Sam Cane or Ardie Savea?

The race to replace our greatest ever All Black is on.

The All Blacks will be blessed with depth once again in the openside flanker position even when Richie McCaw does eventually hang up his boots.

In a position that New Zealand rugby has traditionally always been strong in, future selectors and coaches should be able to call on the likes of Sam Cane, Ardie Savea, Matt Todd & Luke Braid if they're all fit.

Sam Cane is clearly the frontrunner now with Matt Todd probably behind him but Ardie Savea is catching up fast and could potentially bolt onto the end of year squad if luck chooses him over others.

An on the balance of his form for Wellington for the ITM Cup this season in guiding them to the ITM Cup Premiership Final, that probably won't be surprising.

At this stage though, Ardie Savea's best chances of donning black are with the New Zealand Sevens - a team for whom he is set to feature prominently come 2016 given his agility and prowess as a player in rugby's diminuitive form.

However, I'm sure Julian's younger brother has dreams of representing the All Blacks and after another season of Super Rugby, that dream could very much become reality. Indeed, I believe, Ardie Savea will be Sam Cane's strongest challenger to the All Blacks no. 7 jersey once McCaw is gone.

Savea is a strong tackler and he is pretty lethal with ball in hand and in space. That second aspect is one that he probably has the edge over Sam Cane. He has shades of a certain Michael Jones.

However, the best openside flankers are known for their toughness, not their athletic abilities, and that's why Sam Cane is currently right in the mix. His development in the last few seasons has shades of McCaw's early years and that's why the selectors are so keen on him.

Whatever happens, Cane v Savea could be the new McCaw v Holah.

And unfortunately for Canterbury fans, Matt Todd could be the new Josh Blackie - a good player who often had the best of McCaw and Holah, yet never managed to get the attention of the national selectors.

Josh Blackie - a mystery why he never made the All Blacks