Sorry mate, I just read the last sentence. I forgot I was actually replying to a post. I didn't mean to suggest that you didn't (although I feel like a ******** rereading it). What I meant was that from most of the people who I have talked to about this, they always come from the perspective that he isn't a good enough player, because he isn't as noticable or spectacular on the field, which part of his charm is that he isn't.
The big issue with SBW/Nonu combo is that Sonny Bill Williams loves to do crazy little offloads, which look good and work well when playing outside a player who is good at reading him and has very good core skills (ie Fruean, Guildford and Maitland). The problem with Ma'a Nonu is that he has always had trouble with some of those core skills, and it has been his main criticism. Making him catch some of the tricky passes Sonny Bill Williams does would be cringe worthy when he has only recently improved his handling to catch normal passes.
If you are looking at Line-breaks and running metres, it's a bit tricky considering how little games Conrad Smith has played since injury. With that in mind, I'd imagine he would have made as many metres and line breaks, albeit broken less tackles. The point of a centre though is not just as a one dimensional attacking weapon that some people seem to think. I'd guarentee Nonu/SBW would look pretty unimpressive when being marked by Conrad Smith. It's all good saying a player is a better player because they are more spectacular attackers but World Cups have been won by teams with the best defensive records and it is New Zealand's defense that has made them such a force over the last few years, especially playing in the Northern Hemisphere.
The second part of that is, it is unlikely the All Blacks will get cleanline breaks at will, someone has to set it up, and Nonu isn't the most creative player. Conrad Smith acts as a pivot, drawing in players or sneaking through the holes in the defense.
