The X-factor player:

Don’t count Tasman chief executive Tony Lewis as one of those surprised by Shannon Frizell’s rapid rise into the All Blacks.

The moment he saw the then 20-year-old in action in 2014, Lewis knew the Tonganborn loose forward was destined to achieve special things.

So despite making just three starts in his rookie Super Rugby season with the Highlanders, there was no sense of shock when Frizell’s name was amongst the 33-man squad to play a three-match series against France next month.

‘‘It was only a matter of time. If you look at it it’s very quick . . . but he’s got the X-factor that the All Blacks are looking for, and you can’t really replace that X-factor,’’ Lewis said.

‘‘A lot of people forget how big an impact he had during the Mitre 10 Cup season. He had a huge season last year for the Makos. And the year before, in his first year in the squad, he was very impressive as well.’’

So who is the latest All Blacks bolter? Frizell, who stands at 1.95m tall and weighs 108kg, is the younger brother of Kangaroos, NSW and St George Illawarra Dragons league player Tyson.

While his 26-year-old brother grew up with his parents in Australia, Shannon grew up in Tonga with his adopted family, and started playing rugby.

It was in 2014 when Lewis first set eyes on Frizell, when he fronted for a Marist Pacific Island invitational team against the Tasman Mako under-19s.

‘‘We had a reasonably good under-19 team, but there was this kid playing and every time he picked up the ball he destroyed our team,’’ Lewis recalled.

‘‘Very quickly my community manager,