Hougaard thriving in the heavy traffic

SEVERAL outsized pairs of boots were vacated at Loftus last season and those wanting to fill them would have been forgiven for feelings of trepidation.

No need, though, to wipe the brow of jack-in-the-box utility back Francois Hougaard, who has replaced the virtuoso Fourie du Preez guided by the mantra that one size fits all.

Hougaard doesn't just want to fill the boots of a player regarded as the most influential of his generation, he intends leaving an even larger footprint.

Even talk of Du Preez returning from his self-imposed exile in Japan later this year does little to dent Hougaard's confidence, which is bulletproof at the best of times.

"Whether he comes back is out of my hands. I don't want to sound arrogant but I'd like to play at a level where everybody has to top my standard. I want to play at a level where they can't leave me out, and I mean that in the most respectful sense."

He has nothing but respect for the former Bulls talisman, though. "Fourie doesn't have to prove himself. He's got the know-how and he's got experience. If he was chosen ahead of me, I'd back him 100%. And that goes for other players too," he said . "When Bryan (Habana) got selected ahead of me at the World Cup I really wanted him to play well."

Du Preez set the pulse and tempo of the team and Hougaard was quick to recognise the challenges of drumming to that beat.

"It is a huge adjustment," he said about returning to scrumhalf. "You don't just pick up those things overnight. That kind of understanding and sharpness only comes with time. It better happen sooner rather than later because you can't try to get sharp at test level. There are certain things you can only pick up in matches.

"Sometimes you have four options but you still operate on instinct. The more you play, the more you are likely to spot the gaps ... you know what to look for. That's exactly what made Fourie so good."

Already Hougaard has been drawn into the Bulls' nerve centre, the group of men who weekly determine how the team will go about their on-field business.

He embraces the challenge of now having to operate in heavy traffic.

"You're a lot closer to the action. You touch the ball more often. I quite like being the link between the forwards and the backs and to stay involved.

"Wing is nice because you have space and you can roam a bit. In that respect, Fourie and I played really well together because I understood him and he understood me. I'd have no problem moving to wing occasionally when they bring on Jano (Vermaak) for the Bulls."

Hougaard has a candour rarely found among his professional contemporaries. There are no question marks on his "must do" list. "I would like to get nominated as the International Rugby Board (IRB) player of the year and in years to come be voted IRB player of the year. This season, I'd like to play well and establish myself as No1 Springbok scrumhalf."

He may be restless but he isn't about to take flight in search of a weightier currency. "I would like to finish my Springbok career before I pursue options oversees."