'There's no test for measuring your heart'
New Bulls recruit and back-to-back World Cup champion Willie le Roux is preparing for a seismic Champions Cup clash against Saracens at Loftus Versfeld this weekend.
The 34-year-old is expected to line up at fullback on Saturday night in what will be just his third game for his new club, having recently returned to South Africa from Japan after spending four seasons with the Toyota Verblitz in the Rugby League One competition.
Saturday night's fixture will also mark the first-ever clash between the two powerhouse clubs of South Africa and England, with last year's Champions Cup the first time South African sides had competed in the competition.
For Le Roux, the game will represent just another step on the experienced outside back's rugby odyssey following stints with the Cheetahs, Canon Eagles, Sharks, Wasps and Verblitz - a remarkable return for a player who many suggested during his formative years that he was simply too small to play high-level rugby. That's an assumption that Le Roux has proven incorrect time and time again.
Speaking to Jim Hamilton in a preview of Saturday's match for RugbyPass TV, Le Roux suggested that size certainly isn't everything on the rugby field.
"Growing up in South Africa, everyone used to think you had to be this big guy running straight, you're not allowed to pass ," he said. "When we started playing, some people said, 'You're too small, you won't play Super Rugby, you won't play for the Springboks'.
"There's all these tests, they can measure your speed, your bench, your squat and all of that [but] there's no test for measuring your heart. When you go to Japan, they like to do all these tests and write all the names up: 'This guys squads 150 and this guy benches 150', but then maybe on a three-on-two out on the pitch, they can't draw and pass, or they can't pass off their left, and I'm like 'What does it help you benching 150 but you can't do a three-on-two properly? Or you just can't pass with your left hand 20 metres?'"
Le Roux noted that perceptions have started to shift, however.
"[Now] everywhere we go we see people focussing less on those things and more what the guy can do on the field.
"I think most of the Saffas are different. They've got heart. Everywhere you go, they always say the Saffas don't mind going into a dark place, whatever league they play in. I think that's just who we are."
It's a mindset that proved fruitful at the 2023 World Cup, with the Springboks claiming the title following three one-point wins during the knockout stages of the tournament.
It's a mindset that will also prove crucial in Saturday's fixture in Pretoria, with both the Bulls and Saracens having won four of their past five matches in their local club competitions, the United Rugby Championship and the English Premiership, respectively.
Saturday's match is set to kick off at 7:30pm SAST on Saturday evening.
The full interview between Jim Hamilton and Willie le Roux can be watched on RugbyPass TV.
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Brumbies are looking good and if they keep their home form up a final is not beyond the realms of possibility. They showed against the Hurricanes exactly how clinical they can be as they absorbed pressure in that contest while also scoring points and applying their own pressure. Reds are well placed as well but need to find consistency. They are building a longer term project with a young side and plenty of quality players. Been surprising to see the strength of Aussie sides this year after the debacle of the world cup. Have NZ sides gotten weaker? Have Aussie sides gotten stronger? A bit of both I would say. Whatever the case its good to see some actual competition between NZ and Aus sides again and thats exactly what the fans wanted and is probably driving better viewership numbers. All of this can only be healthy for Aus and Super Rugby and I hope the Brumbies go all the way.
Go to commentsDead time reductions are important as is ball in play time increases. Premiership leads the way in terms of ball in play and Northern refereeing standards around the breakdown has sped up the game significantly. Super Rugby is trying new things but its not leading the way in terms of making gains in reducing dead time and ball in play time. Northern administrators are also not against speeding up the game, on the contrary they want a faster game and have been trying things and are embracing increasing the speed of rugby. Super Rugby isnt providing a blueprint for anything, its just part the agreed upon blueprint that administrators across the world are moving to.
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