What they said about Jonah Lomu... and what he said himself

His mantle as rugby’s first global superstar, combined with his sheer size, strength and pace - to say nothing of his health struggles - meant he inspired a number of great quotes.

Jonah Lomu, who has died at the age of 40. Picture: Getty/ALLSPORT

And the All Blacks star was fond of a bon mot or two himself. Here are four of the best quotes about the late rugby star, and four of his own.

What they said about Jonah Lomu

• “It’s like trying to tackle a snooker table! Now I’m not a hod man, but if I saw Jonah Lomu running at me I’d be putting down bricks, I’ll tell you.” - Scottish rugby commentator Bill McLaren

• “There’s no doubt about it, he’s a big b*****d.” - Former Scotland international Gavin Hastings

• “How do I tackle him? Wait until he’s running past and bite his toes. We were the guinea pigs trying to work out how to stop him. What’s the best way to defend against him? Don’t let him get the ball.” - Ex-Irish winger Richard Wallace

• “Remember that rugby is a team game... all 14 of you make sure you pass the ball to Jonah.” - Anonymous fax sent to the New Zealand team before the 1995 World Cup semi-final against England

Jonah Lomu’s best quotes

• “I have crooked toes from wearing boots that didn’t fit me because that’s all I could afford as a kid.”

• “I was this guy who’d been racing around down there, on that field in 1999, running straight over people, scoring tries, winning games, having fun. And I ended up so sick I couldn’t even run past a little baby.”

• “Looking back, my whole life seems so surreal. I didn’t just turn up on the doorstep playing rugby; I had to go through a whole lot of things to get there.”

• “It annoys me when people who don’t know what they’re talking about boo the referee.”