For all of his imposing charisma, his gladiatorial physique and instantly recognisable face, Jonah Lomu is the captive of a closed order, the All Black mindset.

"If you go in ones, you get broken," he says. "If you go in as 15 you are hard to break."

Lomu knows a lot about breaking. He is a tackle-breaker (ask Mike Catt, Tony Underwood or Rob Andrew about the defining moment of their 1995 World Cup memories), a mould-breaker, a heart-breaker. He is the most described player in the world, the most globally recognised.

But Lomu continually seeks the safety of locker-room philosophies, ones that have helped earn the All Blacks victories in 72 per cent of the matches they have played since 1905. "We have a saying in the team," he says. "Team first, self last."

Yet Lomu's career statistics make a mockery of the image of the selfless foot soldier or the working drone. His haul of 15 World Cup tries is a tournament record. At the 1995 World Cup he became the first All Black since 1905 to score four tries in a Test match against England.

At 19 years and 45 days, he became the youngest All Black ever, just five years after the deputy principal of his Wesley College school took the junior from the basketball court and placed an oval ball in his hands.

"He asked me if I wanted to play rugby. I said yeh. In New Zealand you eat, sleep and drink rugby. It's 24-7 once you're born."

Lomu has just returned to the team hotel in Killiney, after a training session at Blackrock rugby club in Dublin. Never before have over 3,000 Irish fans sought to attend a rugby training session. Lomu's cartoon physical proportions and repute, inevitably, were the principal attraction, a role he has had to grow into pretty quickly.

"From the inside looking out it is just too hard to put into words what the All Blacks mean. You can't grasp what it is until you actually get the opportunity to be one. We weren't expecting so many people to turn up at the practice, we thought it was too cold. It was pretty interesting," he says.

Being an All Black is a process of aggressive evolution. The players are always reaching for more. Ireland have never beaten them in 14 attempts stretching back to 1905 when they came to Lansdowne Road and won 15-0. But Lomu, having survived a serious kidney complaint in 1997 before working his way back to full fitness, sees every match as an opportunity to prove that he has a right to wear the jersey.

"Me and Andrew Mehrtens are on 52 caps each," he says. "I'm still quite young (26) but I'm lucky to be here. My illness definitely made me appreciate the game even more. There are so many players who have the skills but don't get an opportunity to pull on an All Black jersey like we do. So we can't take it for granted.

"Our winning streak against Ireland is not just something we want to protect, it is more that we have to go out and play and not worry about the past. We've got to make our own history.

"I think the whole world watched Ireland beat England. I wasn't shocked. Ireland deserved to win.

"They played the better game, made the least mistakes and had the right tactics. I was impressed with their commitment to the game."

Warren Gatland's Ireland squad similarly exemplify team commitment. But individually it may be tough going. The considerable bulk of Shane Horgan will be dwarfed by the 6ft 5in, 19 stone Lomu. Commitment may not be enough. But Lomu is diplomatic.

"Everybody would be kidding themselves if they took Ireland lightly. We've gotta make sure we're on the ball and on top of our game."

That sentiment is not wholeheartedly shared by the NZrugby magazine.

"The worrying sign is that some commentators are taking the Irish match as a 'major test' for the All Blacks. Reality check. New Zealand have never lost to Ireland and there is good reason for that. Matches against Australia, South Africa, England and France are the 'major tests' for All Black sides," it says.

It will be the first time Lomu steps onto Lansdowne Road for New Zealand, although he has played in Dublin with the Barbarians. He will as a devout Christian pray for both sides, "a blessing to ask the Lord to put his hand over all the players and guide everyone through safely". Then he will play rugby.

"I'm there to do a job. I'm there to make sure there are no excuses. When I come to the game it is game time," he says.

Ominously, the world knows it.