Standing tall in the family tree

By CHRIS RATTUE

In rugby parlance, the Chiefs have gone for "tall timber" in selecting Sean Hohneck for tonight's mission improbable against the Blues at Eden Park.

The new Chiefs lock actually comes from a long line of Hohnecks famous for chopping trees down.

The 25-year-old Hohneck makes his Super 12 debut against the champions, in a re-arranged Chiefs line-up, with the task of helping sort out the lineout problems which surfaced against the Reds in round two.

The Hohneck's are well known bushmen and loggers in the central North Island forestry industry. Hohneck's grandfather Doug is a legendary figure who represented New Zealand at woodchopping in the 1960s.

In a famous family moment, Doug Hohneck used his last £2 on a double at the TAB and won nearly £1000, enough to buy a car which enabled him to pursue his love of competing at chopping meetings, and thus help fuel a family passion.

Sean Hohneck's father, Doug jnr, holds many national woodchopping titles and was in the New Zealand team for 28 years. Two of Hohneck's uncles also represented their country.

The woodchopping tradition still runs strong in the latest generation, but Hohneck decided he was barking up the wrong tree after trying it as a youngster. "I was too worried about my feet to keep going with it as a sport," he says.

So Hohneck is not quite the chip off the old block. He has branched out in a very different direction. Although Rotorua born, he was educated at Waiuku College where he represented Counties in hockey, and is heading towards a career as a secondary school teacher.

He holds honours degrees in history and geography, and has been studying for a teaching diploma through Waikato University, returning to his old college as part of his training.

He is listed as the tallest New Zealand player in the Super 12, at 2.03m, a hair's breadth above All Black stringbeans Ali Williams, who Hohneck will oppose tonight, and Chris Jack. (Waratahs and Wallaby giant Dan Vickerman is listed as the tallest Super 12 player at 2.04m.)

At 119kg Hohneck is bulkier than Jack or Williams. He has put on significant size through weight training since his Waikato debut in 2001.

Much of the muscle work has been done with his good mate Scott Linklater, the stumpy New Zealand Maori hooker. The pair - the tall and the short of it in the Chiefs pack - went through all the Waikato age-group teams together.

On Hohneck's selection, Chiefs coach Ian Foster said the lineout problems at Ballymore had to be addressed.

"This is a great opportunity for Sean to impose himself at this level of rugby," said Foster.

What a place to try and impose on debut though. The Blues look primed to cut loose while injuries have ravaged the Chiefs.

It is a massive task for Hohneck tonight, stepping up from the development team to replace Dave Duley in the starters.

Of major concern for the Chiefs will be the loss of captain Jono Gibbes, the lineout ace alongside lock Keith Robinson. With Wayne Ormond and Hohneck coming into the lineup, the Blues will be licking their lips at lineout time, looking to pressure the Super 12 rookies.

Hohneck is hardly bristling with any top level experience. He has had just 15 games for Waikato, and started the last NPC season in the B side before winning promotion late in the campaign.

It will be a big ask for a big man but in the finest Hohneck traditions, he will be out to cut down some mighty timber of his own tonight.