All Blacks centurion and Sky Sport commentator Mils Muliaina insists rookie winger Emoni Narawa should not be overlooked, when coach Ian Foster names his Rugby World Cup squad on Monday.
Off the back of his outstanding Super Rugby Pacific form with the tabletopping Chiefs, Narawa was included in the national squad for the Rugby Championship/Bledisloe Cup campaign and made his international debut against Argentina last month.
Despite a tryscoring performance, he hasn't been sighted since, nursing a back niggle that has kept him sidelined through the remainder of the All Blacks itinerary.
Muliaina, who played fullback, centre and wing during his eight-year tenure with the NZ team, warns Narawa has been included in the 33-man squad forecast by him and his colleagues on Sky's Breakdown.
"We've seen what he produced in that test against Argentina earlier on and we think Narawa gets another shot," he told Newshub.
Muliaina, along with former All Blacks Jeff Wilson and John Kirwan, have the Fiji-born flyer among the outside backs, ahead of Chiefs teammate Shaun Stevenson, who also scored on debut against Australia on Saturday.
"Who would want to be a coach in Ian Foster's shoes?" he said. "There are so many backs he's got out there and some really good players that are going to miss out.
"We don't have [Stevenson] in our squad. We've gone for a more versatile backline, guys who can also play in different positions, particularly that midfield.
"Leicester Fainga'anuku has a heavy workrate, but his ability to play in the centres, so we can carry a couple less centres... Leicester's been given that nod from our team."
Another Chiefs star, Samipeni Finau, seems poised to continue his meteoric rise into international rugby, after growing into his blindside flanker role against the Wallabies at Dunedin, also scoring a try in his first appearance.
"We've definitely found room for Samipeni Fina," said Muliaina. "I think the way he played yesterday and being under that sort of pressure... we've gone for seven loosies really.
"It was always going to be the talking point, along with the outside backs, but Samipeni Finau, for us, just gives the team a little bit more balance - a Shannon Frizell-type player - and there's an opportunity for him to grow throughout the tournament."
Veteran Brodie Retallick limped off the field at Dunedin with a knee injury and concern over his fitness has prompted the Breakdown crew to carry an extra lock, with Josh Lord making the plane.
Muliaina also wonders if Brad Weber, unwanted for the Rugby Championship, may edge past Finlay Christie for one of the halfback spots.
"Christie got an opportunity to go out there [against Australia], but it wasn't really the first half that he would have wanted. Do the selectors look at that and whether Brad Weber comes into play?
"Certainly, there are going to be a lot of quality guys that are going to miss out."
