Ma'a Nonu joined the Sharks in late July on what was announced as a high-performance mentorship deal, working alongside head coach and former Springbok wing JP Pietersen to bring on the club's young backline. Eleven days later, he is on the bench to play against the All Blacks.
The 44-year-old was named at No.23 for the second fixture of Rugby's Greatest Rivalry at Kings Park, kicking off at 7pm local time on Tuesday 11 August — 5am Wednesday NZT. It will be his Sharks debut, in his 25th season as a professional, against the side he played 103 Tests for between 2003 and 2015 and won two World Cups with.
Patrick Tuipulotu, who captained New Zealand in Friday's 38-21 win over the Stormers in Cape Town, was asked about it before the team flew north to Durban.
"I didn't expect him to be named, but am certainly looking forward to it," Tuipulotu said.
"A lot of the boys know him and are close to him. It's no secret how long he's played; his career's been this long because he's a true professional of the game, and he's been blessed to keep playing."
He then made clear the reunion will not be entirely reverent.
"I think it'll be quite a spectacle to see him come up against us. Might catch up with him midweek and give him a jab or two."
All Blacks forwards coach Neil Barnes, speaking to Newstalk ZB, went further into the joke, suggesting his side could fight fire with fire given they have a couple of ex-players of their own in the coaching ranks — a nod to assistant Tana Umaga, who wore the same midfield jersey for New Zealand a generation ago.
Pietersen has otherwise picked a notably young side. Nick Hatton captains from No.8, two-time World Cup-winning Springbok tighthead Vincent Koch anchors the front row, and recently capped Vusi Moyo starts at fly-half. Eighteen-year-old Zekhethelo Siyaya is at fullback, with Jurenzo Julius at outside centre and Murray Koster at 12 — meaning Nonu, if used, comes on to a field where several team-mates were not born when he made his Test debut.
For New Zealand, the Durban trip carries a live injury question. Centre Billy Proctor left the field early in the second half in Cape Town and his tour is unresolved.
"He was trying to jackal for the ball, there was a clean-out, and it looks like it is maybe a shoulder injury," head coach Dave Rennie said. "We are not sure yet. There are a few bumps and bruises."
Rennie also confirmed the matchday 23 in Durban will look almost nothing like the one that started the tour.
"There'll be a handful of guys tonight who will back up, but there'll be an enormous number of changes," he said. "Likewise when we play the Bulls four days later."
That rotation is deliberate. This is the All Blacks' first full-scale tour of South Africa since 1996, and Rennie has eight matches in six weeks to sort a Test side before the first of four meetings with the Springboks at Ellis Park on 22 August.
"It's exciting. We wanted to be flawless tonight, and we know we can be a lot better, and we've only got to wait four days to get another crack at it," Rennie said. "I'm excited about the games that are coming up, and it will give us a pretty good indication of what our lineup will be for that first Test."
Matthew Carley referees at Kings Park, with Karl Dickson and Hollie Davidson on the touchlines and Mike Adamson as TMO.
