Jean-Luc du Preez is trying to control his 'smoking' in bid for a Springbok recall
Jean-Luc du Preez is learning to choose his moments to “smoke” opponents while remaining a serious physical threat as Sale Sharks consolidate their Gallagher Premiership play-off place.
The burly No8 delivered a typically robust performance as Sale defeated London Irish 41-13 at the AJ Bell Stadium with 11 carries, 10 tackles, seven passes and two turnovers which should earn him plenty of plaudits from Springbok assistant coach Felix Jones who is based in Dublin and keeps a close eye on all the English based players hoping to face the British and Irish Lions this summer.
Du Preez has not always found the right balance between hammering opponents and legally imposing yourself and was sent off in December 2019 and again in the same month in 2020 – both times for using his shoulder illegally in contact – and picked up a yellow card for a dangerous clear-out against Harlequins in February.
He told RugbyPass: “After my red card in December I was banned for four weeks and then got a yellow against Harlequins and I have looked at my game. I try to stay in the moment and not chase something. What I mean is if the ruck is set I don’t have to go into it or if a ball carrier is going down I don’t have to smash him. I don’t have to chase things unnescessarily and there is a balance to be found because things happen so quickly on the field and you have a split second to make a decision.
“I need to work on the “next job” mentality and if you make a mistake you then give 100 per cent effort in the next thing and we have spoken as a group about not thinking about what has happened because you are not going to change the referee’s decision. It is in the past.
“We are fortunate with the depth in our squad and for example, Lood (De Jager) never stops working and all the big guys we have are mobile and are putting in 15-20 tackles a game and you cannot ask for any better. “
Du Preez, one of three brothers at Sale who are all Springbok internationals (Dad Rob was also capped by the Boks), won the last of his 13 caps – 10 as a replacement – in 2018 against England in Cape Town and faces a tough battle to break into the World Cup-winning Springbok back row unit made of up Duane Vermeulen, captain Siya Kolisi and World Player of the Year Pieter Steph du Toit for the summer series with the Lions. The same scenario faces twin brother Dan who specialises in playing No8 while Jean-Luc can move around the back row and also fill in at lock.
Alex Sanderson, the Sale director of rugby, acknowledges that Jean-Luc is a force of nature but needs to concentrate that effort in the right areas. He said: “It’s scary isn’t it! Because he wants to hit everything – everything – it is trying to identify which rucks are there for him to whack and which hits are on for him to smoke someone. If a ruck is dead and someone is there doesn’t mean you have to hit them. It’s about things that he likes to do and what is right for the team. He is still very young and can become and even better player.
“He has been so overwhelmed with this desire to dominate people that it masks some of his better qualities. He is on a stiff learning curve like the rest of us and he is at the sharp end and needs attention in that area.
“As a group we are changing our mentality and it comes down to individual motivation and not being on an emotional roller coaster. We have to find a consistency of emotion for the squad by growing and Jean-Luc is on the furthest end of that spectrum with his physicality. I have sat down with everyone and talked to Jean-Luc about what he loves and motivates him to try and make some of his decisions a process of thought rather than the actions of emotion.”
Du Preez puts his off-loading skills and link work with twin brother Dan down to the sport they played at school together and like fellow identical twins Tom and Ben Curry, there is a special bond. “We played water polo and that is where the offload aspect of our games comes into play:” he added. “It is crazy to think Tom and Ben are only 22 and they both have a very high work ethic, setting high standards and you see that every week with Tom at England. He is one of the top flankers in the world.
“I would like to think there is some kind of twins telepathy and Dan and I seem to find each other on the field and I don’t like playing without him because it gives me more motivation.”
'I came over last March and weighed 108kgs. I’m now 115kgs… I’m 100 per cent a different man than when I walked in'@Highlanders lock @JackRegan16 left Ireland with just 1 PRO14 sub appearance. Now he's playing with @AllBlacks , writes @heagneyl ???https://t.co/2s4YhHCYov
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 21, 2021
The combative du Preez was in the Junior Springbok side captained by Handre Pollard that was beaten 21-20 in the 2014 Junior World Cup final by an England side led by Maro Itoje and has been joined in the Premiership by the Harlequins pair of Andre Esterhuizen and Wilco Louw and Leicester’s Cyle Brink who also featured in that final. With du Preez one of 11 South African players at Sale and Brink to be part of an eight-strong contingent at Leicester, the Premiership is ensuring South African players have plenty of support away from home.
There is also the feed back from Springbok assistant coach Jones who sends the players videos of their matches with comments about areas where they need to improve. Du Preez said: “Felix does a great job and touches base once a month and sends clips of my games with stuff to work on and what I am doing well.
“I would hope my case for selection is stronger playing in the Premiership and I know breaking into the Springbok back row will be very difficult but getting back into the set up is always in the back of my mind. It is something I am working towards.”
Comments on RugbyPass
“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
3 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
2 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
3 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
3 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
3 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to comments