What a difference a coach makes.
Three months ago, Ma'a Nonu was about as welcome in a rugby camp as a bull in a china shop.
Given the red card by the Hurricanes' new management, and than battling niggling injuries, Nonu looked as though he was about to slip down the pecking order in the All Black midfield.
New boy Sonny Bill Williams was all the go. He was the man who was carving up backlines, offloading seemingly at will.
But that was then and this is now.
Nonu has got into that black jersey, found a man who knows how to pull his strings and just never looked back.
Why he received his marching orders by the Hurricanes management becomes more of a mystery the longer the season goes.
Graham Henry and Wayne Smith appear to know how to motivate the dreaded one and get him firing on all cylinders. Nonu has been a mainstay of the All Black side since 2008 and shows no sign of slowing down.
On the other hand, Williams has plateaued in the past couple of months.
He looked a million dollars in the ITM Cup last year and deservedly made his debut for the All Blacks on last year's northern tour.
It was all set up for him this season, playing for the champion Crusaders with All Black Dan Carter inside him.
He had some fine games, playing well at Twickenham when the Crusaders beat the Sharks, but in the top echelon he seems to lack conviction.
Those offloads seemed to disappear and he looked a tad hesitant in the finals series.
Now the lip has appeared to drop and Williams is talking about not staying in the country next year.
Whether he goes or stays is going to depend on what unfolds in the next six weeks.
Another feather in Nonu's cap is that he teams so well with Conrad Smith.
Smith is an old-fashioned type of footballer. A man who does the basics well and seems to never make a mistake. He makes his tackles, catches the ball and finds the tryline often enough.
Backing him up is Richard Kahui. His biggest problem is staying on the ground. Injuries have blighted his career. If he can stay fit, his speed and eye for the gap are assets.
And with the patchy form of those on the outsides, Kahui could find himself on a wing at some time in the tournament.
Midfield backs
Ma'a Nonu
Age: 29
Test caps: 59
Physical: 106kg, 1.82m
Strong and hard-running, wearing the black jersey brings out the best of Nonu, who has become an ever-present in the past few years in the national side.
Age: 29
Test caps: 49
Physical: 95kg, 1.86m
Never appears to play a bad game. Smith has emerged as one of the leaders of the side in past years and picks up a vital try or two.
Sonny Bill Williams
Age: 26
Test caps: 7
Physical: 108kg, 1.91m
The script was going exactly to plan for the former league boy but he has fallen off the pace in the past couple of months. He needs to get out there and smash some bodies and break the line.
Richard Kahui
Age: 26
Test caps: 12
Physical: 101kg, 1.9m
Always seems to be injured but when fit and firing, is a hard man to stop and capable of performing at the top level.
