All Blacks: Slade answers the call in all respects and raises his utility value

Colin Slade came up trumps. Photo / Getty Images

With the World Cup around the corner, time is running out for fringe players to prove they are up to playing in a tournament which puts pressure on like no other.

That is why Colin Slade will feel pleased with his performance on a difficult evening for the All Blacks against the Scots at Murrayfield.

With coach Steve Hansen taking a gamble to some extent in giving his back-up players their time in the spotlight, it was Slade, along with lock Jeremy Thrush and wing Charles Piutau who came up trumps. For Slade, it will feel particularly special because he wasn't even named in the squad for this tour, instead answering the call as Cory Jane's replacement.

A week later Hansen was determined to see how Slade would cope on the right wing in order to prove his utility value and he was a big success.

To make his night even better, Slade called the shots with authority when moving to first-five in place of Dan Carter for the final 20 minutes, and made the attack look more dangerous. With two out of two in front of goal as well, his World Cup stocks have risen significantly.

"Everything he has done for us has been on the money," assistant coach Ian Foster said. "His linking with Ben [Smith] at the back and covering the space and some of his tackling was top quality. And then to go in and do a role that Beauden [Barrett] has done really well for us in the past in shutting down that last 20 minutes, I thought he brought a bit of impetus to our attack at that point. He should be very pleased with that game."

Lock Thrush was another standout, as was Piutau, who was a threat every time he got the ball on the left wing. His run in the second half where he refused to concede to the tackle was testament to his power and determination.

It should also serve as a lesson to some of his teammates who would do well to follow his example.

Halfback TJ Perenara was given a big opportunity in filling Aaron Smith's jersey, but he endured a difficult evening as the Scots slowed down the All Blacks' ball. He agreed, however, that the younger players would benefit enormously from the experience.

"For the boys who haven't played many tests to be in a game where the Scots played very well, I guess they did put us under a lot of pressure and it was close for most of the game, even at the end when the final whistle went," he said. "For the boys to get through that game, it's only going to do wonders for them."

Perenara got the ball over the line in a pile of bodies in the first half, but the television match official couldn't see any evidence of a try.

"I thought I had got it down but I thought I had taken a wee bit of time to get it so I wasn't 100 per cent confident about whether I would get it or not. It was 50-50 if anything."