KEY POINTS:
Whack some shades on him and he could pass for that guy from the Mod Squad or one of the Jackson Five.
Since moving to Toulouse six years ago, Finau Maka has let the 'fro' grow and been away from the gaze of all but the most determined of New Zealand rugby eyes.
All Black coach Graham Henry paid a visit in 2004 to see whether Maka might be the answer at the back of the scrum. French coach Bernard Laporte was also keen to sign up the loosie when he qualified for France after three years in Toulouse. Maka's country of birth, Tonga, also came calling at the last World Cup but he batted away that appeal, as he was still thinking about qualifying for France.
"But I said to myself, if that did not happen then I would definitely play for Tonga at this World Cup."
And how. Les Grand Cheveux apart, Maka and his loose forward comrades have made an exceptional impact at this tournament.
Maka is 30, lives in Toulouse with his wife Elizabeth and five year-old son Brian and has just signed a three-year extension on his contract with the most successful club in Europe.
A third of France's squad play for Toulouse. They have signed All Black halfback Byron Kelleher and are reported to be doing a deal with Wallaby Stephen Larkham to replace Frederic Michalak, who is off to play for the Sharks in the Super 14.
Life in the heartland of French rugby, in a city where rugby rather than football is king, has suited Maka who followed elder brother Isitolo to the club after stints with the Hurricanes, Blues and Highlanders.
He left as a quick 105kg openside flanker who cut his hair every week and is now a moptop 111kg No 8 who has rampaged through the tournament with much of the impact his brother did in his brief stint with the All Blacks.
Elder brother has played in Japan for the past two years and, when he vacated the No 8 jersey, younger brother took over at Toulouse.
"I always had a kind of idea I wanted to play in that position. When I was in New Zealand, Wayne Smith said he could see me as a No 8 in the future. I guess he will be laughing about that now," said Maka.
"It helped having my brother here. They asked him about 2000 if he had any brothers who played rugby and the next thing, I was here in 2001 and have not moved away.
"Before Isi left, he helped me a lot with moves from the back of the scrum and how to handle a variety of situations. I have played No 8 for the last season at Toulouse, enjoyed it and it seems to be going okay."
When Tonga asked Maka to play this World Cup, there was no delay.
"God said France were not going to pick me anyway and it would be a privilege to play for my birth nation."
The only blight for Maka was that Tonga were not drawn to play any matches in Toulouse. They twice played not far away - in Montpellier where they beat the US and Samoa - then faced the Springboks in Lens and England in Paris yesterday.
"Those wins to start for us were just great, playing for such a small country, and the whole of Tonga was happy with the way we went," said Maka.
"It is neat playing with your mates. I am really happy to be part of this team and part of the involvement in the Tongan way, how we do things. Being part of that close group and being able to do things as we want has helped us I think," Maka said.
Maka said another of the side's secrets was their faith. They prayed together every night and before training, though he was unsure whether God would be with them at Parc des Princes in Paris. "But I do know it was the most important game in the history of Tongan rugby," he said.
Maka thought the side's impression at the World Cup had been the result of several other factors. They had experienced players like Inoke Afeaki, Nili Latu and Aleki Latui, who had played a lot of Super rugby, and that knowledge helped the side cope with tight moments.
They had also prepared strongly. They had a three-week camp in Tonga, a game against Auckland B and then a game in Edinburgh as they flicked away some of their jetlag.
Maka had joined the side in Auckland but did not play any of the trial games because he had damaged his thigh muscle. The last match he played before the US was back in June.
"After that, all I did was cycling, rehab and physio but the coaches had faith in me, they seemed to trust me, so I had to repay them. After the win against USA, we got the confidence that we can do this - so before Samoa, we made a pact to give it all, to take it to them because they had won most of the matches between us in the last six or seven years. That was a burden but, when we won, it all lifted, everyone was so happy and we did prayers out on the field and thanked God for being with us."
Coaches Quddus Fielea and Ellis Meachen had put in a huge amount of work so the scrum was a foundation for the loose forwards. From there, Latu had worked like a dynamo and Maka, Hale T-Pole and Viliami Vaki had followed. The crowd support for Tonga was immense and Maka admitted his rugby had given him strong exposure in the French media.
"I am a lot older and wiser about how I play my rugby now," he said. "I was one of those guys who played Super 12 before I played in the NPC. I got called in to the 'Canes after the New Zealand under-19s and I was a bit too young then. All I cared about then was having fun. Now I understand a lot more how my body copes and what rest it needs," he said.
"It was hard for me when I left New Zealand because I had played all through the grades there but when I got to Toulouse and settled in, I wished I had come earlier."
Maka said his French is patchy and he has to rely on his young son to help him with some translation. Life was tough, too, for his wife but they had made a real effort to get out and about in the countryside and to make new friends.
"Toulouse is great, the support for rugby is immense. The whole town is like being in Canterbury. Every kid who is any good at rugby wants to come and play for us. Now Tonga is getting that support too."
