Russian adventure: Adam Byrnes (right) hits Ireland's Ireland's Sean Cronin hard in the tackle. Source: Getty Images
THE mad dog streak of new Russian weapon Adam Byrnes has the Wallabies on high alert for a fiery forward ambush in Nelson on Saturday when a local friendship campaign may have to be hurriedly revised as "Bearhug An Aussie Day."
The aggressive Byrnes is 2.01m of ticking time bomb whenever he runs onto the field so facing regular Super Rugby rivals and a Wallabies team he so recently dreamed of playing for is the recipe for some eyeball-to-eyeball grappling.
It's the same lock who once whacked James Slipper in a feisty confrontation at Queensland training which prompted the young prop to chase him around Ballymore looking for a get-square. The pair will be in rival packs on Saturday.
In 2008, there was another fractious moment at NSW Waratahs training when Byrnes, as a Junior Waratah, almost came to blows with Wallabies Dan Vickerman and Matt Dunning during a full contact session when he wouldn't back down against his idols of the day.
Byrnes is now a dedicated Melbourne Rebels player but Scott Higginbotham, set to start at No.8 or flanker in Nelson now his back spasm has settled, remembers him well from their 2009-10 Reds days together.
"There were no one-on-one fights but trainings did get pretty physical with Byrnsie around. He's a good guy but I think Saturday will be more a case of him having a special welcome for us than the other way around, " Higginbotham said with a grin.
Nelson Mayor Aldo Miccio invented� "Hug An Aussie Day" for the arrival of the Wallabies in town today to show more Kiwis actually do like their trans-Tasman neighbours but the Russians are unlikely to be so genteel.
"Coming up against guys like Byrnsie you know it is going to be 'on' and the rest of the Russians forwards have also shown they like to play it hard, " Higginbotham said.
Russian hooker Valery Tsnobiladze will be missing after being suspended for three weeks for a headbutt in the loss to Ireland last Sunday.
Byrnes has earned three caps but playing Australia is the prize.
"I gave my all to that dream of playing for the Wallabies and now I'm playing against them which is the next best thing. I could see a guy like our No.8 Victor Gresev walking into a Super Rugby side so Australia won't have it all their own way, " Byrnes said.
Higginbotham should be a valuable 30-minute closer in the cut-throat finals games but he was badly under-utilised off the bench when the result against Ireland was slipping away.
Deans wants his forwards to be discipline in the face of any baiting from Byrnes.
"They know him well. Discipline, on our part, is important, " Deans added.
Higginbotham is up for it.
"There'll be a lot of frustration to get out in my game and I always like to play that physical sort of footy, " Higginbotham said.
"It was a real disappointment to miss that starting cap against the US. I was just cleaning out at the start of training, the back must have been a bit cold and got a bit jarred.� "
Deans said the approach against the Russians, beaten 62-12 by Ireland, had to be full-throttle.
"From this point, teams are going home every week. Lose and you've got to leave the country in 24 hours so that is a pretty immediate reality, " Deans said.
Where did the bushranger beard of Byrnes disappear to?
Girlfriend Sophie Edington, the multiple Commonwealth Games swimming gold medallist, demanded it for July's date with royalty at the wedding of Prince Albert of Monaco.
True. Edington is firm friends with the Prince's wife Charlene, a former South African swimmer. The event was eye-popping.
"It wasn't a wedding day but an incredible wedding four days, " Byrnes said.
Denmark's Crown Princess Mary floated by. Tiaras dotted the dance floor. Swedish model Victoria Silvstedt and Olympic gymnastics great Nadia Comaneci were fellow guests at his table at the palace wedding reception.
"It wasn't a star-spotting occasion but a beautiful event. I thought rugby players partied hard but this was a gluttony of food and drink and fun for days, " Byrnes said.
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