KEY POINTS:
He looks too pretty to be a rugby forward, certainly way too unscarred to be an All Black lock.
Too bright maybe as well to fit the stereotype. Anthony Boric is four years into a civil engineering degree although that tertiary education is on hold this season after Super 14 work and now his All Black introduction.
"I have got about five or six papers left but hope to plug away at that for the next few years. I am unlikely to do any papers this year unless I go to a summer school.
"Apparently Russell Coutts did the same course as I did and it took him eight years. He just plugged away at it slowly and I might take a bit longer but we'll see what happens."
The practical side of that education drew Boric to his university studies in construction, design and all the steps that go into building projects. He has yet to use those skills in the workforce as he is assembling his sporting repertoire on the rugby fields.
"It is pretty exciting," Boric said as he prepared for his test start tomorrow at Carisbrook against the Springboks.
The 24-year-old has played two roles from the bench but in the absence of suspended lock Brad Thorn will make his first appearance in the starting lineup against a locking combination of Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha that he rates the best partnership in the world.
He is not nervous yet but is sure those nerves will kick in tomorrow.
"It is always a bit different starting and for a real test debut this is something else. I have played against both of them though in the Super 14."
Boric said he had been a longtime test rugby watcher on television and to make his start against the World Cup champions, the old foe and two champion locks, was a great honour.
Matfield and Botha had been the best lineout partnership for some time but the young All Black lock was sure the All Blacks would combat them this weekend.
He has been rooming this week with Brad Thorn who has become a counsellor as he sits out a match ban for his illegal tackle last week on Springbok skipper John Smit.
"He is giving me a few tips on how to deal with them which helps me to handle the experience. He has a lot to offer."
The message was just to build up slowly, not waste too much energy until tomorrow and the return of test rugby to Carisbrook after a three-year hiatus.
"We have worked hard on our scrum, specifics like binding and feet position this week and I have been to wrestling camps arranged by Mike Cron and all those other little benefits.
"It has improved again in the last few weeks, body position all those things he can keep an eye on and give us reminders about our bio-mechanical efficiency."
Boric expects more of the same from South Africa, more of the intensity because they would not be happy with the Wellington result.
"We have to take their best shots. We got a taste of it with England and this will be another step up against these guys so I will have to bring my A-game," he said.
Boric is All Black No 1074, a surprise pick ahead of recovering former All Black locks Jason Eaton or Ross Filipo, only because he had not been a fully paid-up member of the Blues.
He had to bide his time there behind Ali Williams, skipper Troy Flavell and Greg Rawlinson and this year battled until late in the season with Kurtis Haiu to partner his skipper.
Boric has been a regular member of the North Harbour team, an occasional captain and one of three clubmates in the All Black squad.
"We don't want to stop playing our natural game taking the flair out of our game," Boric said.
"Defences are always going to be tough to crack with the way they spread and we have to keep attacking and hope they crack in the end."
In the lineouts, the All Blacks hoped to stick to their basic calls, not get too complicated or think too much about the ramifications of the new lineout laws which allowed unlimited numbers in the line.
Boric started his rugby life as a wing when he was about 10 but by the time he had a growth spurt he moved into the second row or blindside flanker and has not escaped since.
He is a second generation Kiwi, after his grandparents emigrated from a small coastal village in Croatia with his grandfather Frank working in the gumfields up north before moving to Henderson and then Kumeu in Auckland's west.
His parents, Sonia and Milenko, have been orchardists there all his life and Boric played rugby for the Western United club before switching to Marist once he left Rosmini College.
He spent many summers picking fruit and working with the family until his rugby talents at school, rep and now international level allowed him to escape much of that hard labour.
Boric spent a deal of his childhood chatting to his grandfather, who worked the land hard and lived until he was 95. His parents were equally industrious but would take rare time out to be in Dunedin for the test tomorrow.
"I am settling in now but it has all been a bit of a whirlwind, a blur, but it has been great. It is not a lot different, not too much change from what I expected except the level of hype around the team.
"As a kid growing up in New Zealand and playing rugby this is what I have always wanted to do, test myself against the best. And I can't wait."
