A bull of a man

By WYNNE GRAY

When teenage Auckland prop John Afoa packed down in the first scrum of the NPC season he got the most traditional of welcome from his Otago opponents.

It was the grizzly former All Black captain Anton Oliver who set the tone as he laid down the instructions for his loosehead prop and another national discard Joe McDonnell.

"Remember you've got 80 minutes to smash him Joe, take your time."

It was the only time Oliver tried the verbal treatment which was a tribute to the work Afoa and his tight five put in on a difficult night in Dunedin.

"I really thought it was going to be a long game when I heard that stuff first up," Afoa recalled. "But that was all there was. There was a heck of a lot more in the Battle of the Bridge where all the Blues team-mates were having shots at each other."

Afoa is soaking up his rugby knowledge as he tackles the tighthead propping job for Auckland, with Kees Meeuws on All Black duty and Deacon Manu deciding to stick with the Mooloo men.

The man nicknamed "The Bull" does not turn 20 until next month and has already represented Counties and Auckland at age-group levels, and New Zealand at under-16, secondary schools, under-19 and the victorious Colts this season.

Afoa has the size for the work, it is just a matter of adding technique and time to his bulk.

Three years ago, Afoa was the central figure in a famous grouping at St Kentigern College in Auckland. The school front-row was far heavier than the All Blacks with John (then a hooker) at 122kg, his elder brother James at 134kg and Junior Lamalu at 135kg.

The trio are still playing, James with Counties Manukau and Lamalu in Queensland.

Afoa initially was a student at Papakura High before he transferred, like Joe Rokocoko, on a scholarship to St Kentigern.

The prop reckons his mother's cooking and a healthy appetite helped his size.

Afoa remembers he, his three brothers and three sisters often disposed of four chickens between them at an evening meal. His mother's Samoan cooking was not to be missed.

Until this year, Afoa also used to trek to and from home and Auckland practices on the train, no flash car for this rising prospect.

"Oh, it wasn't too bad," he says, "I used to catch two trains to get to Eden Park and it was about $7 each way."

These days Afoa has moved his 126kg frame within walking distance of the famous ground.

He trains and works there as a sports coaching co-ordinator for the Auckland union, teaching children the arts of rugby at primary school.

But a fair chunk of his time is spent now on the NPC.

"We are looking after John and getting him to concentrate first and foremost on his set-piece work," coach Wayne Pivac says.

"His technique is strong and we believe in time he can be an All Black."

Afoa has recovered from a hamstring strain suffered before last week's game against Wellington and will run out against Waikato tomorrow.



"I was only about 60-70 per cent during the game and was told just to do the basics.

"However, the ball followed me a bit.

"If it had been a club game I think I would have missed it, but I got through and am ready again this week."