Roger Tuivasa-Sheck faces an uphill battle to make the All Blacks squad for the Rugby World Cup, but it's one that starts at home, with the Blues.
After overcoming a broken hand, the midfielder has struggled for game-time, with just one start in the four Super Rugby Pacific rounds that have followed.
Tuivasa-Sheck, 29, will play just his second game since his return to fitness, after he was named on the Blues bench for their clash against Queensland Reds on Saturday.
With limited minutes behind him and a return to rugby league at the NZ Warriors looming, Tuivasa-Sheck is a longshot to make coach Ian Foster's All Blacks squad for France.
With just three rounds of Super Rugby left before the playoffs, an extended run for the Blues would certainly boost his chances.
Assistant coach Daniel Halangahu has revealed what Tuivasa-Sheck needs to do to start for the Blues and how the team can help him achieve that.
"I think, for a guy that hasn't played heaps of rugby, it was always going to take a little bit for him to come back to his best," he said. "What we want to see is what everyone wants to see - we want to see that footwork and we want to see him beating people.
"It's up to us as a group to put him in those situations, because we know when he's in space, he's untouchable almost.
"For him, it's around the little micro-communications and he knows that, he's been working really hard on it. He's very much committed to that, he comes in with a smile on his face and he's working hard for it - I applaud him for that."
The Blues' desire to facilitate a resurgence in form for a desperate Tuivasa-Sheck isn't isolated to just the midfielder.
There are questions over star Beauden Barrett's form and his ability to manage a game, and he's another the coaches are looking for his teammates to better support - including Tuivasa-Sheck.
"We put very little of it on Beauden," Halangahu said. "His focus, with the No.9, is on the ruck.
"The No.15, wingers, they've got so much more time than our game drivers to see that space and they then need to communicate.
"I think that's part of the reason the All Blacks use Beauden at fullback, because we know how good his communication is and how he sees that space.
"We never put that on our 10s, whether it is Beauden or someone else - it's the other guys being able to communicate space and communicate options, and be really decisive and execute.
"That's part of the thing we're working with Roger on, and being able to get his eyes up and see that space and getting an effective call in."
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