Competition for places in the All Blacks squad to take on the Lions is heating up, and Highlanders hooker Liam Coltman is one player who wants to be in the thick of the occasion come June.
Coltman has been in impressive form for the southerners this season, and earning his first All Blacks cap against Italy in Rome as part of the annual European tour last year has only whet his appetite for the black jersey.
"It would be awesome to be a part of," said the Taranaki-product.
"It doesn't come around every year, it'd be a good opportunity. To get a crack would be unreal."
The experience has certainly paid dividends, with the 31-year-old crediting his time in the international fold as having lifted the overall standard of his game to new heights.
"It's always good to get a fresh perspective on things….being with the AB's they've pushed me even further."
Competition within the Highlanders side is also ensuring Coltman stays at his sharpest, and with the All Blacks coaching brass omni-present there isn’t any time for resting on laurels.
"The AB's coaches float around and pop in and out and you get told what you need to get told. But I'm always working on my game.
"The team's going really well which has helped me as well, it's pushed me to another level.
"I'm working on everything really. To make sure you don’t slack off one area and work harder on the other – you have to try balance it out so it's best just to cover everything."
But with the Stormers looming large on the horizon Coltman isn't getting ahead of himself, insisting his focus remains resolutely on the South African challenge at hand - in particular refining the line-out and scrum to compete against a side so prodigious at set-piece.
"It'll be tough work against a good line-out like the Stormers so we've just got to do our homework and make the right calls out there, play our footy off that.
"We've got a get a good lift, a good jump, then I've got to put the ball where it's supposed to be – so it's all of us working together."
"It's Highlanders first, then whatever happens after that happens."
The Highlanders kick-off against the Stormers at Forsyth Barr stadium on Friday at 7:30pm.
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