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InternationalSouth Africa

Bernard Laporte has named ex-Springboks enforcer as the greatest player he ever coached

(Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)
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Former Springboks and Toulon lock Bakkies Botha has said he is humbled to be described by Bernard Laporte as the greatest player he coached. The ex-France and Toulon coach lavished the 2007 World Cup winner with praise recently in an interview after the two worked together at the Stade Mayol at the beginning of last decade, winning three consecutive European titles. 

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Laporte said: “For me, Bakkies Botha is the greatest player in the world that I have coached in my career. Afterwards, it’s difficult to compare because Jonny Wilkinson was excellent, Matt Giteau was monstrous. 

“But Bakkies Botha was so strong physically and I would have liked so much to be like him on a field to scare everyone and smash everyone.” 

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Legendary Springboks forward Botha responded on Twitter to this praise, saying he was humbled to receive such acclaim from a coach like Laporte, who has worked with some of the greats of the game during his career. 

He said: “I have always thought of myself as one of a kind, but to read a special man like Bernard Laporte say I was the best player he ever coached made me feel humbled but also proud. I went to Toulon to create rugby history and we did.

https://twitter.com/BakkiesBotha4/status/1379675352335843333?s=20

The 85-cap Springboks lock joined Toulon after the 2011 World Cup, ending his ten-year stay with the Bulls where he won three Super Rugby titles in 2007, 2009 and 2010. He ended his career in 2015, adding a Top 14 title to his three European titles, as well as earning nine more South Africa caps. 

Laporte highlighted Wilkinson and Giteau when discussing some of the great players he coached, but they are just two of many superstars in Toulon’s galacticos that dominated European rugby. On top of that, he encountered some French greats during his eight years in charge of Les Bleus.

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You will be glad to know they signed Bhatti to replace Van Wyk and they already have Will Stuart to come back, with Sela & Griffin as understudy players, so I think you will find they continue spending up to the limit and not much has changed at the Rec. It’s all part of the managing the demographics of the salary cap within the squad.

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unknown 33 minutes ago
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SP 44 minutes ago
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TT. 1 hour ago
'Move Sua'ali'i to 15 - Rugby Australia cannot afford another unfulfilled talent'

Agree on Wright, it will be hard to overlook him if he plays at the same level than last year !

Indeed, if Lonergan is not in the team - which I think is probably the best option if they plan to start Carter Gordon - they will definitely need a goalkicker.



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BC1812 1 hour ago
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SB 2 hours ago
'Move Sua'ali'i to 15 - Rugby Australia cannot afford another unfulfilled talent'

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TT. 2 hours ago
'Move Sua'ali'i to 15 - Rugby Australia cannot afford another unfulfilled talent'

And who would pick at 15 ? Tom Wright ? Harvey ?

13 Go to comments
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TT. 2 hours ago
'Move Sua'ali'i to 15 - Rugby Australia cannot afford another unfulfilled talent'

Due to the League’s influence in our opinion ? Too young to recall that sadly…

Aren’t Paisami and Flook leaving Australia this summer ? Crichton could be the solution to a lot of their problems indeed.



...

13 Go to comments
S
SB 2 hours ago
'Move Sua'ali'i to 15 - Rugby Australia cannot afford another unfulfilled talent'

Him and Marky Mark on the wings at the World Cup, aerial kicks galore. Not sure where that leaves Jorgensen though.

13 Go to comments
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unknown 2 hours ago
'Move Sua'ali'i to 15 - Rugby Australia cannot afford another unfulfilled talent'

JAS plays at 13 because the Wallabies already have loads of high quality back three players and basically only two other top quality centres (ikitau and Parisian) one of whom is abroad currently and one of whom is heading to Japan (I’ve heard) - so that’s the area of key lack of depth

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NB 3 hours ago
'Move Sua'ali'i to 15 - Rugby Australia cannot afford another unfulfilled talent'

Aussie have always had a surfeit of good back three players, more so than centres, even in their best years around 2000-2003… I recall them trying to shoehorn Elton Flatley into 12 for the 2001 Lions series.

They have Paisami, Ikitua and Flook wto work with now, and poss Angus Crichton in future. So I’d ships to 14 or 15 now, with a view to a JAS-Marky-Jordo backfield for the RWC, and poss Lomax in the mix too.



...

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NB 3 hours ago
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Let’s hope so. Hunter Paisami is having a good season at 12 for the Reds, Len Ikitau is top drawer and Josh Flook at a very smart 13, so there is some material to work with there…

13 Go to comments
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NB 3 hours ago
'Move Sua'ali'i to 15 - Rugby Australia cannot afford another unfulfilled talent'

They might start him at 14 and then move him to FB once he gets the hang of the backfield pendulum….

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Stephen11 3 hours ago
Scotland v France | Talking points as France set up Grand Slam decider with England

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