WALLABIES v SOUTH AFRICA
Suncorp Stadium, 10 tonight
Fearsome Springbok Tendai "Beast" Mtawarira embraces the name which crowds throughout South Africa roar in guttural growls each time he rampages on to the ball or makes a bone-crunching tackle.
The Beast has rapidly emerged as world rugby's most destructive front-rower and will again be a 118kg thorn in Australia's side at Suncorp Stadium tonight.
But the Zimbabwe-raised prop gives further credence to another old adage - don't judge a book by its cover.
The 24-year-old cult hero is a humble gentle giant.
A devout Christian who is friendly and quietly-spoken, The Beast is nothing like his on-field persona.
He certainly doesn't mind being called Beast to his face.
"That's OK, I've had it since I was nine," he said. "Everyone calls me that.
"It came from my best friend at primary school."
As the story goes, the young Mtawarira used his size to bully other kids in the school-yard.
But now with strongly-held values and beliefs, The Beast prays before each game, along with listening to gospel music and Bob Marley.
Plucked from impoverished Harare after starring as an under-19 back-rower for Zimbabwe, his popularity has quickly spread throughout Africa.
Springbok assistant coach Dick Muir, Mtawarira's first Super 14 coach at the Durban-based Sharks, calls him an "ambassador to the continent".
"He is a good man," Muir said.
"He is a really humble guy. He's a good team man and a really likeable guy. He's got good morals.
"He's an asset to have and he's very kind with the way he looks to encourage and help other people."
It was Muir who helped propel Mtawarira to becoming the best No 1 in South Africa, and possibly the world, just three years after he was playing No 8 for the Sharks under-21s.
Whereas most back-rowers would feel their career was over with a move to the dreaded front-row, The Beast grabbed the "big challenge" with his massive hands.
It was Muir who suggested the left-field switch in 2006. A grateful Mtawarira believes he'd still be a provincial player without the move.
"It's just amazing how everyone worked around me and helped me," The Beast said. "I really saw it as an opportunity.
"I feel very blessed because I've had a lot of people help me so I definitely want to keep on improving and getting better. I really respect Dick, he's a great guy and very honest, and he's always looked out for me."
The Beast brings the best of both positions to his play. Although he's built like a gorilla, he moves around the ground like a tiger ready to pounce on smaller opponents.
At scrum-time, he's already monstered some of the best and most experienced test tight-head props.
English great Phil Vickery still bears the scars from a first test savaging at Durban in the recent Lions tour of South Africa.
While the Wallabies scrum has held its own against the world champions in this year's Tri-Nations, it is The Beast who has given them their troubles in both losses in Cape Town and Perth.
His iconic status has spread almost as quickly as his front-row development. Chants of "Beast, Beast, Beast" reverberated around Subiaco Oval last Saturday, and New Zealand fans are also getting into the spirit.
WALLABIES v SOUTH AFRICA
Wallabies
James O'Connor
Lachie Turner
A. Ashley-Cooper
Berrick Barnes
Drew Mitchell
Matt Giteau
Will Genia
George Smith (c)
David Pocock
Rocky Elsom
Mark Chisholm
James Horwill
Ben Alexander
T. Polota-Nau
Benn Robinson
Reserves: Stephen Moore, Pek Cowan, Dean Mumm, Wycliff Palu, Luke Burgess, Quade Cooper, Peter Hynes.
South Africa
Ruan Pienaar
Odwa Ndungane
Jaque Fourie
Jean de Villiers
Bryan Habana
Morné Steyn
Fourie du Preez
Pierre Spies
Juan Smith
H. Br ssouw
Victor Matfield
Bakkies Botha
John Smit (c)
B. du Plessis
Tendai Mtawarira
Reserves: Chiliboy Ralepelle, Jannie du Plessis, Danie Rossouw, Schalk Burger, Ricky Januarie, Adi Jacobs, Frans Steyn.
- AAP
