TO ANYONE who has played against Tendai Mtawarira, it could answer a few questions. To anyone who hasn't and plans on daring to do so, it could scare the living daylights out of them. This Sharks prop, known since he was nine as "Beast", is a reformed schoolboy bully.

The Zimbabwe-born Sharks prop admits with a cheeky grin that he used to wreak terror among his fellow pupils at the Peterhouse Boys' School in Harare, where he was born and lived until four years ago.

Now 22 and a committed Christian, the 115-kilogram and 188-centimetre Mtawarira swears he is a "gentleman" who is following a better path - at least off the field rather than on, where he still seeks to cause as much damage as he can.

Asked the question - how he got his nickname - Mtawarira grins before explaining: "A couple of my mates at school gave it to me … I was a bully. I was quite nasty to the other kids … it didn't come because of my good nature. But now I like to call myself a gentleman."

So firmly did the name stick, his father, Felix, still calls him by it, which Mtawarira says is "quite funny". The only person who calls him Tendai is his mother, Bertha.

Mtawarira is certainly known to the Waratahs, who play the Sharks in Saturday night's semi-final at the Sydney Football Stadium. He made his Super 14 debut against them last year, and impressed against them at the same venue in round 11 this year when the Waratahs won 25-10.

Waratahs tighthead prop Al Baxter, who played the last 30 minutes of that game, couldn't help but smile when he was asked at Waratahs training at Victoria Barracks yesterday about him.

"They have an excellent front row and the Beast has been doing very well," Baxter said. "Last week he took a part in [demolishing] the Chiefs' scrum. It is going to be tough this weekend against the Beast. He is very, very strong. They have an excellent pack. It will be a challenge of technique and strength."

Mtawarira, as props do, swears his is the best position. He turned to the No.1 slot last year from No.8, which he played at school and in his early days in South Africa, to which he moved four years ago.

"I am really loving it in the front row," he said. "It is a good position, prop. I love the confrontation, challenge. You don't get that anywhere else on the field … that opportunity to face up to your opposition."

Mtawarira, who was invited to the Sharks and their under-21s squad when he left school after being seen by talent scouts during a school rugby tour to Durban, is not the only member of his family playing for the Super 14 semi-finalists. His 18-year-old brother, Ray, also plays with the Sharks under-21s - but does he have a nickname?

"No," says Mtawarira. "He is just Ray."

Which could be heartening news to some.

NSW coach Ewen McKenzie names his team tomorrow and is confident he will field his best possible team.

Winger Lote Tuqiri is carrying a slight knock to the knee and ran lightly yesterday.