Ma’a Nonu ended the 2010 season on 98 caps for the Hurricanes and in red hot form, having helped in no small part in the team’s turnaround throughout the second half of the Super 14 season when they won four matches in a row and almost forced their way into the semi-finals for the third successive year.His sixth try of the season against the Chiefs in round 12 brought up his 40th career try and 200th career point, one of seven Hurricanes to surpass that milestone. Only Christian Cullen (56 tries in 85 games) and Tana Umaga (47 in 122 games) have scored more tries for the franchise.
However, with the All Blacks second five-eighth position seemingly his for the winter Tests that followed, he was forced on to the sideline for a spell with a knee injury. But he was re-selected for the Tri-Nations and at the highest level resumed his early season domination.
Nonu’s 2010 season followed arguably his best season in Hurricanes colours in 2009, seemingly breaking the line at will and ending 2009 as the Super 14’s leading try scorer with nine tries.
After a relatively quiet start to 2009, Nonu exploded on to the competition stage with several match winning efforts, constantly breaking the line on attack and forming a solid midfield partnership with centre Conrad Smith, this pair reaching the milestone of 20 matches together in the Hurricanes midfield in the 13th round match against the Chiefs. He appeared in every game in 2009 and ended the season as the franchise’s joint third most capped player with 85 caps under his belt since his debut in 2003. He has now scored 34 tries for the franchise, comfortably third most behind Christian Cullen (56 tries) and his mentor Tana Umaga (47).
This followed on from an outstanding 2008 when he proved a constant threat to all opposition he with seven Super 14 tries en route to earning an All Black recall after being left out of the World Cup squad in 2007. He then ended the year as comfortably the All Black’s first choice second five-eighth and was picked in the 12 jersey for the start of the 2009 international season in June.
Famous for his bulldozing exploits on the field, Nonu has also suffered his share of setbacks since he literally burst onto the New Zealand rugby scene in 2002 and 2003.
Still aged 25 at the end of the 2008 Super 14 season, Nonu had five seasons and over 70 caps for the Hurricanes under his belt, as well as 18 test caps for the All Blacks and 54 caps for the Wellington Lions. He ended 2009 as undoubtedly the All Blacks’ first choice second five-eighth, extending his Test tally to 46 appearances.
Nonu’s rise to fame was rapid. He was elevated to the Hurricanes in 2003 after one NPC season for the Vodafone Wellington Lions in 2002, when he carried his sublime club rugby form on to the first class stage. In an outstanding club season for his Oriental-Rongotai side, he and New Zealand Sevens teammate Roy Kinikinilau scored 22 tries between them.
His elevation continued unabated in 2003, setting the Super 12 alight and forming a formidable partnership in the midfield with Tana Umaga, whom comparisons with were immediately made, followed by selection for the All Blacks for his first test at home in Wellington against England.
As is often the case with X-factor players, Nonu suffered his first setback in 2004, unable to reproduce the same form for the Hurricanes, he was culled from the All Blacks and played for the New Zealand Sevens team instead. But some had work during the NPC earned him a test recall at the end of the year. In 2005 he was back to his best scoring seven tries each for the Hurricanes and Lions and often featuring on the left wing to accommodate both Umaga and Conrad Smith in the midfield. This earned him another European All Blacks tour. In 2006 Nonu was ruled out of the All Blacks during the year, but once more made the Spring trip to Europe.
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Ma'a Nonu
Ma'a Nonu
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