KEY POINTS:
The All Blacks have played 64 tests since Ma'a Nonu made his debut against England five years ago.
Since that horrendous night in Wellington, matched by the equally atrocious weather several weeks ago for the test against Ireland at the same venue, Nonu has started in just eight
internationals.
The frustration must have been enormous with a mix of coaches lauding his talents and then using him at five-eighths, centre or wing. Whenever a gap needed to be filled Nonu was the player shifted.
He must have moaned at the weather gods at Wellington this year when he finally got his chance with the exits of players like Aaron Mauger, Luke McAlister and non-selection of Isaia Toeava, and the weather behaved as poorly as it did in his test debut.
Quietly under his breath, Nonu must have also cursed the selectors down the years at Wellington, the Hurricanes and All Blacks who always found reasons to shift him round the backline. He was the utility prince. For Nonu it meant a race for the test reserves at best. It meant we were left to judge his results in bit-part roles which were usually mixed hitouts.
With the All Black departures this season and a bit of fortune when he was shifted into midfield for the last half of the Super 14, Nonu has started his All Black comeback strongly.
It is a new era for the 26-year-old who had a chance to cement the centre role at the 2003 World Cup when Tana Umaga was hurt but lasted one game against Canada before being ditched. Worse followed last year when he missed the cut for the World Cup.
There was talk of the toys and the cot, rugby league and so on but Nonu stayed and made a strong case for reinstatement in the Super 14. He repaired his error rate, he carried the ball just as strongly, there was a calmer edge to his play and he got the callup. The pressure in the All Blacks is both greater and reduced on Nonu, more heat because it is a higher level but less reliance on him to break games open as he was asked to do in the Super 14.
Nonu plays his third straight test tonight at second five-eighths where his clash with the abrasive Jamie Noon will be appetising, the Englishman who had a great reputation for defence against the fearsome attacking gifts and decoy plans for Nonu. You can see Nonu's confidence start to return. He can be bashful and extrovert in equal doses, mischievous and surly but he appears to be more composed this season.
This time the selectors have picked him as the sole second five-eighths with Conrad Smith, Richard Kahui, Anthony Tuitavake and even Mils Muliaina better suited at centre.
It seems there is a better discipline to Nonu's work this year. He has built some patience into his game and been much more settled.
Ask him about it and he will fob off the questions, though he does concede his shift to midfield for the Hurricanes for the second part of this season probably saved his international hide.
He has been able to translate that efficiency on to the test paddock, he is far more comfortable learning one role, he looks a better footballer.
