The key ingredient South Africa's URC teams so badly needed
The one consistent among South Africa’s trio of BKT United Rugby Championship coaches in Jake White, John Plumtree and John Dobson, was the size of their smile in welcoming back their World Cup title-winning Springboks.
Munster's Graham Rowntree also grinned in welcoming Bok World Cup winner Jean Kleyn back into the team.
The Emirates Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen did not have such a luxury as there were no World Cup winners from his squad, but for the other South African three, the return to action of these world-class players could not have come sooner.
Jake White raved about veteran Willie le Roux’s authority as a player/coach in the build-up to the Vodacom Bulls win against Connacht. Le Roux, in his BKT URC debut, justified the hype and the pre-match purple prose.
World Player of the Year nominee Eben Etzebeth took charge of the Hollywoodbets Sharks forward pack against Dragons RFC and the result was the most emphatic Sharks performance of the season.
Etzebeth was huge in everything he did.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks had lost their opening five league matches, including a home match to Connacht, but with Etzebeth at the forefront of the World Cup stars, the hosts were unrecognizable from the side that laboured through the opening five matches.
Bok World Cup scrumhalves Jaden Hendrikse and Grant Williams were on fire, with the latter bagging a brace and again showcasing his electric pace.
Plumtree, back at the Sharks for a second stint as coach, finally got to flash that big grinning smile after the Hollywoodbets Sharks scored 69 points against the Dragons. This is why he came back to Durban, to lead a squad of gladiators and world class players.
White’s Vodacom Bulls were also such a different prospect with his World Cup players and this week Dobson got the necessary relief from four successive defeats overseas when veteran Deon Fourie led the DHL Stormers World Cup-winning quartet back into training.
Utility back Damian Willemse, who started for the Boks at fullback in the World Cup final but has produced his best rugby for the DHL Stormers at inside centre, spoke refreshingly of his desire to win the BKT URC title for a second time. His teammate and No 10 Manie Libbok was as enthusiastic about dominating in a league that he made his own in the past two seasons.
Fourie, seemingly younger with every passing week, immediately added punch to the preparations and brought calm to the pack.
The leadership, said Dobson, of his World Cup quartet, was something that had been missing for the DHL Stormers this season.
"They’ve won international rugby’s biggest title a month ago and there was always the danger of a World Cup hangover, but from what I have experienced this week and what I have observed in the performances of the Boks World Cup winners for other teams, it has been the opposite.
"These players have come back wanting more success, wanting to inspire success and wanting to showcase the qualities of world champions," said Dobson.
"We are fortunate to have so many of the winning World Cup squad playing for SA teams in the BKT URC because it tells the next generation of players that if you perform in the BKT URC, you will get noticed internationally."
Dobson’s DHL Stormers play Zebre Parma in Stellenbosch this Saturday and White’s Vodacom Bulls host Plumtree’s men in what should be a bruising battle at Loftus Versfeld.
Tighthead prop Wilco Louw has been impressive for the Vodacom Bulls since joining from London’s Harlequins and his contest with star scrumming loosehead prop Ox Nche is reason enough to pay to go to Loftus.
Nche has been described as the most destructive scrumming prop in the game, but he is up against a giant-sized boulder in Louw.
Outside of this duo, who will be dabbling in the dark arks of the front row, the World Cup-winning backs on either side make Pretoria’s Loftus the place to be this weekend.
Latest Comments
It’s not new for nines to be the key playmaker. For the Boks it has been common, with Fourie du Preez and Joost vd Westhuizen being obvious examples. It's also not that recent for nines to be box kicking, covering high balls in the back field, and tackling in the defensive line. For example, Faf de Klerk has been doing all of that for years.
Go to commentsThe hell with this constant regurgitation of what this pretty boy is doing. For all I care he might as well be doing a Jamie Oliver cooking course. Rugby is not a progression toward the NFL, which, given its prominence in your reporting, you appear to regard as the ultimate contact sport. It has virtually nothing to do with rugby, and forever may that remain the case. I know that if I don’t like it I don’t have to read it, but I’m sick of seeing this dishwater-dull nonsense.
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