'Can we trust him?': Why Hurricanes' hooker may miss out on All Blacks

The Hurricanes loss to the Blues featured a misfiring set-piece at lineout time as the visitors struggled to find their rhythm in the wet conditions at Eden Park.

The performance has raised question marks for hooker Asafo Aumua, who has been in impressive form this season, around his suitability for an All Black recall.

Veteran All Black Dane Coles has been out most of the season which has allowed Aumua to start frequently, but the performance against the Blues has left ex-All Blacks unsure about the Hurricanes’ No 2.

Former All Black fullback Mils Muliaina had Aumua pencilled down as the third hooker in his All Blacks squad but couldn’t commit after the lineout woes in Auckland.

“Coles has been out for a long time so I’ve had Aumua, but last night I think his lineouts let him down,” Muliaina said.

“That’s where I’m like, far man, I’m a little bit iffy there at the moment.

“Taukei’aho and Codie Taylor for me are definite.”

The Hurricanes lineout only completed 64 per cent of their throws while the Blues did not have the same problems, operating at 91 per cent.

The mark for the Hurricanes was far lower than their season average of 84 per cent.

Ex-All Black Jeff Wilson wasn’t prepared to put all the blame on Aumua with so many complex parts required to run a lineout effectively, but did think the hooker lost confidence as the night went on.

“The lineout for me is a real challenge when you look at lineouts that are failing and not quite working,” Wilson said.

“There are so many pieces of the puzzle here. It’s calling, it’s lifting, it’s jumping.

“I think they [Hurricanes] lost their way and he suffered because of that.

“All of sudden I think Asafo was second guessing his own throws.

“That happened down in Dunedin as well against the Highlanders.”

John Kirwan’s said Aumua’s biggest problem now is that even if he recovers over remaining games it will be hard to regain the trust of selectors.

He said the All Black selectors need to trust that their hookers can throw under pressure in a big games, which will lead them to pick more experienced options for the third hooker role.

“The selectors will go, can we trust him under pressure? And they have to answer yes or no,” Kirwan said.

“Can you trust Dane Coles under pressure? Yes.

“Can we trust Aumua right now? And I don’t know whether they think like this, but after last night [against the Blues] there is a massive question mark.

“They will have to ask themselves those questions. Hard.”