SHOULD Mako Vunipola get his start as a Lion against Australia on Saturday, there will be an immense swell of pride at the Pontypool school which helped shape him.

There was no mistaking the new arrival from Griffithstown Primary School in the 1990s.

“He was built like a rhino,” joked Gareth Cooksey, then head of PE at West Monmouth School. “At 11 he had bigger arms than me.”

Mako’s dad moved to Pontypool to play hooker for Pooler, and the kids and staff had never seen anyone quite like him.

In 30-plus games for West Mon between 2001 and 2004 they never lost – in part due to their not-sosecret weapon.

The loose-head prop was played as a No.8 because there was no pushing in scrums so his size couldn’t be utilised there.

Mako excelled in sports and academic subjects before the family moved to Bristol.

Mr Cooksey, now assistant head teacher, said: “He was an utter gentleman. Genuinely lovely, respectful and a funny character. The kids worshipped him, so we were all gutted when he had to leave.”

He took his studies very seriously, but it was on the sporting field where he blew minds.

“One of my friends was doing the public address when he won the area shot-putt in Year 8. He said Mako sat there for three hours eating sandwiches, got up, did his three throws and sat back down to carry on eating.

He never stopped,” he said.

On his cricketing debut at King Henry VIII Comprehensive School, Abergavenny, there were titters from the home team when a large Tongan strolled out to bat last with no whites, just his blue PE shorts and top. They couldn’t get a helmet on his head so it sat awkwardly atop his brow, but the laughter soon died down.

“He’d never played before but he was smashing boundaries everywhere. Their kids were scared of going near the ball,” said Mr Cooksey.

It’s that huge character that will make the school so proud on Saturday, as Vunipola looks likely to add to their list of Lions Test players, joining names such as Graham Price and Terry Cobner.

His cousin, Fipe Faletau, Toby’s sister and a West Mon prefect, jetted out yesterday to watch the boys in action, and the whole school will be looking on on Saturday.

“We are all immensely proud,” Mr Cooksey said.