Ruben Love should be handed the All Blacks fly-half reins when they take on France in the Nations Championship next weekend.<\/p>\n
That is according to former Test star Murray Mexted, who states that his view has been altered following the 25-year-old\u2019s performances in the Super Rugby Pacific play-offs.<\/p>\n
Love<\/a> has been named in the wider training squad alongside Damian McKenzie<\/a> and Beauden Barrett<\/a>, who are all competing for that fly-half spot.<\/p>\n However, many now believe that the Hurricanes man should be given the nod for the Nations Championship, and Mexted has added his support for the younger playmaker.<\/p>\n Relationship with Roigard and Barrett<\/p>\n \u201cI think Ruben Love is playing on form,\u201d he told DSPN with Martin Devlin.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo weeks ago, if you had said: \u2018Would you drop McKenzie and Barrett, and play Love?\u2019 In fact, I was asked that 25,000 times and I would say: \u2018No, I wouldn\u2019t\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cBut in the last two weeks I\u2019ve changed my mind and Dave Rennie would have seen it too. He played so well and he played so well with [Cam] Roigard and with Jordie Barrett, and that\u2019s really important.\u201d<\/p>\n As Mexted stated, Love\u2019s cause is helped by the likely inclusions of fellow \u2018Canes stars Roigard and Barrett, who are set to take the scrum-half and inside centre spots respectively.<\/p>\n That prompted host Devlin to chime in, saying: \u201cIt\u2019s a powerful image he must have watching those guys cohesively play like that,\u201d and the former All Black<\/a> agreed.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s also got confidence because he\u2019s wanting to have a go. He\u2019s looking for opportunities but if he can\u2019t quite make it he can flick it to Jordie and Jordie will tidy it up,\u201d Mexted added.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s a great thing to do; the subconscious factor. There was a coach of mine once who said that two players that understand each other are equivalent of three opponents.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo are as good as three if they know each other, so I do think that Love deserves to have a go.\u201d<\/p>\n