Springbok rake out to put All Blacks on mat

By WYNNE GRAY

If any All Black finds himself pinned in the forward battles tonight at Eden Park, Lukas van Biljon may well be the perpetrator.

In his teenage years, the Springbok hooker was a wrestling devotee and useful enough to take several national titles in his weight class.

Mind you, he was also a centre in his young rugby days and he has moved on from there.

But Biljon points to those formative years in wrestling as one of the reasons he likes scrummaging and rampaging away on those rhino runs which have made him a standout in the Tri-Nations.

"My mother did aerobics and I used to go with her to the class and wrestle, and it happened from there," he said.

Like fullback Conrad Jantjes, van Biljon has come from obscurity to the frontline of Springbok recognition this season under new coach Harry Viljoen.

Van Biljon was part of the Sharks squad, but rated No 2 behind incumbent test hooker John Smit.

It was that way for much of the Super 12, though van Biljon was involved with the Sharks at Eden Park this year in their 41-27 victory against the Blues.

Viljoen picked up on the 25-year-old's potential and his debut came in the test against Italy. He has not moved since.

At 1.87m and 106kg, he has size and strength, which he mixes with his ball skills and speed to be one of the most effective Springbok ball carriers.

"I love that physical stuff," he declared. "Any contact I like.

"I think it does come from my wrestling background where you have to have a mix of things and you learn a lot about balance."

Van Biljon is not a great fan of gym work: he reckons his neck muscles are powerful enough after wrestling and with regular rugby training.

Last year, he was still living in Welkom, about 200km north of Bloemfontein, and playing for the Northern Free State, a first-division Currie Cup side but not one of the stellar teams.

He was coming back to good form after operations on both shoulders kept him out of rugby for several seasons. His play made an impression and this season he transferred to Durban and the Sharks.

The ascent continued with his selection for the Springboks.

Tonight will be van Biljon's second test against the All Blacks.

"This will be great," he said. "I really admire hookers like Anton Oliver and [Lion] Keith Wood and how they play, so this will be another chance for me to test myself against the best.

"New Zealand are also much more physical than Australia, in the front row, in their driving play, everywhere.

"The Wallabies tend to be more technical.

"Other than some like Owen Finegan, they do not like to get into your face as much.

"They do not like the big hits, not like the All Blacks, who like to be very direct like us."

While the Springboks' last test in Perth looked torrid, van Biljon said a solid scrummaging session midweek had removed the stiffness and settled any jetlag problems for the tourists.