There was a moment during the win over Argentina in Hamilton that really caught my eye, well, ears actually.
As Sam Cane limped off with a hamstring injury after another stellar performance, Ardie Savea ran on to another decent cheer. This wasn't the Cake Tin, where they chant his name, it was Cane's home ground.
Savea is a major fan favourite. It's because of his dynamic play, while there were a few kids with Savea haircuts in the stands.
No other player, even Chiefs co-captain Aaron Cruden, received a welcome near it when coming off the bench.
The powerful runs and refusal to go down in a tackle make him a very special talent. He's the perfect impact player in Tests. This week against the Springboks he must show that at the highest level he's much more than that.
Savea on the burst for the Hurricanes (Photosport)
His Super Rugby stats indicate he is.
He is resilient. He averaged almost 80 minutes a game in his 17 Super Rugby appearances for the Hurricanes this year. Only Beauden Barrett played more for the Canes.
He works hard. Savea made more tackles than anyone else in Super Rugby this year. That might be helped by his high minutes but it shows he doesn't shy away from the tough stuff.
He is strong at the breakdown. The 22-year-old had the equal most turnovers in Super Rugby, with 25. What makes that even better is his accuracy. He was not in the top ten most penalised, which is a place many opensides, including Sam Cane, feature.
Sam Cane's (L) injury could open the door for Savea (Photosport)
Steve Hansen has said they want him to put on more weight. He currently tips the scales around 102 kg and they're after three or four more kilograms.
Test rugby is far more physical and to be dominant in the breakdown and the tackle you need to be stronger. It's something they've done with Sam Cane. He's now a 110 kg block of muscle and his remarkable dominant tackle statistics allow teams to set defensive lines and slow the opposition's march up field.
Hansen has also talked about young guys learning their system. Playing 60, rather than 20 minutes, of a Test match will change Savea's role considerably.
There's sure to be a lot more graft against the Boks early on than he's experienced running on against tired Welsh, Wallabies and Pumas defences. This All Black side is so good late, it's hard to rate a player until he's done battle in the more even early exchanges.
Savea could have three straight Tests now to prove his worth, with Cane out for four to six weeks. Do that well and the number seven battle when Cane returns will become very interesting.
If he can do what Cane does so well, then having his X-factor on the field longer would be a major asset.
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