Sam Cane is the man for the No 7 jersey right now
Ardie Savea and Sam Cane. Who have you got at No 7?
OPINION:
Sam Cane or Ardie Savea? Who ya got? Think a little before you answer, for in test rugby sometimes appearances can be deceiving.
Savea is some rugby talent, with those pumping legs, that big hair and a game that stands out even more than the 'do. He's two tests into an All Black career that's been brewing for nearly three years, and the start could hardly be more promising.
On the other hand you have Cane, the industrious, no-nonsense, tough-minded, get-the-job-done starting No 7 for the All Blacks. He has a much more conservative haircut, and a game that could be described in similar terms.
Right now All Blacks coach Steve Hansen is what you might call a lucky man. He would probably protest that, and suggest chance has nothing to do with it. That it's all down to excellent planning and a New Zealand rugby system that spits out world-class No 7s with uncanny consistency.
Whatever, Hansen is clearly in a privileged position in that he clearly has two outstanding options at his disposal for the openside flanker's position in this the first year after the greatest of them all finally decided to hang 'em up.
For anyone wondering whether there would be life after the great Richie McCaw, well, the first two tests of the June series against Wales have certainly suggested strongly that indeed there is, and the future might just be so bright we need sunglasses to view it.
But has Hansen got it right in his pecking order? That's one of the questions reverberating after two predictably stop-start efforts to open the new season by the back-to-back world champions and No 1 side on the planet.
Savea played 20 minutes in Auckland and nearly 23 in Wellington, both times in relief of Cane. And on both occasions he made an eye-catching impact, setting up a try at Eden Park with one delicious run, and scoring a five-pointer at the Cake Tin in another from 40 metres out.
At just 22, and with athleticism and leg strength that is off the charts, he is a young man with crazy potential. Hansen first brought him into the All Blacks setup on the 2013 tour north in November, but he's been given time to add some much-needed size and strength before being plunged into the deep end of test rugby.
That patience is now being rewarded with cameo performances that suggest not only is he now ready, but he is capable of making the sort of impact you don't normally associate with rookies in the test arena.
All very exciting.
But you know the one man who won't be getting too carried away with things through two June tests against a gritty but limited Welsh outfit is Hansen.
The easy thing is to put Cane's first two appearances up against Savea's and reach a pretty interesting conclusion along the lines of the guy with the Sideshow Bob haircut being the best No 7 we have right now, so he deserves to start.
But I'm not sure Hansen will reach those same conclusions. He's been around too long to jump to that fallacious conclusion. He's too smart to be fooled by what his eyes might be showing him.
Yes, Savea has done everything asked of him in those two appearances off the bench. Yes, he's made plays. Yes, he's changed the game.
It will be nothing that will be surprising to Hansen, who is adamant he did not instruct the brilliant Hurricanes flanker to withdraw from the Olympic sevens programme, but certainly would have made it clear the opportunities that awaited him in the All Black jersey.
This wunderkind has been a project for three years, and what they're seeing now will surprise no one in the national setup.
But Cane, too, is fulfilling everything asked of him, just in a less obtrusive manner. He's starting tests, he's tearing into the work in the loose, he's hitting rucks, he's chasing turnovers, he's making tackles.
Nothing flashy. Nothing that will make the highlight reel. But important nonetheless.
Cane has earned this right to wear that black No 7 jersey with a four-year apprenticeship under the best there's ever been. And so far he's done nothing to suggest he's not the right man to continue on in that role.
What Hansen has had at No 7 is very similar to the situation he has at No 10 with Beauden Barrett. That's a guy making so much impact off the bench, it would be almost foolish ? for now anyway ? to alter that equation.
Right now Hansen is getting the ultimate value out of his one-two punch at No 7. He has Cane doing the hard yards early on, and Savea providing the flourishing finish. Why change that?
Eventually sheer talent and brilliance may demand a rethink. But for now Hansen will understand that when it comes to the younger of the Savea brothers, there is simply no rush. They've waited nearly three years to let him off the leash, what's a few more months leaving him to do what he does best?
