However Steve Hansen and his selectors had seen enough from Taminavalu in the national championship then Super Rugby to believe he was someone with international potential. Photo / Brett Phibbs
A year ago Seta Taminavalu was called into the All Blacks squad to cover for some front-liners involved in the Super Rugby final.
He'd not been prominent in that tournament but it was tough for him at the Chiefs where Charlie Ngatai, Sonny Bill Williams and Andrew Horrell got most
of the midfield work.
However Steve Hansen and his selectors had seen enough from Taminavalu in the national championship then Super Rugby to believe he was someone with international potential. He was a big man with plenty of pace and all the skills to develop into a topline centre.
When he was pulled into the reinforcement crew for Samoa, Hansen hoped the All Black selectors would see more of him this season.
They have because SBW has been on sevens duty as Ngatai, Anton Lienert-Brown and Taminavalu have become the core midfield men. Two more games for the Chiefs, tonight against the Rebels then away next Friday against the Waratahs follow before Taminavalu finds out if he's made a case for All Black inclusion.
