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'It wasn't easy, I can promise you that' - Willie le Roux on RWC semi final
With the Bulls readying to face Saracens in round 1 of the Champions Cup at Loftus Versfeld this coming weekend, Jim Hamilton went to Pretoria to chat to a world cup winner who knows a thing or two about the big occasion.
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Wille le Roux is now at the Bulls, having made his debut in the United Rugby Championship recently and impressed coach Jake White in particular.
The double world cup winner is relishing the opportunity to play against a side like Saracens, brimming with English talent, some of which he would have faced in the semi final in Paris just over a month ago.
Speaking to former Saracens lock Hamilton in a Rugbypass TV preview ahead of the match, he says that South African audiences are only now starting to get used to their sides being in the formerly European-only competition that is reserved for the best of the best.
“I’ve played in it before obviously when I was with Wasps and you see it’s the best club competition in the world, it’s the best of the best playing against each other. So I think people are now starting to understand this is going to be amazing and you see the best players in the world touring to South Africa, club sides who you never might have seen.
“Where would you think of Saracens coming to Loftus to play the Bulls? I mean, that’s amazing.
“The people want to see all of the big games playing, all of the big names from Sarries and from all the big clubs abroad, so I think the people are starting to buy in and it’s nice for them to watch some good rugby over December, when it’s holidays.
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“In SA in December it’s holidays from about 15th December. The people go on holiday, they start braaing at the beach and then they just watch rugby and drink brandy.”.
Reflecting on the tight world cup semi final match against England in Paris, that the Springboks struggled in for most of the match, le Roux says that he was never under any illusion that it would be any easy game.
“We knew it was going to be tough. Some people said they thought it was going to be easy, but, there isn’t an easy game, never. And you know how the media can talk about teams and say this one is going to win.. on a rugby field it’s just a whole different ball game, it doesn’t matter who you play.”
“I was on the bench watching and everyone, and I think everyone back home, was like, ‘what is going on?’. They brought their A game, if you’re not up to there on that standard, you’re in trouble.
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“Luckily there’s one thing about our team, we found a way. Not easy.
“It helps when you bring on a guy like Pollard and you know he doesn’t miss. It’s just amazing how the guys that came on, the guys that started, the guys watching the game, the guys giving Rassie some things that they see as well and Rassie gives it onto the field.. Just how we all work together as a group, I think that’s why we won that game and how we found a way to win that game.
“It wasn’t easy, I can promise you that. Sometimes there was doubt like, you’re not going to win now and you’re going to be going home, or you’re going to drop the people back home, and that’s the scary thing. You don’t want to drop everyone back home, you want to see them happy and you want to make a difference in the country.”
At the Bulls le Roux finds himself amongst a wealth of young talent, including Bok flyers Kurt Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie. He sees Moodie in particular as someone who has the willingness to learn and should be around for a long time.
“Moodie is unbelievable. Unbelievable. He plays 13, he plays wing, I think he can play 15 as well. His speed he’s got, his step, his understanding of the game, he knows where to run the lines, he knows who to run off. He studies, he learns, he doesn’t mind listening.
“Some young guys come through and they think they’ve made it and they think they know everything, they don’t want to listen to older guys or guys that maybe have seen different things. But Moodie, I tell you, he listens. He wants to learn, he wants to get better, so it’s just unbelievable to be working with him and training with him.
“This weekend will be a good game for him to see where he is again, measure himself against the best. Saracens has been there, done it. Unbelievable team. So just to be able to play against them, the world class players and measure yourself against them.
“And being 21 and winning a World Cup now, going to Champions Cup now, just to test yourself against the best club sides in the world, it’s amazing and we’ll have to get the ball to him and let him do his work.”
The Bulls host Saracens on Saturday 9 December at 18:30 local in Pretoria.
You can watch this full chat exclusively on RugbyPass.tv.
Comments on RugbyPass
What a joke. Total joke and the pundits commentating, all of whom know a bit about the game, could barely disguise their contempt. Reaching for the card then pulling back when he realised a red card would carry further match suspensions is simply not his decision to make. A clear and obvious influence on the outcome of this match and indeed, the championship path.
2 Go to commentsI like the idea, in NZ the Ranfurly Shield and NPC coexist, both having their own bragging rights. The World Cup would be the pinnacle, but the competition and travels of these trophies would be interesting.
40 Go to commentsDon’t worry Sonny bill Williams leave that awkward situation about the curfew in the pass whoever it was it doesn’t matter its no big deal we back our All Blacks through the storm and the thunder until we see the Sun light again.
42 Go to commentsWho listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
42 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
42 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
40 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
2 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
4 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
4 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to comments