have put their hands up. Young Blues flanker Tom Robinson has played some good games but may be running out of steam while the Crusaders have been swapping players and positions in the loose forward department.
Gareth Evans has been bothered by a calf strain while Vaea Fifita has been in and out at the Hurricanes.
The best Chiefs forward has been Tyler Ardron, but he is Canadian while Luke Jacobson has played well in recent weeks but noone seems to know what his best position is.
Shannon Frizell has played well for the Highlanders without being compelling and it is the same story with Luke Whitelock, who is more of a No 8.