Le Roux finally gets his recognition
The Springboks posted a social media video earlier this week which showed Le Roux receiving his first Springboks blazer in 2013 after making his debut against Italy in Durban that June.
When it comes to under-appreciated Boks, Le Roux must be up there somewhere near the top. Despite being an ever-present in the Rassie Erasmus era, South African fans have at times derided and ridiculed him for mistakes he has made.
In the case of Erasmus himself, even he did not fully appreciate Le Roux when the full-back was a player at the Stormers while Erasmus was in charge.
“I remember talking once to a coach (Dai Young) overseas where he played and I said I don’t understand why Willie is doing these actions, and said something that really stuck with me. He said: ‘It’s because he cares so much, he doesn’t hide his emotions'," Erasmus said.
“If you talk to anyone in the team, the way Willie looks sometimes, when he’s a little bit down or not happy, it’s definitely not a reflection of how he feels for the rest of the team. It’s just how much he cares.
“I definitely made a mistake by not keeping him at the Stormers and now he gets his 100th Test match, has won two World Cups, done a few things for Wasps, played for the Cheetahs, so we’re very proud of him and we hope we can help him make this a memorable game.”
Assistant coach Mzwandile Sitck has known Le Roux since he was a young star at Stellenbosch many years ago while Stick was still a player himself, and noted how much the Bulls playmaker has "been through".
“The first time I met Willie was during my sevens rugby days, and if one looks back at what he has been through and how people criticised him in 2019, it makes us very proud of him,” Stick said.
While Le Roux has been prone to making mistakes in games at times, his vision in attack is second to none in South African rugby. The way he marshals a lethal pair of wingers around the park is going to be something sorely missed when he hangs up his boots one day.
The fact that Le Roux will take the field for the 100th time as a Springbok this weekend, joining seven others to have done it in history, is testatment not only to his ability as a player, but also his mental resilience.
It also gives the rugby public a chance to show their appreciation to a player who has certainly heard their criticism often enough, but is nonetheless clearly well respected within the camp.
“Many people don’t see what we see in him as a player and what a smart rugby player he is,” Stick added, while captain Salmaan Moerat said: “I grew up watching Willie play in Paarl and for Boland, and to see him play his 100th Test is unbelievable.
“To play one Test match for the Springboks is special, but to be selected 100 times shows the quality of the player he is.”
Standards and meeting fire with fire
Another topic Stick spoke about was one of standards.
It’s been nearly nine years since the Springboks lost to Italy for the first and only time, and in that period they have made such a turnaround that a 42-24 victory in the first Test in Pretoria was met with disappointment by the Bok coaching staff.
“I guess it’s a positive that we scored six tries but we’re frustrated,” Erasmus said after the victory.
“I didn’t pick up in the week that this was the way we were going to perform but it’s all fixable – but it’s definitely frustrating.”
While the 42 points were not as many as some predicted the Springboks would score, Erasmus was more unhappy with the conceding of three in return.
This week Stick addressed the media and reminded his players that they are all too aware of what is expected of them.
“Last week we started with good intensity, but they bounced back strongly in the second half. It’s clear how much they have grown since the Six Nations, where they also delivered a few quality performances," he said.
“Adding to this, they have a well-organised kicking game and outside backs with energy, so we need to improve and be much more effective in the way we want to play the game.
“It’s our second official Test match of the season, but we know what our standards are as a team.”
With the way skipper Moerat spoke about wanting to “fight fire with fire” in his own press conference, it’s clear that message has been received.
“They are a very physical team, so it’s going to be a massive game,” Moerat said. “We are certainly not underestimating them.
“They are a passionate side that are mainly formed from two clubs, so they have been playing together for a while, and they pride themselves on their set pieces, while they also have quality backs with a good kicking game, and they showed real fight at the breakdowns last week, so we have to fight fire with fire.”
The Italians can expect a huge response from the Boks this weekend as they look to rectify things in the eyes of their unhappy coaching unit.
Louw's chance to shine
For some time now the Bok tighthead position has been locked down by Frans Malherbe, with Vincent Koch often the man called up to do the damage in the second half.
It’s a combination that was utilised in five of the six knockout matches during the 2019 and 2023 World Cups, with Trevor Nyakane getting the nod for the final against the All Blacks in the latter.
Thomas du Toit is another who has at times taken the reins, but this weekend it’s the turn of Wilco Louw, an unassuming character of South African rugby who is currently in the form of his life.
Louw has had a barnstorming season with ball in hand, but particularly at scrum time, where the Bulls have been truly dominant all the way to the URC final against Leinster.
He form was rewarded with a nomination for South Africa’s URC player of the season, though he ultimately missed out on the award to Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
However, for a tighthead prop to even go up against a fly-half is saying something in itself, and Louw is now ready to stake a claim to more regular time as the Springboks’ anchor in the scrum.
“I feel that he’s playing his best rugby that I’ve seen him play for a very long time,” Du Toit said of Louw. “He’s an incredible player and an unbelievable scrummager.
“I feel we both bettered our game over the last couple of years and it comes back to that old thing of props reaching their peak from 28 (years old) onwards, so I’m grateful that we could be part of it.”
It’s not just his team-mates who respect him. In a recent Maul or Nothing podcast, Bristol Bears prop Max Lahiff was waxing lyrical about the Bulls front rower.
“The bloke’s mental,” Lahiff said. “The joints don’t make sense, he was made in a lab. He is a test tube tighthead.
“There’s something going on there. Human’s weren’t meant to look like that were they? He’s just so thick, he’s got a femur like an orc.”
This weekend serves as a huge opportunity for Louw to showcase his credentials with the 2027 World Cup starting to come into sight.
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