By WARREN GAMBLE
"We want to tackle Jonah," piped up the King's College 1st XV player.
"Yeah, bring on the big guy," said his mate.
The bravado would have been more impressive had it come before the training session between four northern secondary schools and the All Blacks yesterday.
But it showed that even
in the photo session afterwards the younger players were pumped. As it was Jonah Lomu hunkered down in the middle row for the cameras, leaning on the shoulders of Jeremiah Fatialofa of King's, in the mould of his famous father, Peter.
For the 60 players from King's, Kelston Boys High School, Auckland Grammar and Hamilton Boys High, following in the footsteps of their training partners was cemented in 90 minutes.
Across the King's playing fields pockets of All Blacks took backs and forwards through drills and techniques as part of a Philips-sponsored training day.
In one corner captain Todd Blackadder had to look up to some giant schoolboy locks as he, Taine Randell, Anton Oliver and Carl Hoeft worked on the finer aspects of scrummaging.
Lomu, Pita Alatini and Tana Umaga commanded another field, putting the backs through their paces. Among the No 11's advice was: "It's not about how big you are, it's about body position. If you are on the outside you have got a better chance; if you run straight at them you will get nailed."
Unless you're him.
In the next field Andrew Mehrtens matched his boyish looks to teenage enthusiasm as he skipped round the field.
At the end, red-faced from the exertion, Hamilton Boys front row forward Matthew London said he had taken away scrum lessons on balance and tight-binding. The All Blacks had been informative and "really nice."
His teammate Boyd Scott was also impressed by the All Blacks' "people smarts," saying they got the message across better than schoolteachers.
"They were more at our level."
Some of the senior players have not been too long away from college. Doug Howlett left Auckland Grammar in 1996 and recognised some of the present 1st XV.
All Blacks test programme 2000
