England must stop the Habana fast show

Bryan Habana offers the beaming smile which has enraptured a nation when he thinks of the irony that a man named in honour of an English sporting hero should now be in a position to become the ultimate bogey-man of English sport this weekend.

"My mum and dad must have known something when they gave me Bryan Robson's name because from all the videos I've seen of the man play, he was a very special sportsman," said another very special sportsman.

Never mind Captain Marvel, this lad appears to be a bloody marvel.

Back in the Eighties, Habana's businessman father Bernie spent time in Manchester, where he was a regular visitor to the terraces of Old Trafford's Stretford End. He decided to name his son Bryan, because of the England captain's inspirational qualities, courage and passion for the game, and give him the middle name of Gary because he liked South African keeper Gary Bailey's smiling attitude.

"That my name Bryan had a 'y' in it rather than an 'i' always made it somehow that bit special for me," Habana said after his two tries broke stout Argentine hearts in Sunday's semi at the Stade de France. "I wanted to find out more about this man who my dad admired and, as someone who follows United myself, I'd love to meet Bryan Robson one day."

Even Bernie, though, could hardly have dreamed that his boy would one day eclipse Robson's sporting greatness.

If England are to win the World Cup this Saturday, they must stop at source this jet-heeled master try thief who has already scored eight this tournament but who insists alarmingly: "To be honest, I don't think I've been playing that well. There's definitely more to come."

Heaven help us if Habana finds form then. On Sunday, his tries - one a dazzling individual chip and charge, the other a length-of-the-field interception - took his overall tally to 30 in 34 internationals. His total in this tournament now equals the 1995 record of Jonah Lomu, who, of course, destroyed England en route.

So how exactly do you stop him? When he famously took on a cheetah in a foot race - a mite nervously, he concedes - to highlight the plight of endangered animals in South Africa, there were game wardens standing by with tranquilliser guns should the big cat decide to make a meal of the winger rather than the leg of lamb it was supposed to chase. Yet it does prompt the mischievous thought that Brian Ashton firing sedation darts from the touchline might be England's best hope.

Yet maybe nothing can halt this bright, personable and brilliant player who has become a poster boy for modern South Africa. The 24-year-old is a media darling not just because he does and says all the right things but also because of a Beckham-like capacity for the most dramatic sporting interventions, like the dazzling try which won the Super 14 tournament for the Bulls over the Sharks with the very last play of the season.

When Habana recalls his memories as a kid from a private school-educated background (Bernie runs a home improvements business) it is clear how special Saturday night will be for him.

"I'll never forget getting to that '95 Final, getting passed from lap to lap to get to our seats, everyone together, all proud to be South African. I saw grown white men cry and here was this little coloured boy from the old apartheid world sitting on a white guy's lap. It was all unbelievably special.

"I was brought up in a household where colour was never an issue but what those 30 guys did for the new South Africa felt life-changing.

"Seeing Nelson Mandela wearing Francois Pienaar's shirt was so special. Without that inspiration, I don't think I'd be here today."

As he was speaking, officials broke the news that Mandela, a huge fan of Habana's, had been invited to the game.

"I've been blessed with an amazing talent by the man upstairs to represent a 45million-strong country and I want to give something back to my country," Habana said earnestly. "I really hope 'Madiba' is here. I'm looking forward to making him proud once again."

THE LIFE OF BRYAN

Habana was so fast as a schoolboy that he never lost a race for seven years between the ages of 6 and 13.

He is favourite to win Sunday's 2006 IRB world player of the year award from Felipe Contepomi, Juan Hernandez, Richie McCaw and Yannick Jauzion.

His try-per-game ratio of 88% (30 in 34 games) is a Springbok best ahead of Danie Gerber's 79% (19 in 24). Only Joost van der Westhuizen (38) has scored more.

Habana did not start as a wing. He played all his schoolboy rugby as a scrum-half and was a centre in his early Currie Cup days.