After stepping All Black replacement wing Mark Telea not long after he’d come onto the field as part of the Springboks’ so-called Bomb Squad in Johannesburg, Elrigh Louw was asked why he didn’t pass.
It might have been a good natured chirp from his teammates, as what he’d done was outstanding and certainly didn’t merit criticism. He responded with humour in return.
“We are always trying to evolve our game,” said Louw of what looks like a new added skill-set and something that might have been spawned by the arrival of Tony Brown as the Bok attack coach.
“The people were shouting at me afterwards, asking me ‘Why didn’t I pass?’ But I just told them, let’s take this one at a time. I can’t step and then pass at the same time.”
ADDED SKILL-SET
The concept of forwards trying to step like backs is reminiscent of a different time for South African rugby. When Carel du Plessis, South Africa’s ‘Prince of Wings’ from an era just before that, took over the Bok coaching reins in 1997, he was eager for the Boks to do what they are evolving towards now - play a more complete game.
However, Du Plessis did not have the coaching experience back then of a Rassie Erasmus or a Brown, and the message that was put across was muddled and didn’t get across to the players. Mark Andrews, such a key member of the Bok teams of those days, recalled being taught to side-step, something that was anathema to a forward in those days.
But Erasmus and Brown have a different base to work from, and the skilful angles added to the play of big forwards like RG Snyman and Lood de Jager during the stint of John MItchell, who like Brown is a Kiwi, as the coach of the Vodacom Bulls, might be an indicator of what happens when there’s importation of a bit of New Zealand influence.
It can’t make players like Louw inferior to what they were before they arrived in the Bok set-up, and there’s another factor that is driving both the 24-year-old Bulls looseforward and his fellow newcomers in the Bok squad to improve - the presence of experienced players who have won World Cups and been around the block a few times. And who have incredible work ethic.
PIETER-STEPH’S WORK ETHIC INSPIRES
Just like Ben-Jason Dixon told us last week that Eben Etzebeth, with his increasing passion for winning as he gets older, had made a big impact on him, so Louw has drawn on the inspiration provided by another veteran with impressive longevity, Pieter-Steph du Toit.
“Pieter-Steph is a great example for us youngsters to follow. He has such impressive work ethic,” he said.
“it is just the way he handles himself, how he just agrees to play any position on the field if it will help the Boks win. It’s not a big issue for him to play at No 4, 5 or 7. It’s a great example for us youngsters. He never turns his nose up at working for the team on the day.”
This particular day in question was Louw’s top experience as a rugby player - for him, playing the All Blacks, and coming from behind to win as the team did, topped anything else that has happened for him in rugby so far.
“It was a massive, massive day for me, and it’s definitely No 1 at this stage in all my rugby highlights,” said the man who first started playing senior rugby while just out of his teens at the Southern Kings, where his potential for higher honours was spotted by the then director of rugby there Robbi Kempson.
“It doesn’t get much better than facing the All Blacks at Ellis Park and coming back to get the win,” he added.
“We were prepared to play 80 minutes. We had good energy from the bench. I don’t think they (the All Blacks) were tired, I just think we were prepared to play the whole 80 and things went our way.”
WORKS WELL WITH JASPER
Although he excelled in his minutes on the field, the first choice No 8 Jasper Wiese was a stand out in the starting team. So it is unlikely Louw will get a call to start in the return game against the All Blacks in Cape Town on Saturday, but he doesn’t appear concerned about that and appears content with the one step at a time, like his assimilation of the step then pass routine, is progressing.
“There is a lot of competition within the squad, and that is always healthy. We are progressing to the point where three guys can fit into any one position at any time. I enjoy Japser and his company and also how he plays.”
The Bok squad for Saturday’s fourth Castle Lager Rugby Championship game will be announced on Thursday.