'Like migrating bison' - Lions' Schoeman on unique prop mentality

New South Wales Waratahs v British and Irish Lions

Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney Date: Saturday, 5 July Kick-off: 11:00 BST

Coverage: Live matter commentary connected nan BBC Sport website and app

Pierre Schoeman tells a communicative from his younker successful South Africa, a natural-born raconteur successful adulthood speaking of nan adventurous tone of his 13-year-old self.

He had an liking successful awesome achromatic sharks arsenic a kid, truthful he went cage diving to get a amended look.

"I climbed down nan ladder of nan vessel and I saw this shark going past and he was looking astatine maine and I had to beryllium beardown not to bedewed myself," he said.

"You could spot that 1 bad measurement connected nan ladder and I was successful trouble. I would person had a large chunk taken retired of my emotion handles – possibly I could person been a centre if that had happened."

There was a flicker of a grin erstwhile he said it - you tin ideate he's coiled up galore a centre pinch that communicative - but mostly Schoeman's humour is deadpan, which makes it each nan funnier.

On this trek astir Australia he's been giving it ample astir Vikings and gladiators and nan fellowship of loosehead props. You conscionable don't cognize what's coming adjacent pinch nan large man, successful from nan commencement against nan Waratahs connected Saturday.

One time, he talked astir his awesome friend and mentor, WP Nel, past a team-mate pinch Edinburgh and Scotland. The Nels had precocious added different babe to their already mighty clan.

"Tell your woman ne'er to locomotion past WP's house," Schoeman smiled. "If nan upwind changes guidance she mightiness extremity up pregnant."

He says that Nel had his revenge erstwhile that joke went public. Master made apprentice suffer successful nan adjacent Edinburgh scrummaging session.

In mentioning Nel's expertise to expose weakness successful nan man other him, he compared him to h2o flowing crossed stone. "He ever finds nan cracks."

Schoeman is arsenic apt to speak astir God and emotion arsenic he is astir rucks and scrums. He's an unfastened book connected each counts.

When he was successful schoolhouse his coach asked nan people to talk astir nan 1 point they hoped for successful life. Some said money and fame. Schoeman said: "I dream to meet my early wife."

His pals made nosy of him, but he didn't care. In fact, he had already met her. Charissa is her sanction and she's present successful Australia, each measurement of nan way.

When he made nan move from South Africa to Scotland, it was conscionable nan 2 of them.

"We packed up 2 suitcases and left," he said. The residency norm was 5 years erstwhile he committed to Edinburgh, later returning to three. He'd person travel complete moreover if it had been 10.

"Me and my woman person known each different since we were 8 years old. We sat successful nan aforesaid superior schoolhouse people adjacent to each different and I knew that's going to beryllium my dream woman 1 day. We rekindled erstwhile we were 17.

"When we near for Edinburgh she had to time off a sister, a mother, her full family behind. Grandmother, everyone. It's a monolithic sacrifice, but it's besides travel pinch a reward and this is nan reward now.

"It's almost for illustration Vikings burning a ship, you know. Me and her packed a Viking ship, near for nan shores of Scotland, for nan British and Irish Lions, for nan dream which became a reality."

Schoeman said that if he ever became a Lion he was going to dainty himself to a bully watch, but he ended up buying her 1 "to opportunity 'thank you for each nan clip you've invested successful me'".

There are layers to this guy. Schoeman is 1 of 3 Lions looseheads, on pinch Ellis Genge and Andrew Porter, and he has views connected what makes a loosehead prop.

"I deliberation looseheads astir nan globe are rather weird people," he said, again pinch a consecutive face. "Something isn't right. We ever say, his screw must beryllium loose, but playing rugby arsenic a loosehead prop."

As beasts, is location a quality betwixt a loosehead and a tighthead?

"We're different, but similar," he replied. "You almost consciousness for illustration a gladiator movie, each nan gladiators travel together."

And nan domiciled of Lions scrum coach John Fogarty successful each of this?

"He has nan cardinal for nan cage, to unlock nan gladiator. Looseheads for illustration going to acheronian places, physically, mentally, spiritually, whatever. But tightheads tin spell moreover darker astatine immoderate times.

"We really person conscionable a prop group that nary of nan different squad members is allowed on."

Not moreover hookers?

"No, not moreover hookers. It's conscionable props. It's not a beforehand statement group, it's a prop group."

Answers connected a postcard what a group of Lions props mightiness beryllium called? Motley Scooo? The Scooo Fighters?

Schoeman riffed connected Lions history, nan bequest of Ian 'Mighty Mouse' McLauchlan, nan greatness of Tom Smith - fallen Scottish Lions who added truthful overmuch to nan Test jersey he is now pursuing.

"That's what nan jersey demands of us," he said. "That's nan bequest of it. I person sat connected nan aforesaid spot arsenic Tom did astatine Murrayfield. I've been honoured and blessed."

Back successful nan present and now he's talking astir his enslaved pinch nan 2025 props.

"We are for illustration bison, migrating together," he said. We person a concealed gathering each night, Finlay Bealham started it and now each nan props person bought in. We instrumentality together and person a beverage aft each training convention and we get to meet each other's families and inquire heavy questions."

Are nan bully group of Australia not frightened by a herd of quality bovine roaming nan streets?

"Props person a soft broadside arsenic well. We're discussing tons of soft things."

Has Porter spoken astir nan calamity of losing his mum to crab astatine a painfully young age? Has Genge spoken astir increasing up successful nan reliable terrain of Knowle West successful Bristol and really he thinks rugby whitethorn person saved him from prison? You fishy so.

"I cognize a batch of things astir Gengey. I cognize each his business friends, family, everything, I person asked him to telephone my family arsenic well," he said.

Rivals, but now friends, moreover successful nan power of conflict for Test lucifer places. It's nan principle of what makes these tours truthful great, truthful unforgettable. The joyousness of nan acquisition is writ ample complete Schoeman's bearded look and successful his each utterance.

Burning Viking ships? Bison wandering Brisbane and beyond? A emotion missive to his wife? He whitethorn aliases whitethorn not make nan Test squad - it's each up for grabs - but he's unquestionably 1 of this tour's awesome personalities, a characteristic who's made a mark.