Lwasi Mvovo takes the fast track from football to Springbok cap

THE strength in depth in South African rugby will be underlined on Saturday when a lightning-quick schoolboy striker pulls on the green and gold for the first time, seven years after being persuaded by a PE teacher to switch the round ball for an oval one.

Lwasi Mvovo was born in Umtata, the Eastern Cape town of nearly 80,000 people that started out as a European settlement 140 years ago and became the capital of Transkei, a nominally independent but not internationally recognised southern African republic reincorporated into South Africa in 1994.

Mvovo grew up playing football through his teenage years, turning out up front for the Maria Louw High School in Queenstown but, as some friends turned to rugby, he became interested and the prompting of the school's rugby coach when he was 17 provided the change of direction that has eventually led to a Test debut at Murrayfield this weekend.

Now 24, he confirmed: "I did only start playing rugby when I was 17, so I am a late developer, but, ever since I started playing rugby, it's been my dream to represent my country.

"I played soccer when I was younger; I support Chelsea. I was a striker and used my pace - they used to put the ball over defence and I'd run and score. I just played soccer at school and never got to any level, but then I fell in love with rugby.

"All my friends were playing rugby, though at first I was scared with the physicality of the sport. But the first-team coach saw me sprinting and doing the 120 metres and called me and said I must try out. He said I could play on the wing for the rugby team because he said you don't really get that physical, or involved in the tackles or whatever. He told me I wouldn't get that physicality on the wing!

"But it wasn't that hard. When I played my first game and had contact I actually got excited, and wanted to do more and more of it, so it's been really great from there.

"I was about 84kg (13st 2lbs] when I started playing rugby and I've had a lot of hard work in the gym and am now up to 95kg (15st], and I had to do it without losing my pace and speed, so it was real hard work from there to where I am now. But I feel I've done it without losing my pace, and I've become stronger."

In player terms, he has spent the past four years coming through the Sharks Durban academy, transforming from the size of Max Evans into that of Rory Lamont, albeit staying at 6ft 1in in height, an inch shorter than Lamont.In that time he has also become a top-class rugby player, and this season his 12 tries were crucial in taking the Sharks to the Currie Cup title and clinching his late call-up to the tour squad when teammate JP Pietersen was ruled out by injury.

He was initially named on the bench for this weekend's match, with coach Peter De Villiers hoping to be able to grant him a gentle introduction to the Test arena as a late replacement at Murrayfield, but that plan was scuppered when Bryan Habana went down injured on Tuesday.

To De Villiers' credit, rather than re-shuffle his back line, which was an option with the utility backs he has, he simply promoted Mvovo into the No 11 jersey. Though disappointed to see his squad mentor ruled out, the sudden elevation clearly went down well with the debutant.

"This is my first time in Scotland and it's very cold," he said, "but this has become a great year for me and one that I will remember for a long time.

"The dream for every youngster in South Africa is to pull on the national team jersey and I'm no different to that and I'm really honoured to be able to do that on Saturday.

"I never imagined doing this (making debut in Scotland], but I was happy to do it whether it was off the bench or starting. I'm very excited about it. Bryan has been a big help for me.

"I'm new to the set-up and I didn't really know what to do at times, so he's been very helpful with that and I hope he recovers quickly."

The name 'Umtata' comes from the river that flows through Mvovo's birth-town. It means 'The Taker' and was so-called because of its destructive tendencies.

The winger has certainly lived up to that moniker, from taking his chance in switching from football to rugby at 17 to excelling when handed a Sharks starting jersey in the Currie Cup this season with a blend of raw pace and power.

What seemed like a break for Scotland when the world-class Habana was injured in training may actually stiffen the test, if the relatively unknown Mvovo continues his penchant for taking opportunities.