Bryan Habana famously once raced a cheetah, but this summer he will face ten British & Irish Lions when Wales tour South Africa.
And wing Alex Cuthbert is relishing the opportunity to come up against his Springboks counterpart in the two-Test series later this month.
Cuthbert, who scored four tries in the Lions tour to Australia last summer, believes Habana is still a force to be reckoned with as he approaches his 100th Test.
“He has to be one of those at the top,” he told WalesOnline.
“He’s one of the players I watched quite a bit when I was younger and it’s going to be good to play against him, if I get selected.
“Watching him over the years, he’s been a world class player and sort of changed the way wingers play, in terms of how they get involved in the game.
“It’s just the amount of touches he has per game. He doesn’t just stay on the wing, he comes in off ten, nine, first receiver, and his kick-chase is probably one of the best in the business as well.
“I’m just working on my game trying to get to his level so when I do play against those sides, I can compete with them.
“If you think of those tries he scored against New Zealand last season, he still has that influence in the Springboks’ squad – it shows how important he is to them. He is such a threat from anywhere.
“It’s definitely a good yardstick to face him. I’ve played against a lot of other top wingers. Julian Savea is probably one of the toughest opponents I have faced, but Habana is going to be right up there. I’m looking forward to the challenge if I’m selected.”
