It is one of the iconic images of rugby union: the freeze frame of Jonah Lomu trampling over the prone Mike Catt en route to scoring the first of his four tries in the 1995 Rugby World Cup semifinal.

That moment, that tournament, propelled the young All Black Lomu into rugby's consciousness. It also inadvertently placed Catt firmly on the international map ... for being the victim on the end of a Lomu charge.

Catt was earning his 11th cap at the time. Aged 24, it was a rite-of-passage moment for the fresh-faced England fullback. He had experienced the worst mauling of his career and it eliminated any fear of future opponents in an international career that would last another 12 years.

"I knew there was nothing bigger or stronger that would come at me for the rest of my career so I knew I was alright. But it looks worse than it was," Catt told ESPN. "In their match against Scotland, Jonah did almost exactly the same to Gavin Hastings who was 16 stone. I thought so if he's 16 stone and I'm 13 stone, I didn't have much hope.

"I go back to the situation and he gets ankle tapped by Will Carling and starts stumbling towards me so I blame Will Carling for him running over the top of me as without that tap, he'd have just run around me like he did on three times after that to me and the rest of the team.

"He was incredibly strong and the width of his hips and thighs meant you couldn't get your arms around him. South Africa were the only team to contain him but they still struggled to do that.

"It put me on the international map as everyone knew who I was -- for the wrong reasons -- but Carling's words were: 'he is a freak of nature with that power, speed and strength'."

As the rugby world comes to terms with the sudden passing of one of the game's greats, tributes have poured in for the legendary All Blacks winger; the man who broke the mould.

Back in 1995 rugby was contemplating the switch to professionalism. Lomu personified the transition -- a man who was as lethal a weapon on the flank as the game had seen, but who also possessed the deftest of sidesteps.

Lomu was a broadcaster's dream. In the six weeks of the World Cup in South Africa, his life - and the game -- changed. No longer would the bigger players be consigned to the pack, something Catt found out about in a painful way.

"It's a massively sad day when such a guy goes at such a young age so my condolences go to his friends and family," Catt said. "Jonah as a person, for him to burst onto the scene like he did in 1995 in a team full of legends and for him to be the big name to come out of that World Cup as a bloke that changed rugby union was a huge achievement.

"At the time I don't think he realised what was happening around him but all in all he took that tournament by storm. He changed the perception of rugby union, especially from a size point of view.

"He was the man who motivated so many people to play the game who just wanted to be like Jonah."

But Lomu was a paradox with an off-field persona which belied his physical bulldozing presence on it. Catt said: "He was a very quiet, humble guy. He was young in an experienced side so he kept quiet out of respect. We did a Max Brito charity dinner after the World Cup in South Africa and we had a chat then.

"He couldn't understand or believe what was going on in his life. It had changed overnight, he had gold cards at McDonalds and all this sort of stuff. As it was an amateur sport, rugby union needed legends like that who were bigger and better than anyone else. He played that role."

There are seldom opportunities for fairy-tale endings in rugby. Lomu's sudden passing was shocking and Catt felt he was a player who deserved to win his sport's biggest prize more than anyone though he still holds the joint record with Bryan Habana of 15 tries scored in the World Cup and eight in one tournament. 

"The one thing he strived for was that World Cup winner's medal," Catt said. "That was something he tried to pursue throughout his career and unfortunately it didn't fall for him. If anyone deserves one it is him, based on how he changed the game.

"On the pitch he was a big massive man but he wasn't aggressive so he did his stuff and did it well. The players around him knew his strengths and he did what he needed to do to score tries. For him to have that World Cup try record is impressive."