Ma’a Nonu shows off his world class skill in MLR at almost 40
With every game that passes, former All Black Ma’a Nonu proves that he may actually be eternal as he continues to cause carnage in the MLR with the San Diego Legion.
The 103 cap All Black, who turns 40 next month, announced his return to San Diego towards the end of last year, having previously played for them, and showed on Saturday that he still has the skill and power that made him so lethal in an All Blacks side that won back to back World Cup titles.
Up against the Seattle Seawolves, Nonu created a first half try for winger Tomas Aoake by attracting three tackles before getting a left handed, back of the hand offload away just feet away from the line.
Despite this try, San Diego were unable to come away with the win, ultimately being shaded 34-32. That leaves San Diego third in the Major League Rugby Western Conference behind the Austin Gilgronis and the LA Giltinis.
Take a look at the try:
Seattle Seawolves XV
1 Mzamo Majola
2 James Malcolm
3 Tim Metcher
4 Samu Manoa
5 Rhyno Herbst
6 Ben Landry
7 Andrew Durutalo
8 Riekert Hattingh (C)
9 Juan-Philip Smith
10 AJ Alatimu
11 Martin Iosefo
12 Tavite Lopeti
13 Dan Kriel
14 Lauina Futi
15 Duncan Matthews
Replacements:
16 Mike Brown
17 Kellen Gordon
18 Samuel Israel Matenga
19 Victor Comptat
20 Travis Larsen
21 Nicholas Watkins
22 Setefano Funaki
23 David Busby
San Diego Legion XV
1 Nathaniel Sylvia
2 Peter Malcolm
3 Player 3
4 Ben Mitchell
5 Rohan O’Regan
6 Dan Pryor
7 Michael Smith
8 David Tameilau
9 Jason Higgins
10 Joe Pietersen
11 Tomas Aoake
12 Ma’a Nonu (C)
13 Tiaan Loots
14 Bjorn Basson
15 Matias Freyre
Replacements:
16 Patrick Lynott
17 Joe Walsh
18 Christopher Baumann
19 Christopher Turori
20 Chris Robshaw
21 Nico Gilli
22 Joshua Thiel
23 Ryan Matyas
24 Paddy Ryan
Elsewhere in the MLR, Nonu is set to be joined by former All Blacks teammate Waisake Naholo in the league, after the 30-year-old agreed to join Rugby New York last week. Both players’ international careers briefly aligned in 2015 leading up to the World Cup.
