Gerry Thornleymeets the dynamic ball carrier who has suffered much under Graham Henry's vexed "rotation policy"

MA'A NONU'S brother Palepoi is living in Ireland, where he is working in Dolmen stockbrokers, and ended the Irish season as a dual-status centre with Newbridge and St Mary's. Along with another, older, brother Palepoi takes some of the credit for developing the All Blacks centre who will line up against Ireland tomorrow by toughening him up in his formative years. But he accepts Ma'a was the natural one.

Their father, Kava, played prop for Oriental Rongotai in Wellington and all the boys, along with their two sisters, would go down to the club on Saturday mornings and volunteer as ball boys. When it came to playing though, Palepoi says his kid brother's first foray remains the stuff of legend in the club.

"You can ask anyone. In his first game Ma'a scored 10 tries. He was five years old."

Ma'a Nonu was clearly born to play rugby.

Though bedevilled, somewhat harshly, by criticism of his handling, his defensive reading and tackling, amid a raging debate as to his best position, Nonu remains one of the most dynamic ball carriers in the world game. Blessed with pace, strength and extraordinary balance even when being hit from all angles, if he generates momentum Nonu is near impossible to bring down.

Nonu's boyhood hero was Tana Umaga, so much so the dynamic centre even modelled his famous image (or infamous image, according to traditionalists such as Seán Fitzpatrick, who disapprove of the highlighted dreadlocks and make-up) on the brilliant former Wellington and All Blacks captain and winger-cum-centre.

He suffered by comparison, of course, all of which seems a tad unfair given he is such a palpably warm and likeable character. He admits to being a big kid at heart, loves the company of children and, were he granted his favourite wish, would be transported "back to school to hang out and play sports with my mates".

To that end, he maximised a pre-season visit to Cape Town by visiting a township and then inviting about 100 kids to a personal training session in which he became a laughing, willing if somewhat sizeable hare to be chased and tackled. He also works for a local children's charity.

Perhaps helped by that, it is a much calmer Ma'a Nonu who presents himself to the media these days, not the twitchy agitated soul of yore. Mind you, he has every right to be unsure of himself in an All Black environment. Despite making his debut against England in this, his home ground and city, in a defeat fully five years ago, this will only be his 19th Test.

Though he has never been on a losing All Blacks side since, in that time he has been shunted from pillar to post, from wing to centre and replacement, winning 12 of his caps off the bench and never once starting two Tests in a row. If ever there was a victim of Graham Henry's much debated "rotation policy" it is the dreadlocked 26-year-old of Samoan and amongst others, would you credit it, Irish extraction. His grandmother on his father's side was a Dunne and of his many tattoos, the one embracing his right arm displays his many bloodlines.

"My dad was always telling me about her when I was growing up, so there is a little bit of Irish there."

Leaning against the wall in the corner of the room and talking quietly to a small pocket of journalists, Nonu remained understandably guarded as he surveys his latest "big chance".

"It has been pretty tough coming into the All Black camp again and actually getting another chance. It will be exciting this week," he said, in sending out decidedly mixed messages.

His only previous stint at what the Kiwis call second five-eighth was on the end-of-season tour in 2006 in Paris, when he scored a try in a 23-11 win. Last year there were two early substitute appearances, then a blank, not even a trip to the World Cup.

"I think for the last five years of my career I have been chucked around. I've been told to be a winger or then a centre and obviously when I don't play well, everyone tries to pick up on the deficiencies in my game, you know. For the Hurricanes it has been tough. We have always had a lot of midfielders, like when Tana (Umaga) was there I had to go on the wing and that was never a problem because I had a licence to roam.

"But getting older it is all about trying to improve and I guess this year when I slotted in at 12 for the Hurricanes it wasn't too bad and it is all about learning. I am not getting any faster. Super 14 is way different from Test rugby."

He accepts he can roam around the backline for the Hurricanes, fill in where they think he is most dangerous but for the All Blacks he feels his range of skills and speed are best suited at Test level. He likes the midfield just fine.

"He has had a long apprenticeship and after that Test in Paris we were hopeful for him," said backs coach Wayne Smith, who adds that Nonu has cut out a tendency to tackle "above the ball in this year's Super 14 and that's made him a much better player".

"We like him in midfield, he has worked hard on his passing, which was probably the best in the Super 14 and now we want to see that applied. We know he can bust the line and make more breaks than anyone in the competition and we think he has got his head around the game, he is not so hyped up which helps his motor skills."

Nonu agreed he was more relaxed this season. "It is about chucking away the bad stuff in my game, there is no point in rushing up in defence and someone goes past you and you go and try and tackle them again. That is a late tackle so I will try and remain disciplined and composed. I don't want to be so energised doing the wrong stuff at the wrong time. I am just trying to behave."

It will help Nonu too that he is playing alongside his Hurricanes midfield partner Conrad Smith, who thinks the contrast in styles and strengths and their shared workload has helped Nonu's game, though his natural game was lethal enough.

"I think he is in a good space. Guys who play with him know the talent he has always had and I marvel at the things he can do and love playing alongside him but I think I have enjoyed a level of maturity which has come into his game. With experience he has got better and Ma'a can either make or create space."

Nonu has all the star attributes to be a big success in European rugby and doesn't hide his desire to play there one day. "I would be lying if I said I wouldn't go overseas and if I had a preference it would be to the UK because when I have been over there during the end of year tours I have stayed on there and really enjoyed the locations and the people there. My brother stayed in Cornwall for a few years."

In one of those end-of-season tours (he has yet to start a Tri-Nations game) Nonu scored a phenomenal individualistic try in the All Blacks' rout of Ireland at Lansdowne Road three years ago but playing at outside centre in their comparatively uncomfortable 34-23 victory in Hamilton the following summer, Nonu was skinned on the outside by Brian O'Driscoll for a superb set-piece try.

"It was a pretty tough game. To be honest we were pretty lucky to win that game when I think Troy Flavell scored that late try. Yeah, they brought it to us and so we'll have respect for them this week."