Nonu aims for a smooth transition

Ma’a Nonu will be the centre of attention tomorrow when the All Blacks take on Canada, but the rising Wellington star would be happier if no-one noticed him.

After all, the 21-year-old has been given the hefty task of filling the experienced shoes of injured vice-captain Tana Umaga and a seamless transition would be a successful one.

Nonu, with his bleach-tipped dreadlocks, is of similar build and style to his provincial team-mate Umaga and is looking forward to assuming the responsibilities of one of New Zealand's stars.

"I guess we play in the same way we have got the same hairstyle, we play the same position," he said.

"He adds a little bit of him to the role, the leadership he shows to the team and just the approach he has in his game, but I add a little bit of me.

"Tana is not going to be there guiding me, so I guess you have got to take the leadership in your own hands."

Umaga today began rehab on a ruptured posterior cruciate ligament suffered against Italy last Saturday, and still retains hope of playing again in the World Cup.

The challenge from Canada was likely to be negligible, even before coach David Clark, who has already conceded his side cannot win, made 14 changes; the Canadians play Tonga four days later and are focussing on games they believe they can win.

The All Blacks, though, will be aiming for clinical execution against the minnows and Nonu insists the game-plan of exploiting the pace out wide will remain the same, even though Mitchell has made nine changes, including both wingers.

Elsewhere, Matt Dawson will play in Saturday's encounter against South Africa and set up a battle with the man he rates the best scrum-half in the world.

The England scrum-half looked to be out of the crunch game when he injured a hamstring in last Sunday's match against Georgia.

But a combination of ice treatment every two hours and a leg brace to immobilise the injury speeded up recovery to such an extent that today he declared himself fit to take on wily Springbok captain, Joost van der Westhuizen, who plans to retire at the end of the year.

"I wouldn't play if I wasn't 100%. I'm pleased to be involved in the biggest game we have had for years," said Dawson.

Scotland flanker Andrew Mower is out of the World Cup after sustaining a serious knee injury during a training session at Caloundra yesterday.

Australian-born Mower, 28, was taken by Scotland team doctor James Robson to hospital in Brisbane. A scan showed he would require anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.