Cruden overcomes bout of cancer to win a prized All Blacks jumper
Cruden overcomes bout of cancer to win a prized All Blacks jumper
RICHARD KNOWLER
May 31, 2010
AUCKLAND: At least Aaron Cruden is used to pressure. Having overcome testicular cancer in 2008, the Manawatu No.10, who last season captained the New Zealand under-20 side to a world title and was named the IRB junior player of the year, knows all about battling adversity.
He had one testicle removed and underwent nine weeks of chemotherapy before being cleared.
Now the 21-year-old, Manawatu's first All Black since Christian Cullen in 1996, has been anointed as the back-up to Dan Carter in a project All Blacks' coach Graham Henry will hope pays dividends before, and at, next year's World Cup.
Although Henry has not been afraid to take a punt on players since taking over from John Mitchell in 2004 - Isaia Toeava in 2005 jumps to mind - Cruden's swift elevation is one of his bolder ventures.
Just who would replace an injured Carter has been a vexing problem Henry has struggled to solve since the Canterbury No.10 took over from Carlos Spencer in 2005. Nick Evans, now in London, was the best prospect, while the selections of Stephen Donald, Luke McAlister and Mike Delany failed to settle a jittery nation's nerves.
Now it is Cruden's turn.
Even with Donald and Delany ruled out because of shoulder injuries, it seems likely Cruden would still have featured in the 26-man squad named yesterday. Assistant coach Wayne Smith acknowledged Cruden's talent and said his skills would fit the All Blacks' attacking blueprint.
''He is going to suit the game we are trying to play,'' Smith told Sky. ''I think we have got to give him a bit of time. I remember when [Wallabies coach] Eddie Jones brought in Matt Giteau a few years ago, when people saw Matt Giteau for the first time they thought he was not quite up to it. It takes a wee while, we have got plenty of time. But if we do it right, I think he will be a good player for the All Blacks.''
There is plenty to like about Cruden despite only making his Super 14 debut this year. He doesn't lack on-field confidence, his acceleration can leave defenders grasping thin air and he can set up dangerous attacks with slick distribution.
On the flipside, Cruden has had little experience in high-stakes rugby, having only been regularly selected to start by Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper in the latter part of the season, his goal-kicking is unreliable and he is prone to making errors when the heat goes on.
Compared with Donald and Delany, Cruden possesses the X-factor that the other pair lack - but his swift elevation still comes as a surprise. A raft of injuries among seasoned All Blacks forced the selectors to cast their net wide when cobbling together a 26-man squad.
The Press
