Rugby: Perenara eyes All Black place

It has still been a meteoric rise this season for TJ Perenara who started the season as third-choice halfback at the Hurricanes. Photo / Getty Images

Things have happened quickly for TJ Perenara but there's one thing that didn't come soon enough for the 19-year-old.

The Hurricanes halfback missed out on the 35-man All Blacks wider training squad and was disappointed. Four other No 9s made the squad - Andy Ellis, Aaron Smith, Tawera Kerr-Barlow and an out-of-sorts Piri Weepu - and Perenara could legitimately feel aggrieved not to be considered among the four best halfbacks in the country at the moment.

In only his first Super Rugby season, Perenara has impressed with his abrasive style, slick passing and snappy running game. Some have compared him to Will Genia, generally regarded as the best halfback in the game, and others have earmarked him as a future All Blacks captain.

It has still been a meteoric rise for the youngster who started the season as third-choice at the Hurricanes behind Chris Smylie and Chris Eaton but missing out on the All Blacks extended squad hurt.

"I was a little bit disappointed," he said. "I didn't really think about it too much until it was named. I never really gave myself much of a chance. I thought I would need to play a few more years, play a little more consistently and prove my point but then when it was actually named I found myself being disappointed. I think that's a good thing. In a way it's hard but it also gives me so much more time to focus on my job with the 'Canes and my job as a halfback.

"The All Blacks is where I want to be. I want to play at that level. It's just another challenge now. I can't take it too much of a negative thing. I need to come back now and play well for the 'Canes and hopefully play good enough to get selected one day."

Most expect it will happen sooner rather than later. He has been a major reason for the Hurricanes' better-than-expected results this season and he signalled his arrival with a hat-trick of tries in his starting debut against the Force in round three.

One challenge facing him is the number of quality young halfbacks emerging in this country and the selectors appear to have plumped for a mixture of youth and experience in their training squad.

Perenara is still rough around the edges - in many ways he epitomises the present Hurricanes outfit - but possesses tremendous potential. He was part of the New Zealand under-20 side that won the last Junior World Championships, captained the New Zealand Secondary Schools team in 2010 and made his Wellington debut while still a student at Mana College.

Tomorrow his focus turns to a Rebels side in 10th place on the overall table, one spot below a Hurricanes side needing to rebound from their 37-25 defeat to the Brumbies last Friday.

"It's probably going to define our season," Perenara said. "If we get a win this weekend, it puts us in good shape for the rest of the season. We get a bit of a roll-on going into the Waratahs and hopefully we get that one and then we go into the three-week break.

"If we lose, it could be the end of our season. If a few other teams get a few wins, it puts us that much further away from them. This weekend is pretty crucial."

Perenara would do well to approach every week with that attitude.

Hurricanes side to face the Rebels at Westpac Stadium, Wellington, tomorrow (5.30pm): Andre Taylor, Alapati Leiua, Conrad Smith (c), Tim Bateman, Julian Savea, Beauden Barrett, TJ Perenara, Victor Vito, Jack Lam, Faifili Levave, Jason Eaton, Jeremy Thrush, Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Dane Coles, Ben May. Reserves: Motu Matu'u, Reg Goodes, James Broadhurst, Brad Shields, Chris Eaton, Tusi Pisi, Jayden Hayward.

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