Nonu gets chance to impress selectors

Ma'a Nonu can press his All Black claims by hitting his best form during the Hurricanes' run-in. Picture/ Mark Mitchell

On a miserable night in Wellington three years ago, Ma'a Nonu beat Mils Muliaina into the All Blacks.

Nonu was picked at centre outside his provincial skipper Tana Umaga for that one-off test against England, while Muliaina made his debut as a substitute eight minutes from fulltime.

Since then Muliaina has become an enduring All Black selection, with 35 internationals under his belt - while Nonu has been picked only twice more to start in tests.

He has come on as a substitute in another eight tests but that limited involvement did not offer the strong impression that Nonu was the man to take over as centre from retiring All Black captain Umaga.

Not even when the other leading contender Conrad Smith broke his right leg early this season.

That misfortune gave Nonu the chance of extended time at centre but the jury is still out on whether the 23-year-old has succeeded.

Nonu will be playing outside Umaga again tonight in Wellington as the Hurricanes look to cement a place in the Super 14 play-offs with a victory against the Reds.

It would be also an opportune time for Nonu to change gear in his quest for the All Blacks.

Few doubt he will be part of the initial 39-man squad chosen for the tests against Ireland and Argentina.

But will he be offered a start - or be consigned to an impact role from the bench?

The Hurricanes' continued progress through the Super 14 will help Nonu's mission, as will favourable comparisons with seasoned opponents like Ben Tune tonight and Morgan Turinui next week with the Waratahs.

But centre remains one of the All Black selection uncertainties.

There has been some reluctance from the current panel to switch Muliaina from fullback, where he has developed into a very reliable and dangerous operator, to centre where he began his provincial career.

That hesitation may have been a bonus for Nonu but the imposing form this season of Leon MacDonald creates an alternative fullback for the All Black panel and a chance to divert Muliaina's talents.

Former All Black great Bruce Robertson agreed that settling on a centre was a tricky job.

"I guess there are people like [Caleb] Ralph, Mils and Nonu - and from what I have seen perhaps it will be Nonu," he said.

"He does not have a lot of experience but sometimes that means players need more opportunities to learn," he added.

The more the Hurricanes prosper in this series, it would seem logical that Nonu's international fortunes would improve.

However if national coach Graham Henry sticks with his plan to condition players involved in the playoffs during the tests with Ireland, then Nonu may not get his chance until Argentina.

Previously, Henry has also spoken about centre being the toughest position to defend on the field and that is not the strongest part in Nonu's repertoire.

His attack can be devastating and he also offers the versatility of playing on the wing or at second five-eighths.

Yet he is not as sure with his tackling or communication on defence as others like Muliaina or Ralph. Cue the coaching staff, who have invested time in Nonu for the last two seasons and will want to continue with that project.

What about other alternatives?

Casey Laulala if he and the Crusaders have a strong finish to the Super 14? He was an All Black in 2004 and appears to be returning to that standard, while Ralph is steady - a tidy defender and perpetual motion itself.

Blues utility Isa Nacewa would be an asset but he is ineligible because of his three-minute stint for Fiji in the last World Cup.

Last year's shock All Black Isaia Toeava has progressed well with the Hurricanes and is perhaps best suited as a fullback rather than an optional midfielder this season.

Rico Gear has played a significant amount of rugby at centre and could be an option if the selectors want to disperse some of their wing talent, with Joe Rokocoko, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Doug Howlett, Soseni Anesi and Scott Hamilton in the mix.

"I am thinking Mils will get the job," another former All Black great Frank Bunce said. "He will not let you down, he is very experienced, he started as a centre and is a confident, skilled player.

"I think Nonu will be in the squad but he is still prone to silly errors. I am not confident he will be consistent. He gets eight out of ten things right but he will be awesome in five years."