It is often the case when a rugby team has a player of such class that he is considered the best in the world, such as Dan Carter, that any player in his shadow is judged with a harsh and almost unreasonable glare.
A nation’s hopes of winning will be dramatically reduced (either in reality or by assumption) without the presence of such players. Understudies to such stars will always be considered inferior, and the thought of life without such men in the future is nothing short of a crisis.
If Jonny Wilkinson was not part of England when they were in their pomp one imagines they would have struggled to have dominated world rugby and win the Webb Ellis trophy.
When Grant Fox played his last test match against Samoa on July 31 1993, many felt that the All Blacks would struggle to replace him. 
While it took nearly two years, the emergence of Andrew Mehrtons started a chain of succession that was then followed by Carlos Spencer, and then by a young Southbridge product called Dan Carter.
Carter is now generally regarded as the best All Blacks number ten ever, and some pundits believe that he could be considered arguably the finest playmaker to have graced the game.
But unlike Fox, who had Frano Botica as a classy backup (some considered the North Harbour playmaker to be better with ball in hand), in recent years no one has been able to stamp the required authority as Carter’s understudy.
Many, including former All Blacks Colin Meads and Andy Haden, feel that without Carter the All Blacks cannot win the World Cup.
So it is equally fair to say that if the Canterbury first five-eighth is fit, that the All Blacks chances of winning on home soil are dramatically increased.
The biggest question though inevitably comes back towards who else could fill the test point’s world record holder shoes, both if he was injured and in the long term future.
Some feel, with former All Black Zinzan Brooke recently adding his voice, that the All Blacks best bet would be somehow to get Harlequins Nick Evans back to New Zealand. Yet while the former Otago playmaker is class and in brilliant form, there is realistically no chance of him featuring in New Zealand colours this year.
The most recent backup number ten was Stephen Donald, selected in the All Blacks Telecom Backing Black tour to Asia and Europe after a remarkable return from injury in which he was undoubtedly the form playmaker of the ITM Cup.
Yet he was criticised for his performance in the All Blacks 26-24 loss to the Wallabies, their only reverse of 2010, with his missed kick for touch inadvertently leading to James O’Connor’s match winning try.
Coach Graham Henry said that such censure was part of the role.
“Yeah, well before that another bloke (Aaron Cruden) played first-five and he copped criticism, so that's just the nature of some of the New Zealand people I'm afraid,” Henry said.
He's (Donald) played some outstanding football lately, but he had a difficult 20 minutes on Saturday (in Hong Kong). He knows that, we know that, but I think he's good enough to overcome that and it'll be interesting to see how he handles that."
Cruden, who was the 'number two' first five during the Investec Tri Nations, received similar disapproval after a mixed showing against the Wallabies in the All Blacks 23-22 win.
Closer examination of both Cruden and Donald in their performances did reveal that the All Blacks as an overall unit was below par.
Rugby doctrine states that a number ten is only as good as his supporting cast.
Wilkinson played behind a supremely dominant English pack, while Carter has enjoyed similar luxuries both with the Crusaders and the All Blacks.
Yet by the same measure, a team’s navigator is expected to be able to settle a game down if his side is under pressure, something that Carter has demonstrated repeatedly throughout his career.
Another talented playmaker is Colin Slade, who shined when he replaced Cruden in Sydney.
Again though statistics showed that when he came off the bench, with the All Blacks down 22-9, the team began to fire up, with the New Zealand pack particularly dominant as Richie McCaw and Kieran Read took control with well taken tries.
There will though be much interest on Slade’s performance during the Investec Super Rugby season with the Highlanders, with his Southern move intended to ensure he is not in the crowded Crusaders playmaker queue with Carter, Matt Berquist, Tyler Bleyendaal and Tom Marshall.
For one feels that the backup first five-eighth position for the All Blacks is up for grabs.
Based on last year’s squads, it will primarily be a battle between Donald, Cruden and Slade, who will be hoping to spark the Chiefs, Hurricanes and Highlanders respectively.
A dark horse could be Stephen Brett, who will be the Blues key playmaker, while capped All Black Mike Delany could have something to offer as well.
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