The All Blacks risk seeing winger Nehe Milner-Skudder suffer what Wallabies five-eighth Quade Cooper endured in 2011 by picking him for the World Cup: the pressure proves too great and he is scarred by it.

That's the warning from 1999 World Cup winning Wallabies back Rod Kafer on Monday, the day after the All Blacks named their squad for next month's tournament in England and Wales.

"He is going to be really surprising to watch, but he is a bit of a surprise selection," Kafer said of the twice-capped Milner-Skudder, 24, despite him impressing this year for the Hurricanes and then on his Test debut against Australia in Sydney.

He scored two tries in New Zealand's 27-19 loss to earn his second Test start in the Bledisloe Cup decider in Auckland one week later that New Zealand won 41-13.

"I know he is very good at Super Rugby. There is no question about that. But being so young in his Test career … it will be interesting to see how he copes with the pressure," Kafer said.

"The World Cup is a pressure environment like no other. For a young player … they can go a couple of different ways. The odds are that maybe they don't come through as unscathed as perhaps they would like and thought it might be easier than what it really is.

"That would be the only concern, that maybe for him he just hasn't had enough rugby to deal with the pressure. But time will tell. Perhaps he has and will be player of the tournament, but equally he might struggle.

'"We have seen young players … Cooper [now 27] is a great example of a player who was scarred by his performances from the 2011 World Cup, and [is] yet to recover.

"They obviously see a hell of a lot in Milner-Skudder. It is just whether the World Cup is the right environment to blood a guy."

Kafer agrees that All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has taken another risk by picking winger Waisake Naholo so soon after breaking his fibula six weeks ago.

But he believes the Michael Cheika-coached Wallabies have selected a "riskier" side by not taking a third specialist hooker and halfback in their 31-player squad as the All Blacks have.

"Some guys come back quicker from breaks than other guys," Kafer said.

"Picking people who are injured is always a bit of a risk, but the Wallabies have probably got a riskier team with only the two hookers and only the two halfbacks; whereas the All Blacks have gone three hookers, three halfbacks."

Meanwhile, Kafer tips All Blacks five-eighth Dan Carter, 33, and with 106 Test caps, to leave an imprint on his third World Cup after failing to do so in 2007 in France and at home in 2011, due to lack of opportunity or injury.

"He is aware of it as well," said Kafer. "Interviewing him [for Fox Sports] after the second Bledisloe Test … He made that comment when I was chatting to him – that he hadn't had a great World Cup and was looking forward to getting that opportunity … He is very motivated to clearly get there and play very well.

"He was under a bit of pressure by all reports [at the time] – including [from] Steve Hansen, saying he is under some pressure. He responded as good players do.

"The pointy end of rugby is the World Cup and that is where you want to be able to perform and want to play well and want to be remembered and create a legacy."