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Rugby: Does Tana Umaga Still Have What It Takes To Be An All Black?
Published: March 17, 2011
When it was announced that he would play for Counties-Manakau in the ITM Cup last year, many expected him to be slow, washed up and unable to still play at that level.
But the move turned out to be a master-stroke for Counties. Not only did he have a huge influence on the younger players, he showed he was still a reasonable player and was an integral part in their gameplan.
He was then selected by the Chiefs to play in the 2011 Super Rugby competition. Again, his ability to still play at such a level was questioned. But his will to stay "forever young" seems to have shone through once more and he has played some outstanding rugby.
The question many people are asking now is, does Tana Umaga still have what it takes to be an All Black?
At first this may seem like a stupid question. Of course he doesn't, you might say. He's 37 years old, a shadow of his former self.
Yes, that's true. But isn't that what everyone said about his return to the ITM Cup? Or his return to Super Rugby?
In the past few weeks, he has shown that he still has speed, the ability to read a game and he's still a brick wall in defence.
Indeed, he has looked much like the Tana of old. To go with this, he now has a real mana that younger players respect and his influence on them is huge.
Is this good enough to get him an All Black jersey though?
Probably not. Not because he hasn't been playing well, but because he has arguably the four best midfielders in the world ahead of him.
These four men are, Ma'a Nonu, Sonny Bill Williams, Conrad Smith and Robbie Fruean. Each of these men offer a different skill set and a...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Rugby Union
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