Nonu: Damian is not a revolving door
All Black veteran Ma'a Nonu does not see Damian de Allende as the soft underbelly of the Springbok defensive line.
The 33-year-old midfield back, closing in on 100 Test appearances for New Zealand, was adamant that De Allende is a centre worthy of his place in the Springbok team.
Speaking ahead of the crucial Rugby Championship encounter between the Springboks and All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday, Nonu dismissed the suggestion that his Bok rival is a revolving door on defence.
It was suggested by members of the media contingent that De Allende had the worst defensive stats in Super Rugby.
Nonu was adamant that those statistics can't be accurate.
"That is a surprising stat, because I have seen him tackle," was Nonu's response to the claims that De Allende is a poor defender.
"He is a pretty good defender," the veteran All Black said, adding: "When we played the Stormers this year we did a lot of analysis around him and he was their main ball carrier.
"I don't agree with that stats and that is why he is playing for South Africa at No.12.
"We don't want to fall into those traps [of underestimating a player], se we have to be prepared and measure up."
Speaking of the qualities of the Boks' new-look midfield combinations – De Allende and Jesse Kriel – the powerful All Black said they played very well last week against Australia and they have had an outstanding Super Rugby season.
"We will have to be prepare for how they play," he said of a rookie duo that has added some fresh spark to the Bok backline.
"For us, as an All Black side, we expect the unexpected – we never assume stuff.
"When it comes down to the game, players really react to their instincts.
"They may put structures in place on how to attack and how to defend. However, when comes to pressure it is who performs well – we can look at all the clips on how their backline play, but from No.9 to No.15 they are dangerous."
Nonu, one of many seasoned All Blacks who will head abroad after the World Cup, also had some strong views on who the most potent midfield combination is he faced in his 12-year international career.
"The toughest midfield pairing I have come [up] against is probably Jean de Villiers and Jaque Fourie," he said.
"I remember vividly in 2009, when we played South Africa in Durban and Bloemfontein, we lost those matches. We played them again in Hamilton and lost that as well," he said of a rare three-nil series whitewash by the Boks over the All Blacks.
"That is the [centre] pair, I feel, is the toughest we have come across, me and Conrad Smith."
By Jan de Koning in Johannesburg
@King365ed
@rugby365com
