Ma'a Nonu stepped out of the Sharks line in Durban on Tuesday night, stood alone in front of the team he served for more than a decade, and answered Ka Mate with Kapa o Pango. Twenty minutes of rugby later he was on the field against them. In between, the All Blacks won 54-0.
The haka exchange at a sodden Kings Park was the moment of the night, and it was not planned far in advance. The All Blacks laid down their challenge through Ka Mate, led by Ruben Love. Nonu, 44 years old and a veteran of more than 100 Tests in black, moved forward on his own to reply.
"It was great to see the boys and play against them for the first time. It was such a privilege and an honour, and to do the haka as well, to show my respect on behalf of my family to the boys and to the team I love and will always love," Nonu told Sky Sport.
He had been asked about the idea the night before and initially said no. The decision came in the moment, and only after he sought clearance.
"I kind of said no because this week I didn't want it to be about myself being on the bench, the All Blacks and my history with the team. I wanted it to be about the All Blacks and the Sharks," Nonu said. "I spoke to Tana [Umaga] and Tamati [Ellison], I asked Tamati for permission - in terms of doing it out of respect on behalf of our team, on behalf of myself and my family, and I thought it was the right thing to do to answer the boys and the All Blacks."
There is precedent. When the All Blacks played Munster in 2008, the Irish province's New Zealand contingent of Doug Howlett, Rua Tipoki, Lifeimi Mafi and Jeremy Manning laid down their own challenge first.
Sharks coach JP Pietersen had defended selecting a 44-year-old who arrived in Durban barely a week earlier on a mentorship posting, and who was pressed into the matchday 23 by injuries.
"This is our strongest team," Pietersen said before the game. "It's great he's here with us and giving our young boys just a feel of what the All Blacks may give to them. He's slotted in like he was here for a long time and the boys love him."
The rugby that followed was one-sided. Torrential rain left puddles across the surface and the All Blacks led just 14-0 at the break, through tries to wing Fehi Fineanganofo and fullback Damian McKenzie, both converted by Love. Then the visitors found their range: Caleb Clarke, a second for Fineanganofo, a Jordie Barrett try in the 59th minute that came off multiple hands, and further scores to halfback Kyle Preston, Timoci Tavatavanawai and lock Sam Darry. Love landed all seven conversions. Barrett, who repeatedly found Fineanganofo with cross-field kicks in the wet, took man of the match.
It is the second-largest All Blacks tour win in South Africa, behind the 85-0 hammering of North-Eastern Cape in 1970 - though the caveat matters. The Sharks were missing eight Springboks, and lost their starting hooker and lock to injury 24 hours out. The crowd of 14,759 in a 50,000-seat stadium was a poor look for the tour after a near-full house in Cape Town.
The concern for Dave Rennie is McKenzie. He landed awkwardly on his ankle taking a high ball in the fifth minute, played on with it strapped, scored, had a second try ruled out by the TMO, then came off eight minutes before half-time.
"He was running around, we had it strapped, but it was a little bit ginger. We decided to play it safe. He's not too bad. We'd expect him to be fine for the first test," Rennie said.
Rennie also confirmed a replacement for Billy Proctor, whose shoulder blade injury has ended his tour, would be announced within days. Brad Slater and prop Siale Lauaki came off the bench for their All Blacks debuts.
The tourists, who started without Ardie Savea, Codie Taylor, Will Jordan, Tyrel Lomax and Cam Roigard, play the Bulls in Pretoria next. The first Test against the Springboks is at Ellis Park.
