Thomas du Toit found it funny when he was described as a ‘swinger’ in a question posed at a press conference at the start of the buildup week to the second test against Italy in Gqeberha, but he’d agree that it is an apt description of what he is within the Springbok front row set-up.
His ability to switch sides of the scrum is invaluable to the world champions and we are likely to see his versatility highlighted when coach Rassie Erasmus announces his team for the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium clash later on Tuesday. After starting his career at loosehead, the Paarl Boys High old boy was retreaded to tighthead and that is where he has mostly excelled at club level recently.
However, his time spent wearing the No1 jersey and playing on the left hand side of the front row had not been lost to him and returning there is something he likened to the feeling of getting onto a bicycle after a long time of not riding. Assuming of course you’ve learnt to ride in the first place.
“That is an interesting way to describe it,” chortled the genial giant. “Playing both sides is no problem to me. I am grateful that at Bath (the English club he plays for) I do play two sides quite often. Johann (van Graan) gives me that opportunity and I am comfortable with it so it doesn’t faze me.
“It’s a bit like riding a bike. I am comfortable at loosehead when I get to play there and that (versatility) adds another quiver to my bow if the team needs me,” he added.
BATH’S SUCCESS HAS AIDED HIS GROWTH
Du Toit was born just 20 days before the kick-off of the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa, so he has just turned 30. For some players in other positions that means you may be heading towards the twilight of your career, but for props that is often just the beginning as they are known to mature late.
So it is possible that Du Toit may yet emerge from the shadows cast on him at international level by South Africa’s ridiculously large pool of front-row forwards and become a first choice Bok, something he has yet to become.
In England those who watch him in the Gallagher Premiership find it hard to fathom that he is not first choice at the Boks, because he plays ahead of England first choice tighthead Will Stuart, a player who says he has learned a lot off Du Toit, at Bath.
Stuart could well be a British and Irish Lions test player in the coming weeks and if he is, he may owe quite a bit to the former Hollywoodbets Sharks player who is nicknamed The Tank and made his international debut in 2018.
There again, if Du Toit’s career does ascend from here, the man who is recognised as one of the leaders in the Bok group will in turn have Bath, who have experienced heady success under South African coach Van Graan, to thank.
Du Toit was a late call up to the Bok squad that won the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan (replacing the injured Trevor Nyakane), so he is officially a World Cup winner, but it is the silverware he has now won at club level that has injected momentum into his confidence.
“I think every player gets to a point in his career when he understands what winning is and understands how to win. I am very happy with how things have turned out at Bath. We won three trophies this past season and it moved me from wanting to win to believing that we can win,” he said.
“Every team that prepares for a test match prepares knowing they can win. But a different belief strikes when you do win and you lift a Cup. So I am very grateful for what playing for Bath has done for me.”
HE HAD TO SINK OR SWIM
Du Toit was recruited to the Sharks out of school, where he represented Western Province at high school level and Boland at junior, and had a long career there. He would have been part of Sharks Currie Cup efforts, but the prestige of the South African domestic competition has diminished over the years so those trophies can’t be compared to the Premiership trophy in England.
What playing for Bath also did for Du Toit was accelerate his growth by taking him out of his comfort zone.
“I would say people grow in difficult circumstances. I went out of my comfort zone and had to sink or swim. I had to lift my game to compete with the best. Things needed to develop.”
He believes that happened for his fellow Bok front row forward, Wilco Louw, who may well be his front row partner if Du Toit packs down on the loosehead side against Italy. Louw went from the Stormers to Harlequins for a few years, and the Bulls and the Boks are now benefitting from the growth he experienced in making that move.
“Wilco is playing the best rugby I have seen him play. He really is an incredible scrummager. You know that old thing about props reaching their peaks relatively late in their careers so I am pleased to be part of that (the strong Bok scrumming culture).”
NO PREFERENCE FOR SIDE OF SCRUM
He professes to have no preference as to when it comes to whether he plays loosehead or tighthead.
“I am happy on both sides, it doesn’t really matter. The only time it is different is at scrum time. It doesn’t affect you when the ball is in play. Looseheads stand at the front of the lineout but at Bath I am a tighthead who stands at the front of the lineout, so there is no major difference.”
Although not a first choice, Du Toit because of his experience and his personality is one of the leaders in the Boks group and he is very involved in driving standards. Although the Boks were dominant in the scrums in the first test against Italy, he reckons scrum coach Daan Human will be looking for further improvements.
“Daan is never satisfied. He wants us to be better even if we’ve had a really good day, we will always strive to be better,” said Du Toit. “We will always be looking to be quicker, lower, stronger or faster, we always want to get better. Last week was a good performance but we can get better.”
RESPECT FOR ITALY
And he reckons the Boks as a whole will need to be better because Italy ended the Pretoria game with momentum and will now have confidence to go with the passion that for Du Toit has always been a hallmark of Italian rugby.
“From the players’ perception of Italy we see a team that always has a big amount of passion, they are proud to play for their country. That has never changed and we have respect for that because we are the same,” he said.
“There has been some change but I need to choose my words carefully because it is not like they were badly coached before. Maybe it is an alignment thing, but it does seem they are more structured than they were in the past.
"They are a young team full of energy and very well coached. They won’t mess around in their own half, but they will put the pedal down when they are on attack in the opposition half.
“When they get their tails up they show quite a bit of flair, but for them it is all about staying in the system and it makes them hard to play against,” he added.