Johannesburg - All Blacks centre Ma’a Nonu is bemused by statistics surrounding the defensive ability of his Springbok rival in Saturday’s Rugby Championship Test in Johannesburg.
Damian de Allende has been touted as promising future star of South African rugby, but critics have pointed to statistical indications that his defence may not be of the highest order.
According to the figures, de Allende was listed high on the missed tackles graph in Super Rugby while South African critics pointed to errors in recent Tests against a World XV and the Wallabies.
However, he has no critics when it comes to his attacking flair.
Nonu wasn’t prepared to consider his opponent on statistics alone.
“Stats don’t always tell the full story. In fact, I’m quite surprised by those numbers. I don’t agree with them at all,” he said.
Nonu’s own belief was that de Allende was a very good defender.
“Whether it’s for the Stormers or the Springboks, he makes a physical impact on attack and defence. He makes some big tackles.”
He recalled during his stint at the Highlanders there had been a lot of emphasis on dealing with de Allende’s threat.
“He’s a very big and strong No.12, and he’s been playing very well.
“That’s why you’ll find him playing inside-centre for the Springboks this year,” Nonu said.
ANA