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Will Ma’a Nonu Leave New Zealand as an All Black Great?
Published: December 23, 2014
But is he an all-time great?
Having signed on to play for Toulon after next year's World Cup, the end is now in sight for Nonu's All Black career.
At his very best, he had it all. A destructive runner with ball in hand, he gained go-forward with ease and used a well-rounded skill set to pose a threat in distributing and offloading. Defensively he formed a brick wall in the midfield along with long-time midfield partner Conrad Smith.
But what sticks out in the mind with Nonu are his inconsistencies.
Despite bursting onto the scene in 2003 as a blockbusting outside centre, it was not until 2009 that he really looked convincing as a safe option in the midfield.
His early career was dogged with a tendency to rush up on defence, which left a spot greatly exposed in the line, while also being prone to mind lapses both on attack and in his discipline.
It took him a long time to stamp these flaws out of his game. But stamp them out he did, and by 2009 he looked a far more measured, intelligent player, while retaining the destructive ability that made him so attractive in the first place.
Injuries throughout 2009 and the beginning of 2010 showed just how important he was for the All Blacks. While the likes of Stephen Donald, Isaia Toeava and Benson Stanley were tried at inside centre, none brought with them the combination of threat and security that Nonu did.
After returning from injury, his form in 2010 was of the highest class as he became a key cog in the All Black machine that won everything there was to win that year.
By this stage, he had really begun to look intelligent in how he ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Rugby Union
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