A FORMER Thirsk school pupil lined up against the most feared man in rugby last weekend.

Winger Jonathan Steel, 21, came face to face with his opposite number Jonah Lomu in Scotland's 37-6 defeat by the New Zealand All Blacks at Murrayfield.

Steel said: "It was quite an occasion, but I looked at it as a challenge and I wasn't too nervous. There are so many wingers he has made fools of in the past. I just went out to do the best I could and I was quite happy that I kept him from running loose."

Steel, who qualified to play for Scotland through his Glasgow-born father, played in Scotland's victory over Ireland in the Six Nations championship in September and was called up for the autumn tests against Tonga, Argentina and New Zealand.

Proud father Jim Steel, of Newby Wiske, was in the capacity crowd at Murrayfield. He said: "To be at Murrayfield with 60 or 70,000 people and watch my son come out was something special."