Rugby World Cup: Time for talented Vito to repay coaches' unrelenting faith

All Blacks TJ Perenara and Victor Vito at a press conference in London. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Athletes tend to plan their season with the specific goal of peaking at a major event. That's what it's all about - saving the best for when it counts.

Victor Vito is a tremendous athlete who is on the verge of appearing in a major event. It would be quite handy for New Zealand if he could peak in the next few weeks.

And what peaking really means is that he converts his athletic potential into high-impact performance. He hasn't yet been able to do that as an All Black.

He hasn't quite been able to cross the bridge from being a stunning athlete to stunning rugby player.

It's a transition the All Blacks coaching staff remain convinced he can make - and their patience and resolve has been tested.

Vito, having made his test debut in 2010, hasn't quite managed it after five years of trying.

At 28, hope should be fading. But Vito has so much potential that the coaches have refused to give up.

It's understandable. Coaches can often see the athlete first then project from there as to what type of player they may end up with. In Vito's case, the projected vision is spectacular and it's a hard one to shelve.

He's also made it hard to ditch because each time he hasn't quite convinced at test level, Vito has returned to Super Rugby and won his place back all over again. It's been a frustrating series of false hopes where he appears to be on the verge of fulfilling his potential only to regress.

Vito hasn't been able to deliver the bruising consistency required from an All Blacks blindside. There hasn't been enough proof he can use his frame to dominate and intimidate.

He hasn't converted his explosiveness into destructive football. He's easily the best-equipped forward in the pack - blessed with size, explosive speed and raw power - but still missing the blueprint to put it all together into high-impact rugby.

Given past history it would be wrong to say this World Cup presents him with a last chance to finally get over the hump. It does, however, present him with arguably his best chance to be the player this coaching panel have pinned an inordinate amount of faith in him becoming.

This World Cup is going to be won and lost around the breakdown. Teams are going to need an array of weaponry to perform well there: speed, agility, decision-making, power and aggression.

Just as obvious is that the breakdown battle can only be won by a strong contribution from the bench and just as clear is that there will, inevitably, be injuries to loose forwards at this tournament.

Vito's time will come. He will get to play. The question is how will he play? Can he impose himself and hurt opponents? Can he be a brand of enforcement and carnage that gives the All Blacks yet more aura?

There is no better time for him to make yes the answer to all these questions.

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