Adam Thomson is at a cross road in his career path.

He had a great start to the year with the Highlanders, and rightly earned his place in the All Blacks for the June Tests against Wales and Ireland. Things didn't exactly go according to plan for Thommo, and with Victor Vito staking his claim for the bench spot in the All Blacks, Thomson found himself with the prospect of getting dropped - which came with the announcement of the Tri-Nations squad.

With the World cup looming on the horizon, Thomson has been forced to think about where he will play his rugby next year, and it's come down to either staying with the Highlanders or making the move up the road to Crusader country. It seems to be a tough decision, and one that he won't want to get wrong. Personally, I think the answer is easy.

Stay in Otago.

I know what you're thinking - why not go to the Crusaders, and play in a winning environment? Sure, going to Canterbury would probably be more enjoyable for Thomson, but if he wants to play at next years World Cup then I believe staying put is the right move.

With the Crusaders Thomson will just be another big fish in a really big pond. To really stand out he will have to outshine the likes of McCaw, Carter, and one Mr Williams, who will still be being talked about as much then as he is today.

Playing for the Highlanders, Thomson will stand out in every game. Even if the Highlanders are struggling Thomson can still shine, and that will be the difference between making the All Blacks or watching them play at home on his TV. Currently Thommo is playing for Otago in the ITM Cup, and it's certainly hard going for the Blue and Golds, but every week Thomson is standing out - in fact, he is the only thing worth mentioning about the Otago team.

And let's not forget that the Highlanders have got new coaching staff, and have already secured Colin Slade for 2011. Add to that the way the Southland Stags are playing, and things could look brighter for the Highlanders in 2011. Ok, it's a big 'could', but anything is possible in rugby.

I hope for the Highlanders sake that Thomson stays where he is, because losing a guy like him will be a massive loss to their revival chances.

Chris on Twitter

Photo credit - Alan Macdougall