Rugby: The Kiwi boy who can make his name against All Blacks

Dylan Hartley. Photo / Getty Images

At age 10, Dylan Hartley raced around the schoolyard like his idol Jonah Lomu, who inspired him to take up rugby.

At 16 he was in the Rotorua Boys' High School first 15 with future All Black Liam Messam as captain.

When he shifted to England while still at school, he never considered he would become an international footballer. Especially for any team other than the All Blacks.

So it was a relaxed, engaging Hartley who chatted with the press at England's Bagshot country retreat, preparing for the test of his life as starting hooker against the All Blacks on Sunday.

It will be his 14th test, a year after his debut against the Pacific Islanders, but just his fourth run-on start.

With the odd "mate" and "eh" thrown in, 23-year-old Hartley cast his mind to New Zealand, particularly his parents Caroline and Guy in the family home in Kaharoa.

"There's a bit of added pressure in the fact I know my mum and dad will be watching and I've got all these friends who haven't actually seen me play before. I'm a bit nervous about that but pretty excited on the whole," he said. "There's a lot of people coming out of the woodwork, they know the World Cup's just around the corner and they'll be wanting tickets."

His parents were watching Hartley play 10 minutes off the bench against the All Blacks a year ago. This year family support will be from elder brother Blair - a league player with Northampton - and younger brother Alex. Both are staying at his house, or "bludging" as Hartley said.

Hartley rose fast to his status as England's premier hooker, having been enticed to the Worcester rugby academy while holidaying with his cousins.

He quickly impressed the England age-grade selectors and signed with Northampton. "Everything just took off, it snowballed," he said.

While he had the goods on the field he quickly built a reputation as a firebrand.

He was suspended for six months in 2007 for eye-gouging Wasps duo Johnny O'Connor and James Haskell - ironically an England teammate - which ruined his chance at a 2007 World Cup bid.

The red mist eased when Hartley was made skipper of Northampton.

"Definitely the captaincy made me a lot more focused. I've got a lot more responsibility."

His stated goal is to lead the England scrum and make life as tough as possible for his opposite Andrew Hore.

And Hartley reckoned a fired-up England pack could cause some problems for the All Blacks, just as the Italians did last weekend in Milan.

"They're a team of strong individuals and if you give them clean ball off set piece they'll expose you. You've got to try and upset them at the scrum and lineout, they've got an exciting backline and maybe that doesn't function without clean ball.

"Their breakdown work is superb but if you can get stuck into them there, like the set piece, you might be able to upset them and expose them in different areas."

Unlike injured Riki Flutey, who played for the Hurricanes before switching to England, Hartley hoped he was an unknown quality for the All Blacks.

"They probably even see me as an Englishman, which I'm happy with."

But he will not be denying his Kiwi roots when the haka rings out around Twickenham.

And there will be nothing better to get him fired up before South African referee Jonathan Kaplan blows the opening whistle.

"I'll just stand there and enjoy it like 80,000 other people in the stadium.

"I think it's a good thing in the game, and growing up in New Zealand I understand it and appreciate it. It makes the hairs on your neck stand up hearing it. It's exciting."

- NZPA