The Yahoo!Xtra Sunday Grill: Anthony Boric

Getty Images ©

Every Sunday Yahoo!Xtra will put a rugby identity under the grill in a weekly feature. This week: Anthony Boric talks about life now as an All Black, how his passion for grass-roots footy will forever remain and how his sporting career has resembled a roller-coaster over the past month.

Q: Last Saturday night you played your second test in front of a sold-out AMI Stadium, seven days later and you were back playing club rugby. Is that pretty special for you and the other two Marist All Blacks (Tony Woodcock and Rudi Wulf) to be back with your mates?

A: It is always great to come back into the club environment at Marist. And it has been awesome to come back and get a win with the other boys.

Q: Marist coach James Iversen said during the week that you were a strong club man and were keen to play for them at the end of the Super 14. What does club rugby mean to you?

A: It means a lot. I haven't got to play for Marist for a long period, for a while now. I played a couple of games last year and nothing this year until today. So I was keen to be back and loved being a part of it. I have a lot of mates in this team, that mates it pretty special.

Q: Talking about special, Marist North Harbour have only ever had three All Blacks. And all three of you were on the field in the same game. That must take some topping?

A: Yeah, it was awesome. It was great to be a part of it for all three of us. And being able to get a competition win is something that we will treasure as well. We will enjoy the night.

Q: For yourself, how has life changed as a rugby player over the past couple of weeks after becoming an All Black?

A: It has changed a lot. It has been a bit of a roller-coaster. But it has been pretty awesome. I have enjoyed this week off and are looking forward to getting into it again next week with the Tri-nations.

Q; Has your mental approach towards rugby changed since becoming an All Black?

A: I think it is actually pretty similar. I have always been pretty focused. It hasn't really changed a lot. I guess there is just a bit more hype around it nowadays. But I am enjoying it a lot and will hopefully just keep on rolling.

Q: The Tri-nations must be a massive carrot for you. How does it feel knowing you are going to be coming up against the likes of the Springboks and Wallabies over the next couple of months?

A: It will definitely be a step-up from the Poms. And I am looking forward to it. It will be a big challenge and hopefully we can keep going with our winning ways.

Q: At the end of the Super 14, did you think you would be in the position you are now?

A: Probably not, no. It has been an added bonus. And I am really enjoying it and hopefully looking forward to keep it ticking on.

Q: All Black forwards coach Steve Hansen said in the build-up to the second test against England that he hoped you would at least get 30 minutes in the test. Ali Williams' injury gave you more than 65 minutes game-time. Has that been a confidence booster for you?

A: Definitely. It is always good to get in there and get a few minutes, get the match fitness back on track. I obviously hadn't played for a while. I have had three games now in consecutive weeks. So the fitness will be starting to peak.

Q: And with losing Ali when you did last week, it really was a test for you whether you could rise to the occasion. Were you happy with how you went?

A: It was unexpected but I guess you have to be ready for those sort of situations. Hopefully he will be right for next week, but if he is not then I will be more than ready to step into his shoes. I would like to test myself and obviously the Springboks would be a good test. I am looking forward to seeing how I handle it.