Loosehead hooks up new role

Just as a clearer picture about the make-up of New Zealand's World Cup squad was emerging, Saimone Taumoepeau has used his time with the Junior All Blacks to cloud the issue.

Having been capped three times by the All Blacks at loosehead prop, the 26-year-old has put in two 20-minute shifts at hooker for the Juniors and managed to impress.

He found his man on the two occasions he had to throw to the lineout during Friday night's 56-12 hammering of Manu Samoa at Albany and certainly appeared to add bite to the Junior's scrum.

It wasn't a 'stop-the-press' sort of performance but he has done enough in what is an entirely alien role to make Junior All Black coach Colin Cooper believe that the Aucklander could feature in coach Graham Henry's plans for France.

"He's impressed. I don't think he had ever played at hooker at junior or club level but he had done some specific work before he came into camp with us.

"He's got a very good lob throw and he's such a balanced runner. He can also scrum powerfully from hooker and that adds another dimension. It will take him some time and hard work to get his throwing right.

"The All Blacks were keen to see him at hooker. If he can master the hooker role as well as play at loosehead then it gives Graham more options. I think versatility is the key for Saimone," Cooper said.

As promising as Taumoepeau has been in his limited outings, he would still be a long way off being treated as a serious option to oust one of the established hookers.

But it seems he is going to be given every chance to stake a claim. The All Blacks, like every other side, will take three hookers to France next year.

By doing so, it will leave the selectors having to take either one less prop or loose forward or lock than they would prefer.

If Taumoepeau can get to the point where he is considered good enough to start a game at hooker, the whole balance of the squad could change.

The attrition of loose forwards is likely to be high at the World Cup. There is a real need to rotate and employ different combinations against different opposition.

Taumoepeau's inclusion would potentially open the way for the inclusion of three opensides in the 30 to accommodate the outstanding poaching skills of Marty Holah.

While there has been a clear preference to use ball-carrying, explosive runners who can dominate the contact, Holah's work at the breakdown is invaluable as it produces significant turnover ball for a backline that is lethal when left to run against a broken defence.

To be able to select Richie McCaw, Chris Masoe and Holah would be a luxury no other side could emulate.

So Taumoepeau will be encouraged to persevere in his new role and Auckland have the opportunity to oblige.

Keven Mealamu will be involved in the Tri Nations, Derren Witcombe might take some time to recover his form after a serious injury and is also possibly going to turn out for Northland this season and John Fonokalafi has signed for Counties.

At 107kg, Taumoepeau is on the light sight for a test loosehead with behemoths like Wyatt Crockett and England's Andy Sheridan now appearing to be the sort of athletes that coaches are looking for.

Both France and Argentina have successfully converted props to hookers and hookers to props and the result has been to add real power to the scrummaging effort.

Auckland team-mate John Afoa believes Taumoepeau could be New Zealand's first successful convert in the professional age.

"He's very strong," said Afoa of Taumoepeau, "He's mastered the No 1 position and now he thinks he can become a very good hooker."