Who is the most underrated Springbok? The captain answers!

Veteran Springbok fullback Willie le Roux is now 34 years old, but he appears to have a new lease on his rugby life after joining up with the Bulls after the World Cup.

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Le Roux has seen his role with the Springboks change in recent times, with Damian Willemse now the first-choice No 15, but that should not diminish the importance of the veteran’s value.

The stalwart still has plenty to offer the Boks as an elder statesman who is the ultimate team man, an extraordinary try creator, and someone who is as competitive and passionate about the Springbok badge as you can get.

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At times during his career, though, Le Roux has come in for criticism, particularly during the 2019 World Cup when many didn’t realise he was playing through a serious injury late in the tournament.

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WILLIE LE ROUX HAS ALWAYS HAD THE BACKING OF THE SPRINGBOK GROUP

In an exclusive interview on the Big Jim Show – a RugbyPass TV special, Springbok captain Siya Kolisi suggested he was the most underrated player in the squad.

“You know how many tries he has created for the team?” the Bok skipper asked. “He always sees stuff, long before [anyone else]. In my first game back after my knee injury, against Wales [a World Cup warm-up match], when I off-loaded to Malcolm [Marx].

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“Willie [le Roux], while the play is happening. He said: ‘Siya, come here. They are going to shoot [up] to me and I am going to give to you and you are going to go through.’

“‘[It happened] exactly how he said it. This is all happening while the game is on. He gave it [the ball] to me, I went through and off-loaded to Malcolm and he scored.

“It is crazy.”