All Blacks: Curious answer to cover at halfback

All Black reserve first-five Aaron Cruden could be used as a halfback. Photo / Christine Cornege

Perhaps Keven Mealamu could be an understudy for Richie McCaw, after all he was a flanker for the national under-16s.

Or maybe Jerome Kaino would like a run out in the backs where he played fullback and centre during his secondary school years. Just a thought on the back of Graham Henry's idea that Aaron Cruden could be used as a backup All Black halfback.

All coaches need to think outside the square, they like to challenge convention, search for alternatives.

The current group have had their share of curious selections, like Soseni Anesi and Campbell Johnstone, but the most leftfield in their term might have been No 8 Steven Bates in 2004.

But Aaron Cruden as a halfback? Was that Henry's version of the Peter Taylor moment in Australian cricket when most thought the selectors meant Mark Taylor when the names were read out.

Did Henry perhaps mean Aaron Smith, the NZ Maori halfback who also comes from Manawatu?

Hard to say really. Henry and his selection cronies had little sleep before addressing the media about their Tri-Nations squad. They had picked three players who could play hooker but Henry reckoned they had not even discussed a third halfback behind Jimmy Cowan and Piri Weepu.

The All Blacks would need a third halfback for their World Cup campaign and Henry pondered whether that cover could come from somebody already in the squad or a specialist like Alby Mathewson or Andy Ellis.

"A third halfback is over requirements right now but we need to think about it going forward," Henry added. "I talked to Aaron Cruden about his pedigree as a rugby player and he told me he had played halfback in his second last year at school."

Was Henry joshing, had sleep deprivation kicked in? It was difficult to tell as he pushed on. Cruden had warmed to the concept.

"He was not averse to the idea but obviously if we are going to consider that then we need to talk to his province and see that he might get a run there occasionally at halfback. But that's leftfield stuff," Henry concluded.

Manawatu coach Dave Rennie spoke to Cruden yesterday and the idea was broached.

"They are not seriously looking at him as a nine I wouldn't think and certainly if he comes back to us we do not have a hell of a lot of 10s and he is regarded as the second-best in the country and we want to play him there," Rennie said.

Besides they had Aaron Smith at halfback and he and Cruden would be a useful combination.

"Aaron [Cruden] played a couple of games at halfback in the sixth form but that's about it," Rennie said. "He played more at 12 than anywhere else and has been a 10 for the last four years."

Now there's an idea, Cruden outside Carter in midfield ...