By MICHAEL BROWN in Cardiff
According to the Kiwi stereotype, a 198cm, 108kg bloke is not supposed to show much emotion, let alone cry - least of all if he's an All Black. Norm Maxwell, though, is not your typical Kiwi and certainly not your typical All Black, despite initial
appearances.
The past 18 months have been something of a journey for the 28-year-old lock as he battled to regain his test jersey then took a self-imposed break from the game to 'find himself' by travelling.
It's for this reason that Maxwell, along with fellow returnee Anton Oliver, broke down in tears when they were handed their All Blacks jersey just hours before the test against Italy last weekend.
For Maxwell to admit this shows just how far he's come as a person and, while he's still a comparatively introverted member of the side, he now speaks with the maturity of someone who knows where he's at in life. He speaks as someone who's lived a little.
"It was really emotional for me before the Italy game because I had worked so hard to get back in the All Blacks and then virtually given it away," Maxwell explains.
"To be playing again was amazing. I didn't need to play to prove anything to anyone - it was just for me - because during a lot of my career, I had been doing it for other people. It was the same for Anton. When we actually got our jerseys, we were crying. It was a really special time for us."
Playing for the All Blacks again after a 34-test career was an idea Maxwell had given up on after being in the international wilderness since playing his last test against Fiji in June 2002. He had even agreed to take up a contract with Italian club side Calvisano at the end of the NPC before the All Blacks selectors came knocking.
A stint in Italy had been something Maxwell had been relishing after he'd spent six months on the road following his appearance for the Barbarians at the end of last year. As well as England, he took in Portugal, Egypt, Jordan, Thailand, Nepal and France before two months in Brazil.
"I really found my feet travelling and I really enjoyed it," he says with enthusiasm. "Travelling by myself really forced me to come out of my shell, which was really good for me - it forced me to stand up for myself a bit more.
"Over the last few years, I've done a lot of work on myself and my self-esteem and I've tried to find out who I really am. If you can find a friend in yourself and you can relax and enjoy your own company, then it's a lot easier while you're travelling.
"During the NPC I was having a really hard time with my body and the opportunity came up to play in Italy, so I thought it might have been a good opportunity to ease up a bit. At that time, I didn't think I had much more time left in me, but then the body came right a bit and the ABs came along."
Maxwell decided to give it "one more crack" and will see how his body fares in the next Super 12 campaign but he's already contemplating getting back on the road. It will begin when he returns to South America for a short holiday after this tour and he's not ruled out a contract in Italy or elsewhere.
While there wasn't a great deal of time for Maxwell to take in much of the Italian culture, what he did see confirmed he would feel right at home on the Continent and he also chatted to Italian and Calvisano halfback Paul Griffen about life playing overseas.
Like a lot of players brought back after a long spell in the wilderness, Maxwell treats every game in the black jersey as a bonus.
It's also given him a new lease of life and his next goal is to shrug off the generally accepted 40-minute-man tag following his appearances in the NPC and then the test against Italy.
"Yeah, I'm getting a bit of a reputation as a half gamer," he says with a laugh. "I'm happy to play as much as I'm asked to, but I reckon I could play 80 minutes. I would love to and it's something I want to sort out next year, but I need to be careful. I don't want to be an old man before my time."
To ask Maxwell to talk through his ailments is painful just to hear. Almost a habit, he immediately grabs his back before rubbing his thighs, saying he can't push as hard as he used to because of the scar tissue. Although he went on something of a health bender overseas, laying off the alcohol and learning yoga in Thailand, he was still troubled by his injuries and, at times, struggled to sit or even lie down without pain.
"It's sore, really sore," he says, with the pain etched on his already scarred face. "When I was younger I used to throw myself into it and not worry about the consequences, but now I have to be a lot smarter, so I actually think I'm a lot more effective for the team. If I thrash myself for another couple of years, I'm going to be the one that pays.
"The coaches are very understanding, though, rather than the old dictators who used to say, 'harden up and get out there'. I've become a lot more honest, too. In the past, there was no way I would have spoken up if I was feeling sore. I don't feel good about saying it - it's not in our culture - but you have to, for yourself."
He might joke that it's not in his contract to run at training, but it would be wrong to say Maxwell hasn't been approaching practice sessions with anything other than energy and enthusiasm.
He's a new man now, you see. The only thing he would wish for now was a new body to go with it.
- THE HERALD ON SUNDAY
By MICHAEL BROWN in Cardiff
According to the Kiwi stereotype, a 198cm, 108kg bloke is not supposed to show much emotion, let alone cry - least of all if he's an All Black. Norm Maxwell, though, is not your typical Kiwi and certainly not your typical All Black, despite initial
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