Nehe Milner-Skudder has come through the ITM Cup ranks to star for the Hurricanes © Getty Images

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I think the fact the All Blacks selectors are looking to name an extended 41-man squad at the end of June is good. It means there are opportunities out there which is what players want; it's not a closed door to say you can't get in. And there should be some bolters. This is Rugby World Cup year and you pick players on form.

Obviously there are players who have credibility and class about them, and you can rely on those players, but there are some young players really pushing their case and we don't have positions that are locked down.

In some positions, like wing, there are going to be some hard calls made. But so far as younger players who are most likely to be the 'bolters', the selectors have to see consistency before they go with those players. They have to see that the player they are picking is not just at the top of his form and unable to reproduce that consistently.

We've seen it in the past where players burst onto the scene and they never reach that peak they showed in their first year. It's called the 'second year syndrome' when players can't back up and they have to go back to the drawing board. Usually they come right in the third year but I think the days of coaches picking players from nowhere, who just burst onto the scene, are gone.

James Lowe has enjoyed a fine season with the Chiefs © Getty Images

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Look at Ardie Savea. We have known about him for a couple of years. He was an All Blacks apprentice on tour. He's still a very young man but he will get his time. Is it this year? Who knows? He's in a very hotly contended position among some class players so I just can't see any players we don't already know about forcing their way in.

But in saying that, you get someone like a James Lowe; he's been around and about. He had a really good season last year, and had an extremely good ITM Cup, and he's come back and done it again so he's shown consistency and is there or thereabouts.

Nehe Milner-Skudder is probably a player we need to see more of, but he's had a great season and has to be on the watch list. He'll probably make that 41-man squad; if you are in that group, who knows? And it could be that he will actually be in a better position, with the Hurricanes playing out the last rounds of the Super Rugby season on centre stage and playing tough rugby.