In theory, it should scarcely be a contest. To those of a certain age, particularly around the London area, Lawrence Dallaglio is English rugby. If you need a No8 to unsettle South Africa in a defining World Cup pool game, it has to be big Lol, doesn't it? But wait. There is another big-hearted contender in the frame and the less-heralded Nick Easter will start against France tonight while old Lawrence Bruno Nero sits on the bench fiddling with his toga.
A fortnight ago, in similar circumstances, Easter scored four tries against Wales. The pictures of him jogging past his replacement, Dallaglio, were a caption writer's dream. When a midweek headline hinted at a growing rivalry, Dallaglio even felt it necessary to protest, albeit mildly. The lower-profile Easter simply shrugged his shoulders: "The more time I've got in the No8 shirt the less time someone else has to occupy it and the more opportunity I have to show what I'm about." Not much room for misinterpretation there.
It could develop into one of the more entertaining sideshows of England's World Cup campaign: Lawrence the Lionheart v Nerveless Nick. Someone who knows both players well is Paul Volley, previously a long-time Wasp alongside Dallaglio and now captain of Easter's club, Harlequins.
"Minty's a character," confirms Volley, employing the nickname by which Easter is known to all at Quins. "He's a throwback to the old school; he's a good player but a good socialiser as well. He's the judge at our court sessions and enjoys dishing out the punishments. Now he's bedded in with England, I think the best of him is still to come."
Funnily enough, that is precisely how the 6ft 4in Easter himself feels. He has good hands and his instinct is not solely to bash holes around the fringes.
"I know I've got a lot more to show England," he says. "The games I've played have been largely centred around the ruck area and, even against Wales, we were taking them on up the guts. Without shirking the hard work, I'd like to get into some wider channels."
He is also six years younger than Dallaglio, having turned 29 in midweek. Age, of course, is not always the best yardstick. At 35, Dallaglio looks fitter than most and remains a fantastic example of how far one can get in life through limitless self-belief. But in many ways the Epsom-born Easter is forged in the great man's own image. This is no one-dimensional academy product capable of talking only about his calorific intake. Nor was he groomed for professional stardom in his days with Dulwich College, Old Alleynians and Rosslyn Park. He is not burdened by self-doubt. On the contrary, he resembles the cowboy who has ridden into a strange town, barged through the saloon doors, ordered a bottle of Jack Daniels and started chatting up the sheriff's daughter.
He also comes with reassuringly little baggage, not a bad thing given England's desperate away record in the past three years. While Dallaglio was helping to win the World Cup in Sydney in 2003, Easter was plying his trade with Orrell. "We watched the final at my house and about half the team were there. Our coach Ross Reynolds, an Australian, was keen for us to get on the bus and get to Otley on time. We hung on for as long as possible but when Elton Flatley nailed that kick, we had no choice but to go."
It is barely three years, remarkably, since Quins gave him a trial and accelerated his nomadic rise to the top. As a student - he has a degree in maths and science - he played for Nottingham Trent University and Ilkeston but did not start to take the game seriously until he spent six months teaching in South Africa and found himself alongside Springboks and Super 12 players while playing for Villagers in Cape Town. When Quins, coached by the former England No8 Dean Richards, were promoted back to the Guinness Premiership last year, he scarcely broke stride.
Injuries to Dan Ward-Smith and James Forrester and the decision to move Martin Corry from the No8 berth also did him no harm and, within days of making his debut for England Saxons, he was promoted to the senior side to face Italy. "In the back of your mind you think: 'Hang on, six months down the line there's a World Cup.'" Suddenly, too, his social past caught up with him. "There are all these Facebook comments saying: 'Are you the same Nick Easter who used to do such and such at 3am?' 'Er, yes ... probably.' It's amazing the people from all walks of life who have got in touch to say: 'Remember what you were doing nine years ago ...'"
Easter's account of his World Cup squad selection is equally entertaining. By 4pm on Sunday he had heard nothing, in contrast to a couple of team-mates who had been told to meet up in Bath at 11am on Monday. He duly rang the team manager, Viv Brown, who told him the same thing, without confirming his selection. "I still didn't know whether that was good news, even though common sense tells you they wouldn't invite you down and then send you home again." Finally, at 9.45pm, the forwards coach, John Wells, called. Easter felt a wave of pure relief. "Even after scoring four tries against Wales I wasn't sure because there were so many other good players around."
Now, though, that starting jersey is tantalisingly within reach. "It's all for Minty to play for," insists Volley. "It's a massive game for him and England. People haven't picked up how strong he is from the base of the scrum. He takes on the defensive line and makes yards. That's what England need." Whatever happens, Dallaglio has his work cut out. "To have him pushing me along ... that's what we're here for," confirms Easter happily. "I've got another chance, in a real hotbed of rugby in Marseille, to say to Brian: 'Look, you've got another difficult decision to make.'" It promises to be an intriguing night.
