SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — He often comes off as a hard-knocking, no-nonsense player who gives no quarter and asks for none in return.

But beneath that hardened exterior is an easy-going, prank-instigating individual who could be dubbed the joker among the Reggae Boyz band.

However, don’t be fooled, Rodolph ‘Rudy’ Austin takes his profession seriously. Very seriously, and he’s always willing to leave everything out on the pitch. Everything.

Well, he will need to do just that when his Reggae Boyz face a wounded Costa Rican aggregation for crucial points in their third-round CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying engagement here at the Estadio Nacional at 8:00 pm (9:00 pm Jamaica time) today.

The task will be made much harder by the mere fact that Austin and his teammates failed to click against Panama inside their own National Stadium last Friday night, but still managed to escape with a share of the spoils in a 1-1 result.

Added to that they face a Costa Rican team rooted at the bottom of the six-nation group with a solitary point from a maximum of six, but playing at home for the first time in this final round campaign, in front of hungry home supporters.

It was no coincidence that the Boyz feared badly at home last Friday when Austin, as an individual, failed to fire on all cylinders. He appeared a step or two off the pace, and along with central midfield partner Marvin Elliot, failed to provide sufficient coverage for their defenders.

The 27-year-old, who joined Leeds United in the English Championships last summer from Norwegian outfit SK Brann, has looked a lot happier since arriving in Costa Rica, and the fact that he engaged the physical trainer in a bit of extra work at the end of the training session on Sunday, suggest that he’s very much aware of what is required.

Head coach Theodore Whitmore backs the player to some good when it really matters today.

“Austin is a crucial part of our preparation, especially in midfield. We know he has a lot to offer and it will be how he presents himself on the day,” Whitmore told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

The coach admitted that the midfielders’ failure to stabilise the team on Friday led to the Boyz’ overall lethargic performance, but he was quick to advise that the technical staff has already sat and gone through the roles and functions with the players and it is now left up to how they respond today.

“We have sat and talked with both him and Elliot, and one of the things is that Austin has a lot of energy and at times he doesn’t know how to control that energy, but we can take positives from it because he always wants to play and is a player who gives 100 per cent every time he goes onto the pitch,” Whitmore said.

The Costa Ricans tend to play a good ball possession game and Austin’s drive in the middle of the park will be crucial in how well Jamaica perform.

Not only will he be the man to break up attacks, but he is also charged with starting the attack, ensure that the team is balanced, as well as covering every blade of grass on the pitch from penalty box to penalty box.

The former Portmore United player, who stands at 183cm, and tips the scale at 78.0kg, carried the nickname ‘The Beast’ in Norway and has a reputation for crunching tackles, and Costa Rica’s captain and playmaker Bryan Ruiz could be in for a tough time today.

He has been a long-time admirer of United boss Neil Warnock, who tried to sign him to QPR after a trial stint the previous summer.

While at SK Brann, Austin won Player of the Season award in 2011, scoring seven goals in 25 games. He also won the NISO Award as the best player in the 2011 Tippeligaen.

If he produces anything close to his best today, then the Reggae Boyz could rip up the script and shock the region like they did on February 6, when they held Mexico 0-0 inside the Estadio Azteca.

— IB