The battle for the All Blacks No.12 jersey continues to heat up, with only one more round of Super Rugby Pacific games before the playoffs.
What seemed a position of weakness just a year or two ago now poses head coach Ian Foster a welcome selection headache for the test series against Ireland in July.
Quinn Tupaea, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Jordie Barrett and David Havili are all worthy picks, with anyone's guess who will be named for the first match at Eden Park.
Rather than feeling the pressure, incumbent Havili embraces the challenge and views the Super Rugby playoffs as an ideal opportunity to stake his claim.
"I think it's awesome to have so much quality power out there at the moment and really makes you have to play good every week," he said.
"That's great for me, testing my ability every week against quality midfielders. There is quality out there, and the next couple of weeks are important for myself to go out there and put good performances in.
"It's something everyone loves to talk about and is a big topic at the moment. There's a month to go and hopefully, at the right time of the season, I can put in a couple of great performances together, especially going into finals week."
Forming combinations has perhaps been harder this season than most, with week-to-week changes a common theme for all teams in a congested Super Rugby season.
But Havili looks forward to the opportunity to play with regular Crusaders midfield partner Jack Goodhue - something we could potentially see against Ireland too.
"We push each other every week and every day," he said.
"He's been playing in the midfield a lot longer than me and I'm still learning off of him. He's had some great stuff for me over the last couple of years, and that relationship between me and Jack is only going to get better through the finals series."
The Crusaders can seal home advantage for the Super Rugby finals with victory against Queensland Reds, which could set up a potential quarter-final against the same opposition.
A win would secure second spot on the table, with only the Blues above them, but Havili isn't looking past Friday's clash.
"They're a team with quality strike power across the field... and you've got a big forward pack that likes to carry it forward and offload the ball," he said.
"Our forward pack has got a big job to do this weekend and hopefully we can get some of that quick ball that we had last weekend."
Join us at 7:35pm Friday for live updates of the Crusaders v Reds Super Rugby Pacific clash
