Gavin Cummiskeyon flanker and forager supreme Heinrich Brussow, who starts for South Africa in their crunch match against Ireland today

“Shark changed line backing forever! He made a quantum leap in the game!”

– Coach Tony D'Amato (aka Al Pacino) in Oliver Stone's sports action movie Any Given Sunday

NOT SINCE Jonah Lomu exploded onto the world stage in 1995 has one player made such an immediate impact. For Luther “Shark” Lavay see Heinrich Brussow.

To break into such a talented, not to mention immensely powerful, Springbok backrow has been a massive achievement. It helped that Schalk Burger poked his finger in Luke Fitzgerald’s eye and Juan Smith was injured but the remarkable feats of Brussow in pilfering opposition ball saw an already cast-iron winning blueprint evolve in 2009.

“No, definitely no,” the 23 year-old immediately disagrees in a humble manner. “The key for the Springboks is it is a side that have been playing together for a long time now. Some go back to 2004. Experience made us a great team.”

Brussow has made them better again.

South Africa, unlike Southern Hemisphere counterparts Australia and New Zealand, don’t produce many openside flankers or “fetchers” – to such an extent that Brussow looked to the likes of Neil Back and George Smith for inspiration growing up.

The Springboks have traditionally produced man mountains on their flanks with inter-changing abilities. They would be locks in Ireland.

But the pint-sized Brussow has changed all that forever. The examples are many but, unlike Lomu’s dramatic arrival, you need to be paying attention.

In three games he obliterated clean Lions possession last summer – for the Free State Cheetahs and the first two Tests – with his introduction in the second and defining Test having an unbelievable impact.

Three massive plays in the last quarter of that match come flooding back. 1 Paul O’Connell makes a crucial steal on the ground only for Brussow to rip it right back – out of Martyn Williams’ paws, no less; 2 World player of the year Shane Williams attempts to counter with his trademark and mesmerising side step only to be mowed down by Brussow; 3 South Africa deliver the game-turning try through Jaque Fourie after a skip pass from Brussow created a mismatch out wide.

There are multiple facets to this man’s game; pace, power and decent hands as well.

A few weeks later came what history may record as the changing of the guard moment during the Tri Nations. All Black captain, and current king of the breakdown, Richie McCaw charges into Brussow only to be upended and relieved of possession in one dramatic show of agility.

Remarkably, and despite a dynamic performance for the Cheetahs against the Lions, Peter De Villiers omitted him from the initial South African squad in June. Schalk Burger was unable to shake off an injury, opening the door for Brussow’s second cap.

However, tradition dies hard in Springbok rugby, with Brussow rumoured to be still in reserve behind Burger at openside until Pierre Spies was ruled out of the European tour with injury.

The French pack were magnificent in their recent 20-13 defeat of a visibly tiring Springboks. Not Brussow. This reporter counted at least six clean steals of French possession. And this despite the ferocious presence of French backrowers Thierry Dusautoir, Louis Picamoles and Imanol Harinordoquy.

The game of rugby union has witnessed some great number sevens (opensides wear six in South Africa and France) like Michael Jones, Josh Kronfeld, Back and Smith, with David Pocock the coming force in Australia. McCaw remains the benchmark but Brussow has redefined the position’s effectiveness.

“For me as a player, I was always a small guy so I realised I have to do something that fits my body and the way I’m built. From when I was small I looked at guys with a similar build to me and I learned from them and tried new stuff. It was quite like developing ability.

“All the smaller guys – Neil Back, George Smith – all those type of guys. I basically looked at those type of guys and took it on.”

His body size and freakish strength (At just five foot nine inches and 101 kilograms) make him a perfect specimen for the art of pilfering ball in the few seconds permitted by referees.

“At the ruuucks?” he repeats the question in a thick Afrikaans accent when the breakdown is mentioned. “It is a difficult thing a ruck because it’s not a thing that refs blow the same. Each ref has got his own ability. Some refs may give you the opportunity to keep your hands on the ball longer. Other refs will penalise you, so it makes a big difference but at the moment, this year, I think they have done it really well.”

Referees have been forced to keep up. Once Brussow gets into position, legs sprawled just inches from the ground, thick arms in a vice grip over the ball and prone player he tends to glance towards the referee as if to ask: ‘When can I have my penalty?’ His strength is such that more often than not the ball is neatly presented to scrumhalf Fourie Du Preez.

Hailing from Bloemfontein in the Free State and educated at Grey College (described by one South African this week as their version of Blackrock College – World Cup winners CJ van der Linde, Ruan Pienaar, the du Plessis brothers and Frans Steyn were also educated at the famous rugby nursery), Brussow actually targeted this season for his international breakthrough.

“When I was still a child my aim was to be 23 and play for the Springboks and it all went well. I think we had a great season and playing with a bunch of great rugby players made it easier for me to settle in and enjoy myself.”

The lesson he is learning at present is how to thrive in miserable Northern Hemisphere November conditions.

“They play a different type of rugby. It is a faster game in the Southern Hemisphere. They keep it a bit slower but they keep the ball well and it is a bit more physical here. Definitely the weather conditions are something you look to. But we can only control the controllables.

“Down on our coastline we sometimes get wind like this but sun and rain and wind in one day is difficult – sometimes in Cape Town but maybe only once a year.”

He gives credit to the “fetching” abilities of Jamie Heaslip and David Wallace.

Today, the Irish backrow need a plan to stymie Brussow’s highly annoying antics. That plan may just be Stephen Ferris.

Matt Williams writes in these pages about a method adopted by the Wallabies to counteract Kronfeld a few years back. The Lions, Australia, New Zealand, France and Italy all failed to remove the smallest Springbok forward from their ball in 2009.

That task now lies before the Grand Slam champions.