OPINION: The Super Rugby guesswork is almost over. Phil Gifford says we're at a stage where the key players have emerged.
Here are the men on whom I believe the New Zealand sides will rise or fall. They may not be the best players in their own squads, but as the halfway line of super rugby nears they're likely to be the most vital.
Blues
Halfback Bryn Hall
Why? Because the Blues need his snap to fire their confidence levels which we know can waver. Can he do it? He's a much better than even chance. Hall may be having his first real lash at this level, but he's been a leader from the time he captained the New Zealand team to the final of the 2012 world junior championships. He has strength, speed, and the sharp edge that separates a very good halfback from the pack. What does his team need to do? Provide him with a better platform than they gave him in Canberra.
Crusaders
Wing Nemani Nadolo
Why? He looks like one player who may be able to score tries, which have been desperately hard to come by for the Crusaders this year. Way back in 1998 when Todd Blackadder was the captain, not the coach, another wild card, Norm Berryman, fired the team to their first title. The need for a firecracker on attack is much greater this year. Can Nadolo do it? We'll all know a lot better after seeing how the Lions game went overnight. But a good sign is that he looks a lot fitter than when he was playing club footy in France. What does his team need to do? Work better lines on attack to give him some room to move.
Highlanders
First-five Limo Sopoaga
Why? Check out the scoreboard. Sopoaga posts so many points there will be games the Highlanders will win against the run of play on the back of his kicking. Can he do it? Every sign looks good. The better he kicks the more assertive and accurate his general play becomes. He's now in the form of his life. What does his team need to do? Put enough pressure on to force opposing teams to infringe.
Chiefs
Lock Brodie Retallick
Why? Even when the Chiefs won their first title in 2012 their lineout could be shaken. Not now, and put a lot of that down to Retallick, no longer just a national class, but a world class lock. Can he do it? No question. For a start there's the huge frame, which goes with a huge ticker. The words commentator Mike Stanley used to sum up rower Eric Murray at the London Olympics apply to Retallick: "He's a beast." A massive bonus is that he's now added the experience that comes from playing 24 tests. What does his team have to do? Just stay hungry, not always the easiest job when winning a title is no longer a private hope, but an expectation.
Hurricanes
Halfback TJ Perenara
Why? He's got a backline outside him that's potentially the best in the country, but as brilliant as Beauden Barrett is, he could be even more devastating on attack if defenders were spooked at the prospect of Perenara running near the breakdown. Can he do it? The odds are pretty good that he can. Perenara has had a metal plate in his left ankle after a break at the start of 2012, but he ran with freedom against the Crusaders a week ago, and looked energised again last night in Napier. What does his team have to do? Encourage him to live the mantra that's served the the All Blacks so well, and play what's in front of him.
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