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Piri Weepu could be pressed into service at fly-half as London Welsh attempt to end their winless start to the season at Saracens on Saturday.
At scrum-half, Weepu helped New Zealand win the 2011 World Cup but impressed in the No10 role as a replacement during the European Challenge Cup 24-6 loss to Edinburgh at Oxford on Sunday.
Exiles head coach Justin Burnell was particularly pleased with the impact Weepu made alongside former England No10 Olly Barkley, who moved to centre, saying the pair stopped the team rushing their play.
Burnell said: “Piri looked really comfortable at 10. It’s something we’ve been looking at in training and Piri’s got that rugby brain and one of his strengths is his distribution. His passing and tactical awareness when he came on were fantastic.
“We’re mindful as coaches that we’ve got to keep looking and tweaking — Piri was a massive plus when he came on. He showed what our thought process is, and when Barks went to 12 the pair of them were quite accomplished and we had a bit more time on the ball.
“It’s about patience; you’ve got to make the most of the possession you get. We’re working towards having that ability to maintain pressure and keep hold of that ball.”
Steve Hansen today extended his contract as All Blacks head coach until 2017, ensuring he will be in charge when the Lions tour New Zealand that summer.
The 55-year-old’s contract had been until the end of the 2015 World Cup.
