Nonu ready to fight for centre slot despite the arrival of Williams
Graham Henry’s lavish riches extend to all departments but the jewels left languishing in his vault of backline talent demonstrate just how flush the tourists are as another World Cup approaches.
When Marius Jonkers gives the green light this evening, men like Joe Rokocoko and Sitiveni Sivivatu will be kicking their heels on the sideline. That is 111 caps and 74 caps held in reserve right there. And there is more, much more.
Stewing alongside them will be the likes of Sonny Bill Williams, Jimmy Cowan, Stephen Donald and Hosea Gear and then there is the smattering of young men who will be rubbing their eyes in the middle of the night back home while tuning in to the live feed from Dublin.
Guys like Hurricanes out-half Aaron Cruden or the Blues wing Rene Ranger and his club-mate Benson Stanley. Whatever about the country’s fortunes at next year’s World Cup, the future appears to be bright indeed.
Midfield maestro Ma’a Nonu acknowledges his side’s good fortune. “We are quite lucky in New Zealand in that we have a lot of good backs that want to play with this team,” he said. “Five years ago, we always had good backs, but maybe they didn’t back themselves and they went overseas too early.”
It is the return of one such Prodigal Son, Williams, that has cornered much of the conversation during this latest tour. The 25-year-old’s decision to return home from his spell at Toulon to compete for a black jersey instigated a succession of ripples that have mushroomed into something approaching a tsunami since his display in Scotland last week.
Built like the proverbial brick house and with what can only be described as double-jointed offloading ability, Williams was a revelation at outside centre in Murrayfield. His return affects Nonu far more than the chattering classes, but the centre is impressed with the abilities of a man who has become a clear and present danger to his shirt.
“We have become close in the last few weeks, we are now great mates and everyone knows his background. I’ve always said that he is a great footballer so there is no surprise with what he can do,” Nonu insists.
“We talked a lot over the last couple of weeks about positions and our roles in the back line and he just applied that. It shows the sort of player he is. Unreal really and it was great to see. He’s a good dude if you get to know him, especially with the publicity he gets. He’s just one of the boys and he just wants to play footie.”
It might be early days in Williams’ international education but the lessons have travelled along a two-way street and the Crusader’s willingness to try the unexpected – “freakish stuff” as Nonu terms it – has reminded his new team-mates that high risk can sometimes bring high return.
Nonu recognises as much but knows, too, that he cannot look to ape the newcomer’s qualities, even if they are often described as similar talents. The plan is to continue playing his own game, starting today when he will be aided by a familiar face.
Graham Henry has changed his midfield pairing for every tour game so far and it is the turn of Nonu and Conrad Smith to patrol the patch in Dublin, the 26th link-up for a partnership described as the world’s best.
“We’re quite lucky in that we have played with each other for a long time, especially at Wellington and for the Hurricanes. We have a lot of cues so that we know what’s going on. If I’m busting ass I will hear it from him because he is the sort of guy who does a lot of things and cleans up a lot of stuff. He is quite loud as well.”
Facing them is another partnership of some renown and longevity.
“They’re a great midfield - O’Driscoll and Darcy,” acknowledges Nonu. “O’Driscoll is always on top of his game. He always pulls Ireland out of trouble when they are under the pump or not in front on the scoreboard. You have just got to expect the unexpected. They are pretty hot on their feet and good defensively. I’m sure they won’t back down.”
All that and Sonny Bill waiting on the bench... buckle up.
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