KEY POINTS:
In further evidence that being a fringe All Black is not motivation enough to keep players in the country, Canterbury centre Casey Laulala looks set to join the exodus.
Laulala, possibly unlucky to miss the All Blacks 30-man squad given the dearth of midfield quality, is now almost
certain to contribute to the ever-expanding New Zealand rugby diaspora. The Herald on Sunday understands Munster are leading the chase for his signature.
Munster are effectively tossing up between Laulala and Rua Tipoki, who is looking to end his career overseas.
With Laulala's Junior All Black team-mates Marty Holah, Jimmy Cowan, Rico Gear and Greg Rawlinson also considering overseas moves, there is no shortage of motivation for the shadow side's opening Pacific Six Nations clash in Apia today.
Those players thinking about moving on could be persuaded to stay if they can force their way into the final World Cup squad which is picked on July 22. And the message from the All Black selectors is that places remain open and form for the Juniors will be closely monitored.
How open remains to be seen but certainly Laulala, Gear and Cowan have an opportunity to apply pressure on those ahead of them in the senior squad.
Laulala missed out to Isaia Toeava and Conrad Smith and he also sits behind Ma'a Nonu who was called up from the Juniors to cover for Smith and Mils Muliaina who both have hamstring strains.
The door is by no means closed on the Cantabrian, however, as Smith's form has been patchy, Nonu is never far from self-destruct mode and Toeava remains unproven at the highest level.
A solid campaign, starting against Samoa today, will keep Laulala in the frame, albeit as a long shot.
To do that, much will depend on how he combines in midfield with Crusaders team-mate Stephen Brett.
The youngster has been selected at second-five, despite having played all his senior football in the No 10 jersey.
Junior co-coach Ian Foster had no qualms about Brett's move: "I haven't asked him if he's played 12 for Canterbury," Foster said before the team left for Samoa. "I've heard he has, some of his mates say he has, but whether that's to get him in the starting line-up I'm not sure."
"It's an experiment but one Colin [Cooper] and I have a bit of faith in. It's something we've done before. Last year we moved Cameron McIntyre out to 12 and I thought that was pretty successful. It was our intention to give Stephen a try [at 12]. It's just happened to start with game one. I guess we'll be judged on whether it's successful or not but we're confident he has the skill-set to play there."
Gear will be another hoping Brett can handle the switch because the unlucky wing needs some ball to strut his wares and force his way back into the senior squad.
English club Sale have tabled a serious offer for Gear who is off-contract at the end of the year, and a number of French clubs have expressed interest, too.
Cowan is in a similar boat - he was the major casualty in the rise of Brendon Leonard and now has to present one final case for a recall. If he misses out, there is an unnamed club in France waiting.
Holah and Rawlinson are thought to be less aligned to All Black outcomes, with both men assessing a whole range of factors in relation to their respective careers.
Holah is highly rated in the UK with many Guinness Premiership coaches impressed by his performances for the All Blacks and in particular New Zealand Maori in 2005 when they beat the Lions.
At 30 and with seven Super rugby campaigns and 36 tests under his belt, the New Zealand Rugby Union will wish Holah well should he depart.
Laulala, however, is unlikely to be sent off with the same bon voyage message. At 24, he's still maturing in a position where New Zealand is not blessed with depth.
Though he is asking for significantly more money than Tipoki, Munster scouts like his extra size and class.
Munster have been continually frustrated in their search for New Zealand talent. They tabled, for them, a groundbreaking offer to Luke McAlister but became disillusioned when they felt McAlister's manager and father Charlie was using the Irish giants to bolster McAlister's value with Toulouse and the New Zealand Rugby Union.
They also inquired after Aaron Mauger but were always a distant second favourite behind Leicester.
