‘Mr Dependable’ Damian de Allende joins 100 club for Springboks

The Springboks’ ‘Mr Dependable’, Damian de Allende, will become the 10^th Bok to reach 100 caps when he takes to the field for their Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry opener against the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday (5.10pm). solvita.blog

De Allende follows in the footsteps of Percy Montgomery, John Smit, Victor Matfield, Bryan Habana, Jean de Villiers, Tendai Mtawarira and Eben Etzebeth, and hot on the heels of Willie le Roux and captain Siya Kolisi, who brought up their centuries last year.

The big centre made his Bok debut against Argentina as a 22-year-old in 2014, and 12 years later reaches the incredible milestone against the Boks’ biggest rivals, the All Blacks.

Bok coach Rassie Erasmus on Thursday fondly recalled a player he first met when he was Director of Rugby at the Stormers almost 15 years ago.

“We are all very excited for Damian, and to achieve this milestone in this series makes it even more special. He’s a great team man, and servant to the game, so we hope we can make it a memorable day for him,” said Erasmus.

“I remember when I saw him for the first time, I was Director of Rugby at the Stormers and I didn’t know him very well. But when I saw him playing against guys like Sonny Bill Williams, and I am a big Sonny Bill fan, he was one of the few guys who could handle him. In all aspects of play.

“He’s a really tough guy and doesn’t stand back for anything. He is also a very reserved and quiet guy. People think his big skill is his physicality. But his understanding of the game, and the way he gets involved in the game (are big strengths). He doesn’t talk a lot, but he’s been vice captain a hell of a lot.

Willemse praise

Teammate Damian Willemse, who recently brought up his 50-cap milestone for the Boks, backed up his coach with praise for De Allende.

“He’s a real character in the team. He is very reserved, but he knows how to get the team going and never takes any praise. He’s been vice captain for us, and has stepped up in big games and played big roles for us.

“He never takes any of that shine, and is always available to train and play. I am not sure when the last time was that he missed a (big) Test match or even a training session. He is just a world class player and I am very proud of him.

“I am sure his hometown, Milnerton, will be really proud of him. So we want to go out and make him proud. It is a very special occasion and he joins an elite group.”

Pieter-Steph du Toit, who is captaining the Boks in the absence of Siya Kolisi on Saturday, is primed to follow De Allende and bring up his 100^th cap if he is not injured this weekend and plays in the second Test against the All Blacks in Cape Town next weekend.

It was a done deal that Ezekiel Ngobeni would captain the Stormers XXIII this week, says coach Tom Dawson-Squibb, who has stuck his neck on the scrumhalf’s future at the club.

Ngobeni takes over the No 9 jersey and captaincy for Friday’s clash against the Vodacom Bulls XV at Loftus, with Stefan Ungerer and Jean-Luc du Plessis ruled out. The Stormers, sixth on the Currie Cup standings, must win to keep their semi-final hopes alive.

Director of rugby John Dobson now has a scrumhalf crisis after Ungerer joined Imad Khan on the injury list, opening a gap for the 21-year-old Ngobeni in the URC and Investec Champions Cup squad.

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“Ezekiel Ngobeni – I’ll eat my hat if he doesn’t play for the Stormers’ URC team this season,” Dawson-Squibb said ahead of the trip to Pretoria.

He explained the thinking behind handing the armband to Ngobeni, who previously led Maties against Dawson-Squibb’s former side, the UCT Ikey Tigers, in the Varsity Cup.

“I don’t see it as a one-person thing. What I look at is whether the guy who is going to captain our team brings the energy that I feel the team needs,” the coach said.

“I haven’t had the privilege of working with Zekes for too long. But when I look at him, I see a guy with an absolute natural ability to lead.

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“When he speaks to the players, they listen. I see how comfortably he connects with people of different ages and groups.

“I think he’s probably a future captain of the club. It was an absolute fait accompli that Ezekiel would captain the side this week,” Dawson-Squibb added. “When I spoke to possible contenders such as Louw Nel or Cornel Smit, they were absolutely behind it.”

NEL: Stormers ready for north-south war

A Tygerberg High graduate and former Junior Springbok, Ngobeni reflected on what captaining Maties has taught him.

“It was a proper avenue for me to learn and gain a lot of knowledge and skills, which I can use when speaking to our younger players who are also trying to adapt to that responsibility,” he explained.

“Captaining the Stormers is massive. Growing up here, watching the team as a laaitie, and now getting the opportunity to run out and captain the side is something special.

“I want to honour and do right by the guys in my position, and by those who also want to be here one day.”

Photo: Cole Cruickshank/Gallo Images

The post Dawson-Squibb: Zekes born to lead Stormers appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

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Rassie Erasmus says the Springboks won’t get carried away by their previous success against the All Blacks ahead of Saturday’s opening Test at Ellis Park.

The last time the two great rivals met was in Wellington last year, when the Boks turned around a narrow defeat in Auckland to beat the All Blacks 43-10.

Erasmus, though, insists the only result that matters is the one that will be decided on Saturday.

“I see a lot of people quoting stats of how many wins and how many losses,” Erasmus said after naming the Bok team on Thursday.

“It’s your last game that counts, and our last game is not the game we played in Wellington, it’s the game we’re playing on Saturday.

“We won’t be stupid enough to think it’ll be that easy.”

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RASSIE: Series not won in game one

Erasmus was also expecting a fascinating battle in the air and at the lineout, with the All Blacks boasting plenty of height in their pack.

However, the Bok coach believes South Africa have enough height of their own and says the outcome will come down to execution.

“Pieter-Steph [du Toit] is pretty tall, Eben [Etzebeth] is pretty tall, Ruan [Nortjé] is pretty tall, so I think we’re just as tall as them,” he said.

“It’s more about how in sync you can be on the attacking lineouts when we have the ball and how we can disrupt them.”

KEO: De Allende’s 100th Test to end in Boks by 10

Erasmus also singled out an intriguing tactic in the All Blacks’ back three, with their wingers dropping back to field kicks rather than moving forward.

“I think they’re wonderful,” he said. “They’ve got this new thing where the wingers run back to catch the ball and I think it’s a wonderful bit of innovation. I think it’s very clever.

“Obviously we will look around a few opportunities of how we can counter that, but it’s a good plan.”

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Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

The post Rassie: Forget Wellington, only Saturday counts appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

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