Questions that demand answers

that he slogged his guts out all season for the Crusaders and the All Blacks. His form wasn’t spectacular, but that’s not the point. It’s time to give it to

She’s an outstanding player, a great role model and a genuine contributor to the game through her work as women’s rugby co-ordinator in the Crusaders region. I’m not sure what Mo’unga’s doing on that list and would probably give it to Sam Whitelock, whose name isn’t there.

A close thing between Mo’unga and Taylor, but the former gets the nod after expertly guiding the Crusaders to title number nine in August. The 24-year-old should also nab the fans’ try of the year gong for his kick and chase effort against the Highlanders in July, when he torched fullback Ben Smith at Christchurch Stadium. matter if he has to be linked with a provincial team, or as an employee at HQ in Wellington. Let Schmidt refresh, clear his head and ensure he feels the love. I can’t see any downsides to that. seems a really admirable and capable guy and it’s refreshing to see he’s likely to put his family ahead of his career. On that basis, it’s hard to know where he’ll land and what he’ll fancy work-wise. I’d just love to see someone who says they want to spend more time with their family actually end up doing it. As long as NZR don’t promote Ian Foster to the hot seat without inviting applicants, all is well. It’s difficult to imagine Warren Gatland being given the gig after last year’s Lions tour, but he’s probably the best man for the job. Japan coach Jamie Joseph, who was told to head overseas before giving the job a nudge, is also qualified.

Ma’a Nonu is, to borrow from the great Winston Churchill, a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.

One of the finest All Black midfielders of all time, the power-packed, dreadlocked, game-changer always seemed to save his best for the black jersey he cherished so highly. He played 103 tests between 2003 and 2015 and over the last eight of those seasons formed arguably the finest centre pairing in history with the equally outstanding Conrad Smith.

For a long, long time Sonny Bill Williams couldn’t get a starting spot when probably at the peak of his powers, that’s how good Nonu was. For the All Blacks.

But even back then – remember his last season as an All Black was three full years ago – he failed momentously to reproduce that same form in the Super Rugby arena.

In his younger days, playing alongside his mentor, Tana Umaga, and in a Rolls-royce backline that at times purred with perfection, Nonu was a brilliant player for the Hurricanes. But in the latter part of his time in Wellington and then in ill-fated, notably short stints with the Blues (twice), Highlanders and finally the Canes again, he was never able to recreate his All Blacks form with his Super Rugby sides.

What’s more Nonu became an ill fit with his franchises over the back half of his career and, not coincidentally, was part of under-performing sides. There were fleeting moments where his class shone through, but it always seemed as though Nonu was going through the motions at Super Rugby time and saving his best for the test arena.

There can be no doubt it was a formula that worked for him, as right up until that back-to-back World Cup triumph in 2015 he was one of the very best of a special era of All Blacks. He had a step and a half, the power of a tank, a tremendous flat, probing pass and over the latter stages of his career even developed a world-class chip-kick game.

With the classy Smith