Victor Vito is big, he is powerful, and he is quick - both in pace and mind. New Zealand's new sevens sensation showed it yesterday as he nimbly sidestepped comparisons to the legendary Jonah Lomu.
'There will never be another Jonah Lomu. He was amazing. He is him, I just want to be Victor Vito,' says the Wellington flanker who will be playing on the wing this weekend as New Zealand aim to wrap up the race for the IRB Sevens title by winning the Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens.
But New Zealand coach Gordon Tietjens suggested that the powerful winger could well be the next big thing - possibly the next Lomu - to wear the All Black strip.
'All those who saw him score a try against Samoa at the Wellington Sevens couldn't help but liken him to Lomu,' said Tietjens. 'He certainly has got the x-factor and he is a gifted player who has added another dimension for us on the wing.'
Vito has been the find of the season for the undefeated New Zealanders, having played in all four previous legs, scoring 20 tries and playing a prominent role in the record winning-streak of 36 matches.
'Is it 20 tries? I really don't keep a count as what matters for me is scoring the next one. But what I know is that I don't know what it feels like to lose and I hope it stays that way this week,' said Vito after a strenuous training run at So Kon Po yesterday.
At 1.92m and 109kg, Vito is four centimetres shorter and about 10kg lighter than Lomu when he made his debut at the Hong Kong Sevens back in 1994.