LIAM DEL CARME | Bet on Le Roux to prove his naysayers wrong again

Much of what made the Springboks successful at the 2019 Rugby World Cup (RWC) will be reprised for this year's edition in France.

Sure their playing style has grown an arm and a leg, if not a spring in the step, and some new blood has been introduced to the squad but the core of what helped them to the top of the rugby world in Japan will again be at play in France.

As was the case in the last RWC final the first name on the team sheet for this year’s opener against Scotland in Marseille is likely to be Willie le Roux. The fullback is a player that comes with telepathic positional sense in defence, a killer pass in attack but also an enthusiastic band of detractors.

He pops up at first receiver with the Boks on attack and has proved adept at delivering a well conceived and executed final pass. His vantage point at the back allows him to organise those in front of him, while his left boot is more than adequate in providing variety given the number of right footers who operate closer to the action.

Le Roux, however, has been much maligned. He has the propensity to blow hot and cold but public sentiment seems to link him more with the latter.

He is a misunderstood player. Much of what he does within a team context happens in the shadows when the cameras follow the ball. Off the field too his life is dimly lit.

His on-field persona, however, used to grab more headlines, after all it was that, that grabbed the attention of former Bok coach Heyneke Meyer back in 2013.

Witnessing his virtuoso performance against Scotland in a 28-0 victory in Edinburgh in 2013 was a gift from the rugby gods. Everything he touched turned to gold in the cold and wet of Murrayfield. He operated at an elevated level, even above his teammates.

He (Willie le Roux) brings calm to the Bok ranks and few tap into the Bok operational frequency better than he does.

A month earlier as the right wing he was part of an equally convincing Bok performance on the road when they put the Wallabies to the sword by 38 points to 14 in Brisbane.

Gradually though Le Roux’s value has resided in what he did in making others shine.

With it perhaps public sentiment has turned. Ironically, it perhaps stems from the team’s success in Japan.

A collision with Pieter-Steph du Toit in the RWC quarterfinal against Japan reduced Le Roux’s capacity and there were vociferous calls for him to be dropped.

Unlike the much publicised restoration to fitness of Andre Joubert, another left footed fullback who was struck by orthopaedic upheaval in the knock-out stages of a successful RWC campaign, Le Roux’s injury was largely kept under wraps.

The Bok brains trust persisted with him and, in the absence of an explanation of the injury the player was carrying, the public’s view of the fullback took a turn for the worse.

As with faith and trust, the wheel of sentiment turns slowly in the right direction.

Le Roux has remained an integral part of the squad but the stigma has remained.

He brings calm to the Bok ranks and few tap into the Bok operational frequency better than he does.

Despite the flak he is set for a third consecutive RWC and a potential landmark beyond.

Le Roux started at fullback in the first three Tests of the year but remained at home to train with Rassie Erasmus, while a 26-man squad travelled to Buenos Aires for the return clash against Argentina.

The men who remained behind to train under the watchful eye of the director of rugby are favoured to go to the RWC.

At 33, Le Roux, is keen to extend his career beyond the RWC. Naturally, with 86 caps, he is keen to reach three figures and that goal can be achieved next year. He is doing everything possible to make that happen.

His move to the Bulls may help smooth that path. He has admitted the move is aimed to enhance this Bok longevity, while his desire to have his family watch him play after years was another consideration. Apart from a season with the Sharks in 2016 he has played all his club rugby abroad since 2015.

Le Roux may not now be everyone's cup of tea, but watching him sip Champagne from the Webb Ellis Cup later this year is a sight that will draw cheers all round.