By Jim Kayes
Aaron Cruden knows he signed up for a high pressure job - no team has won the Super Rugby competition without a world class first-five.
Wayne Smith, who had Andrew Mehrtens help guide his Crusaders teams to Super 12 glory, is confident Cruden has the ability to eventually be ranked alongside some of the very best.
“He’s a different character from when he first came into the All Blacks,” Smith says.
“He’s got a better kicking game, he’s more mature as a footballer. He’s still got his running game, and he’s brilliant at that.”
But it's a running game that Cruden has scaled back.
“I thought when I first came in my first instinct was to run everything from anywhere,” he says.
“Instead of just showing teams I like to run the ball, I think that’s where my game has really progressed.”
If Cruden's boxed into a corner, who better to toss the ball to than Richard Kahui, or a heavyweight champion.
“If ever in doubt, just look outside and chuck one of them the ball, and I think we'll definitely get good go forward,” he says.
The pressure is on the Chiefs All Black backs to do more than just look pretty for the cameras.
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