They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but at the Vodacom Bulls, Willie le Roux is slowly proving everyone wrong.
But that has been the one thing about Le Roux throughout his career. A polarising player, he often elicits strong responses from rugby fans one way or another. But ask any coach he has played under and they can’t talk enough about his influence and the way he can sum up a game on the pitch.
So now Le Roux, in the twilight of his career at 35, is not only giving the Bulls a lifeline in their quest for the perfect 10, but also gives Rassie Erasmus a back-up as he looks to become part of the elusive centurion club in test rugby.
At the end of an incredible career that included two World Cup titles, Le Roux is rejuvenated. He has a new purpose and has a lot more to offer than simply fading into the background.
The Bulls see Le Roux as the centrepiece of their attacking game plan for the rest of the season, and without many options at the moment, especially in the leadership ranks, they are looking to him to step up in that department as well.
Normally rather media shy, Le Roux stepped up this week to talk about his transition to the 10 role and admitted he has a bit of work to do after spending almost an entire career in the back three.
SMALL ADJUSTMENTS
“It’s those small adjustments that I’ve had to figure out, and I’m learning something new every week, but I’m enjoying it,” he smiled.
“What I’ve noticed at fullback is I have a lot more time at my disposal to see where the space is.
“At flyhalf, because I have to call the shots – you might miss the space you’d normally see at fullback and miss a couple of opportunities. Something I can work on is to look up quicker to who is in front of me, who is standing second last on defence and when to go wide.
“With the defensive system that’s different – a few elements come into play that one hasn’t been done in a while such as restarts and line-kicks – all those things you did 10 years ago.
“There are many things that I can work on, but I’m looking forward to the challenge and I’m enjoying it so far.”
"At fullback, I had plenty more time to look for space. When I'm at flyhalf and calling the plays, changing the direction of the attack, one tends to look less at space and sometimes miss chances. I can work on that and maybe look up quicker to see who is in front of you defending."
“When I’m at 15, I’m always used to coming in to help if the flyhalf is on the ground or out of position. If you have to call the plays, the defence is obviously different, and after you’ve made a tackle, you must know where in the defensive line to go. “
Le Roux’s transition began in the second half in the win over the Lions off the bench and since then he has had three starts, with the Bulls winning two of those with him in the playmaker role.
STILL A LOT TO LEARN
“Like I said, there’s a lot of stuff I can still learn at flyhalf. You try to get better every week, calling the right plays at the right time, not trying to be too extravagant or going wide too early,” he said.
“There are little things like that where you need to make good decisions. If I can just get better on those things. I wouldn’t say I’m feeling young, but I’m happy, and that helps.”
The Bulls and Bok veteran is enjoying his rugby, so much so that he is close to extending his time at Loftus Versfeld and while he wants to get to the 100 test cap mark, he knows there is a lot of competition at the moment, and he needs to be at his best.
“For me, it’s about enjoying my rugby; you never know when it’s your last game, and you have to go out every week and play as if it’s your last. You have to play well every week to put yourself in the national selection frame for the Springboks.
“There are so many good players and youngsters, and if you don’t perform week in and week out, you don’t stand a chance. But right now, I’m going out to enjoy myself, and you play lekker rugby when you enjoy it and smile on the field.”
VERSATILITY A PLUS
But he also knows extended time at 10 makes him more versatile, and that can’t be a bad thing in a Bok group that values versatility.
“It gives a player more balance and if a team goes with a 7-1 or 6-2 bench, to have a guy on the bench who can cover all those positions, it helps,” he explained..
“Obviously, there are a lot of flyhalves out there who are playing unbelievably well. I’m just trying to learn and get better.”
Le Roux starred in the Bulls win over the Stormers in Cape Town and will want to make that a double when the two sides meet again at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
“That was one of my first games in a long time at 10, so there’s a lot that I can learn and get better at. Obviously, I know how the Stormers pride themselves on their defence and their attacking game.
"For me, it’ll just be about controlling the game a bit better, where maybe we got a bit loose here and there, which brought them back into the game.
“We’ll look to play in the right areas, and that’s all in a 10’s control and he has get his team into the right areas. From a game management point of view, that’s what I’m looking at.”
The Bulls will name their side for the clash on Friday.