Rugby: Desire for All Blacks jersey fuels fire for Nonu

Ma'a Nonu wants to keep his standards high. Photo / Getty Images

Ma'a Nonu may have less to rage about these days but the fire within him still burns as fiercely as it ever did.

Contentment at finally finding his way back to the Hurricanes where he will be reunited with his respective real and rugby families has not dulled any of his desire to prove himself as a world class All Black.

He didn't smash the All Blacks to World Cup glory because he was angry about being fired by the Hurricanes. He says he didn't need to play so superbly for the All Blacks throughout 2012 to make amends for a quiet campaign with the Blues.

And likewise, he says his disastrous year with the Highlanders in 2013 was not the motivation for him bouncing back so splendidly in the test arena.

Perception has not been accurate in the case of Nonu. The last few seasons have not run to a deliberate pattern of him underperforming in Super Rugby only to fire himself up when he plays for the All Blacks.

He hasn't either consciously or unconsciously given anything other than his best for the Highlanders and Blues and his motivation hasn't fluctuated since he first slipped on a Hurricanes jersey in 2003. He hasn't been fuelled by injustice, bad luck or public commentary when he's played for the All Blacks.

Nonu says it's always been the same for him - that he's been driven intrinsically: that's he's only ever had the single goal of earning his starting spot as an All Black.

"I always just want to make the team," he says of his motivation after 92 All Black tests. "It's always the same thing, I just want to keep my standards high and play the best I can.

"Your feelings change when you are not in this team. When I left the Canes I didn't know where I was heading in terms of Super Rugby. But my sole purpose was always to make the All Blacks. Every time I played that was my purpose despite people talking about me changing franchise. My sole purpose was to play good rugby no matter what jersey I was wearing. "It was always about putting the Ma'a Nonu I wanted to be on the paddock."

The All Black coaching panel have understood Nonu better than most which is why their faith in him has never faltered. Nonu has played 15 of the 17 undefeated tests, clocking 1119 minutes on the field.

He has been the glue in many of their performances. Always available to cart the ball up the guts, take the hit, invariably bounce off the first one, sometimes two and then set things up for the forwards or offload.

His appetite for that sort of unglamorous but hugely important work is the most conclusive proof of his unconditional love of the jersey.

Which is why the All Blacks coaches will be asking even more than usual from him tonight. He'll be tasked with angling back towards Kurtley Beale to see if the surprise Wallaby first-five has fixed his defensive frailties. Nonu will be asked to mentor young Malaki Fekitoa through a huge occasion and Nonu will be asked to lead the defensive line: make good decisions that force the Wallabies into avenues they don't want to be exploring.

There is contentment within Nonu for sure in regard to his life being on an even keel now that he's back with the Hurricanes. But there will be no sign of that tonight - just the same old Nonu. Full of abrasive edge and hunger to win.