Jordan Taufua puts hand up for All Blacks in win against Blues

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Jordan Taufua did everything he could against the Blues to help his cause in getting a call up to the All Blacks.

Never mind what's traditionally the biggest domestic game in New Zealand.

At Eden Park on Saturday night it was a huge occasion for Jordan Taufua from the Crusaders and the Blues' Akira Ioane.

The two No 8s are both regarded as being on the fringes of getting their names read out at the All Blacks' announcement on Sunday morning.

A top performance in the Auckland rain could push either one over the edge and into the team for the tests against France.

We all know Ioane's upside, plenty of x-factor, a great runner who can explode from a standing start.

But he can go missing at times, have a five-minute spell where you don't really know what he's been doing.

However, he made his presence felt throughout most of game. In the 11th minute he showed he had the pace to keep up with Crusaders winger George Bridge after a kick deep into Blues territory. 

Ioane held up the initial charge at the line by Scott Barrett, which ultimately led to the Crusaders' second try, but he couldn't really be blamed for that as the point of attack had drifted away from him.

For the Crusaders' third try he was guilty like a number of Blues players of idly watching while a maul went over for the line. In that movement Taufua was a pest, disrupting what little shove on the Blues had.

In their fourth of the first half (it was getting hard to keep count by this stage), Taufua held the ball at the back of a maul as it drove forward and when he slipped the pill back, he joined in the pushing.

The second half was just as impressive for Taufua, even though he discarded his headgear midway through it.

There was just that little extra bit of polish from Taufua over the game and it may result in an anxious night's sleep for him.

With Taufua, the All Blacks selectors know he can keep carting the ball up all day, he's solid, dependable, but don't read into this that he's a one-dimensional plodder. 

There is plenty of dynamism from the former Counties Manukau back rower.

But height is an issue and a Lawrence Dallaglio type No 8 he ain't. 

Against the Blues, he was rarely used on the Crusaders' lineout but is ready to smash forward with the ball once it's been taken.

Of course, with the All Blacks there is also Liam Squire, Liam Whitelock and the real wildcard, Shannon Frizell to consider and you can make various arguments over each of them.

But given the World Cup is a year away and let's be honest, the French aren't likely to be much cop, even with their unpredictability, it's time to take a punt on someone and why not make that person Taufua?

Ioane's time will come, getting called up to play a midweek game against a France XV showed he's on the radar. 

But maybe it's still too early. No 8 is a position that takes time to mature in. No doubt it will come for the 22-year-old Ioane, but the time is now for the four years older Taufua.