Wednesday 16 December 2015 07:59, UK
Aaron Cruden is looking to raise the bar once again when New Zealand take on Argentina on Saturday.
The mercurial fly-half produced his best performance yet in a black jersey as New Zealand thrashed Australia 51-20 at Eden Park a fortnight ago.
Stepping into the hole left by the world’s best fly-half is no mean feat but Cruden has made his own mark on this team and is not concerned with the looming shadow of Dan Carter, who will soon be returning after suffering a broken leg.
“I have always had a mentality that I can only control what I can control,” said Cruden. “Being compared to other rugby players is part of the game – and like any part of the game it is how you deal with it that counts.
"I realise that I have been given the opportunity because of Dan’s injuries but I am really enjoying the occasion and trying to put my best foot forward and doing the best that I can do and whenever I have got an opportunity I have tried to take it with both hands.
"I have really enjoyed the time I have had in the jersey – you never know what is going to happen so it is just enjoying every moment of it. I can't focus on what I can't control so I just focus on what I know I can do well and keep on doing that.
"Hopefully that will make it hard for the selectors not to select me. For me it’s about getting better as a player, getting better as a person and to make those opportunities count.
“I am happy with the way I am playing. I am very clear as to what my role is within the team and against Australia we wanted to go out and put together a performance that we could be proud of and that our fans could be proud off.
"Especially after the Sydney Test, I think both teams were pretty disappointed after that. We felt that we had a bit of a point to prove.
“However as an All Black team we are never satisfied and never want to sit back on past performances. We have to make sure we get our preparations right for another tough battle in Napier."
Argentina may still be looking for their first Rugby Championship win but they were highly impressive against South Africa in Salta recently where they won all aspects of the game except on the scoreboard.
“Argentina is going to be a massive game,” added Cruden. “They are going to be pretty disappointed with the way the Springboks sort of got home against them last weekend.
“We know the passion they like to bring. We are going to have to match that – we are always passionate when playing for New Zealand but we really need to be physical in those exchanges because they are some pretty big boys.
Rugby is a contact sport and it is a bit of a cliché but generally it is won upfront in those physical battles. That is sort of non-negotiable for teams.
“If we want to have a good day then we have to make sure that not only the forward pack but the backline fronts up physically.
"Rugby is a contact sport and it is a bit of a cliché but generally it is won upfront in those physical battles. That is sort of non-negotiable for teams where you have to be prepared to go to those dark places and be physical.
"For different teams you will have things that you tweak in terms of your game plan – try to exploit their defence and their attack.
“We will get together on Sunday have a look at Argentina and then come up with a strategy for both attack and defence that will do well for us.
"We need to be adaptable, though – if the forward pack are struggling then you have to be good enough to change your game plan, to mix it up and to regain the dominance in some other way, shape or form."
If all goes to plan, Cruden should be part of the New Zealand squad that travels to England to defend the Webb Ellis trophy in 2015.
However, the 25-year-old knows how quickly things can change and is determined to educate as many youngsters as he can on safety in rugby.
"Safety starts at the grassroots level and if we can reach those young kids just starting into the game and get them aware of the safety issues then that will filter up," said Cruden.
"It is vitally important that the awareness is there and that they are getting the right information and the right training. We have been brought up thinking that rugby is a hard man’s game – it is but you have to be smart with it as well.
"The World Cup is next year but we have to get through 2014 first.
"Obviously I want to be part of the World Cup but rugby is only one aspect of life – life goes on outside rugby.
"You need to make sure that you are doing everything you can to avoid serious injuries and to make sure that rugby injuries do not affect the rest of your life."
Aaron Cruden was speaking at the launch of the AIG Rugby Safety Awards, a global campaign to tackle safety in rugby. Watch the video or visit www.aig.com/saferugby to find out how your club could win equipment.
