Most New Zealand rugby fans knew little about Ethan de Groot when he was named in the All Blacks. Jeff Cheshire talks to two men who have watched the Highlanders prop develop over the years.
Those who knew Ethan de Groot were not surprised he made it.
In saying that, they did not give a thought to him being on the All Blacks’ radar until this year.
The tighthead prop from Gore has had a meteoric rise to the squad.
He had played only twice for the Highlanders, both times off the bench, before this season.
But de Groot (22) took his opportunity this year and is a chance to make his debut at Forsyth Barr Stadium against Fiji on Saturday.
It has been an exciting time for both Peter Skelt and Flynn Thomas, his coach and captain respectively while at Southland Boys’ High School.
De Groot moved to the school from Gore High School to finish his education.
Skelt said de Groot had been a tough and hard-working player, but it was always hard to predict someone would be an All Black.
"You wouldn’t have said no," Skelt said.
"But it’s a very difficult thing to say a kid’s going to be an All Black at 17 or 18.
"He had the attributes, the work ethic, but then often it can be a bit of luck, to be fair - the right time, right place, that sort of stuff.
"You wouldn’t have said no - could you have truthfully said yes?
Skelt had been impressed with de Groot’s development this year.
He had not been surprised by how well he went with the Highlanders as it was just a case of getting the opportunity.
However, he did admit to being a little surprised by his inclusion in the All Blacks so soon.
It was not that he did not think de Groot deserved to be there, but he thought he might need to prove himself for another year.
Despite that, many of the same qualities he displayed as a teenager stood out to Skelt.
"He was always a rock, really, in our front row, not just because of his size, but technically he was very sound.
"Obviously, the Highlanders have worked on that and continued his development around his set piece stuff. He’s a high-class scrummager now.
"When he was at school he worked very hard to develop his ball skills, his skill set, his run, catch, pass.
"He also worked really hard on understanding game plans and his role within that game plan, which was always pretty impressive for a young guy."
Meanwhile, Thomas, who is a hooker, said it was a "proud day" for their group of friends when de Groot was selected.
Thomas first played with de Groot in 2010 in the Southland under-65kg junior team.
They played representative rugby together through the age-grades, before forming a formidable front row at Southland Boys’.
They both now play for Southland and remain part of a tight-knit group.
Thomas said it was a "pretty cool feeling" being next to de Groot in a scrum, knowing he would always set a reliable platform.
Having seen him come through the grades, Thomas added he had not changed a lot.
"He was exactly the same as what you see on TV now - he was just stuck into everything.
"He’d never back down to anyone, gave it 100% on the field no matter what. Wasn’t afraid to speak his mind to the ref at certain points and to other players.
"Even from a young age, he demanded excellence from everyone.
"He tried to get the best out of everyone and he just loved to win."
Thomas said if de Groot was named to play this weekend, the group of friends would make the trip to Dunedin to watch him play.
