Ma'a Nonu has joined South African club side the Sharks as a player mentor and one of his first tasks will be to help prepare his new team for a clash against the All Blacks.
It was announced overnight that the 44-year-old former All Blacks midfielder, who left French club Toulon in June, had joined the Sharks. Nonu was the oldest player to feature in the French Top 14 competition.
“Ma’a Nonu will spend the next few months in Durban as part of a high-performance mentorship programme designed to accelerate the development of the club’s next generation of players by exposing them to one of the most successful leaders in world rugby,” the Sharks said in a statement.
“Nonu joins the club primarily in a mentorship and leadership capacity, working alongside the coaching staff to support player development and strengthen the club’s high-performance culture,” they added.
The club, based in Durban, did not say whether Nonu would have a playing role.
The man himself said in a statement: “This is a great opportunity to give back to the game.
“Working alongside the future stars of our sport is exciting, and I’m looking forward to doing everything I can to help the club during my time there,” he added.
The Sharks include veteran lock Eben Etzebeth, hooker Bongi Mbonambi as well as prop Ox Nche and are coached by ex-South Africa wing JP Pietersen.
The All Blacks' "Greatest Rivalry" tour of South Africa begins on August 8 with a match against the Stormers. The All Blacks play the Sharks in Durban four days later.
Dave Rennie's men also play the Bulls and Lions, plus three Tests against the Springboks and one other Test in Baltimore.
Nonu, a double World Cup winner with the All Blacks, became legendary for his physical preparation at Toulon, where, apart from playing, he advised on strength and conditioning and tactics.
England and Toulon prop Kyle Sinckler told the Times last year: “Sometimes in France the schedule can be a bit crazy, but I try to get in at 7am, or just after, to be ready for whatever is thrown at us from 8am.
“I’ll do an hour of treatments, sauna and stretching but he will have already been in since 6am. He will have done an ice-bath, sauna, pool work, would have had his massage treatment and then will be firing up his muscles, or doing his maintenance work and core exercises in the gym for two hours.
“I did a core session with him once last season — I have abs underneath my stomach somewhere — but honestly I was still hurting after three days going, ‘Bro, this is ridiculous!’ ”
Rennie will name an extended squad of 44 players for the tour at midday tomorrow.
The Post reported recently that Southland and Moana Pasifika loose forward Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloa will be included in the squad.
The selection of the uncapped Tupou Ta'eiloa, 23, a powerful ball carrier and defender, would signal Rennie's willingness to take a gamble on a player whom All Blacks skipper Ardie Savea and defence coach Tana Umaga will know well from their time at Moana Pasifika.
Midfielder Rieko Ioane and locks Fabian Holland, back from injury, and Jamie Hannah will almost certainly be among those added to the squad.
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