'It is has been quiet in terms of contact...Hopefully, I can rock up'
Scrumhalf Faf de Klerk flies home to South Africa tomorrow to start preparing for the Springboks assault on the World Cup in Japan not knowing if he has helped Sale Sharks qualify for next season’s Heineken Cup competition.
De Klerk’s brilliant attacking play conjured up two outstanding late tries to help Sale defeat Gloucester 46-41, however, Bath’s 32-31 win at Leicester consigned the Sharks to a seventh place finish and they now have to rely on La Rochelle beating Bordeaux in the Top14 to finish in the top six.
That would trigger an extra Cup qualifying position for the Gallagher Premiership thanks to Saracens’ Heineken Cup triumph and it would go to Sale.
The live wire No9 is on the six man short list to be named Gallagher Player of the Season in the Premiership which makes de Klerk’s assertion that he is not guaranteed a place in the Springbok World Cup squad difficult to comprehend. However, De Klerk takes nothing for granted and is prepared to put in the hard yards when invited to take part in the pre-Cup Springbok training camps because that is the way he attacks every rugby challenge.
It is why he refused to accept that Gloucester had established a winning 41-31 lead at the AJ Bell Stadium and highlights the massive impact achieved since joining Sale.
Last year de Klerk kick-started is stalled test career with such success he was vying for the World Player of Year and he is certain to be a key figure as the Springboks chase a third World Cup in Japan.
De Klerk , who will be joined by another six South African players at Sale next season including lock Lood de Jager, said: “I am flying back to South Africa on Monday and I will hopefully have a few weeks off.
“I am really excited but the Springbok World Cup squad has still to be announced. If I get the call up I will take it.
“It is has been a bit quiet in terms of contact because the Super Rugby season is taking place back home and they started some alignment camps a few weeks ago. Hopefully, I can rock up, get the call up and get the knowledge I will need to get.
“There have been some good wins in Super Rugby and it appears that things are slowly coming together and watching those game it is good that all the Springbok guys are performing. You want to see that and it is creating a real difference in the quality of performances. I think we are going to be in a good place going into the World Cup.
“A lot of my good mates are coming over from South Africa to strengthen the Sharks squad. It will give us some depth and while we have done well, when we have got down to the wire we have struggled at points and it is credit to our medical staff to get us through the season.
“For the first time our attack was really good against Gloucester and it was something we really focussed on going into the game. We have grown in that sense and what let us down was out defence which had been good this season, however, overall we played well. To get a win in the final game of the season against a quality side is always great but we have a lot of stuff to work on for next season.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I agree ..come on keyboard warriors and journalists looking for a cheap win ….. only 2 mins to go 12 points down …this DID NOT decide the game and beside JM was hit after the whistle and in response it was a pat on the back of the head …harmless ….watch soccer if this is your issue
4 Go to commentsRest is for namby pamby sissies, I see. True men should overcome their trifling injuries by playing week in, week out. Bidwell’s stance reminds me of a Jon Gadsby character from the 70s, a rugby captain giving an after-match speech: “It was a very physical contest. One of our players caught a boot on the back of his head in a ruck, and he died, actually. But to his credit, he played on.”
1 Go to commentsI still see nothing in Sotutus play that hes changed his upright running style that failed so many times against decent international defences like the french. Other than that… Iose? Well you have covered his limitations well. If Sititi had been playing the the season… Jacobson? Grace?…Neither shout pick me. So Ardie it is.
1 Go to commentsThere isn’t one element you mentioned there that every top class or successful team gets up to. The great All blacks sides used to play on the ‘fringes or edge’ but it was essentially saying they were doing something illegal or borderline to gain dominance. The fine margins at the top are minute between the top sides. La Rochelle, the crusaders, Saracens, Toulon etc etc…..have all been accused. Get over it, the comment comes across as salty and naive. Northampton as well as they played to get back into the match were thoroughly beaten and controlled for 60 minutes and Leinster have only themselves to blame for kicking it away and hence losing control of the match and being nearly the architects of their own downfall.
2 Go to commentsThere is some talent coming thru thats for sure. The 10 looks special to me. Rico Simpson is a name to look for in the future.
1 Go to commentsI think this quiet honestly is just an innocent misunderstanding by someone who is pig sh*t stupid. Eben is a fine player but by christ, if he can’t understand or get what the Irish players were trying to say to him after the match…..well i hope he has someone looking after his finances, career and is reading the fine print for him, cause life after rugby may be quite difficult for the vacuous echo chamber.
27 Go to commentsIt could be Doris' day!
3 Go to commentsThe whole thing has blown up because Eben’s words have clearly struck a nerve in Ireland. Otherwise they would just laugh it off. I think some former Irish players, commentators and some Irish fans know deep down this Ireland team started to believe its own press and that a certain amount of arrogance had started to creep in during the World Cup. The topic was actually brought up by Irish pundits on Off the Ball recently. It’s fine to be arrogant if you can back it up. Ireland didn’t.
27 Go to comments‘The Irish are good people'. Why is Goode praising a people who hate his own? Wet wipe.
27 Go to commentsLa mejor final que se puede ver en el emisferio norte.
1 Go to commentsA lot of cope from south africans in the comments. Etzebeth is a liar and a hypocrite; you don’t have to defend him!
27 Go to commentsHe got big and really slow for a flyhalf…not sure he’s relevant in a bok conversation anymore
4 Go to commentsBest tourney team vs best team in the regular season for 3 games in RSA - talk is cheap, let’s see what’s what on the tour
27 Go to commentsOne overlooked statistic from their 2016 winning season is the Huricanes are still the only team in Super rugby history not to concede a try during the playoff rounds.
4 Go to commentsThanks for the article, Nick. The Nienaber blitz D does ask a lot of its scrumhalf. I have been watching JGP on D and he often looks like he has mastered what Nienaber asks for better than Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach! 🤣 Impressive season by JGP if I must make an understatement.
22 Go to commentsOkay last one. I promise. I think it’s despicable for Andy Goode to suggest that Eben can’t count to 12. To be fair he only had to count to 8 - the number of Irishmen who DIDN’T say that. Less the 3 kiwis of course. 23 - 12 - 3 = 8. See Joe. I can do maffs.
27 Go to commentsCheers, Nick! How do you see the Reds’ Jock Campbell’s play this year? Not as strong a carrier as Andrew Kellaway or Tom Wright, but does avoid errors. Do you see Joe Schmidt as wanting safety first at 15 or a try-assisting counterattacker?
91 Go to commentsI’m sure this was all just a big misunderstanding. Irishmen and Afrikaaners conversing in a noisey stadium. Not easy to get the right messages across. A minefield.
27 Go to commentsSay what you will about Andy Goode. But he is right about one thing… I’m not sure what that one thing is exactly… but I’m willing to hear him out.
27 Go to commentsAnother article to bait and trigger Irish fans. This must stop.
27 Go to comments