VIDEO: The 'lekker' thing about Pieter-Steph du Toit
It is astonishing to think that an incredible player like Pieter-Steph Du Toit is still focused on taking his game to the next level.
Du Toit showed last Saturday why he could be the ultimate utility forward, as he switched between three positions during the Springboks’ 31-27 win over the All Blacks.
The double World Cup winner put in an incredible 80-minute performance as he shifted between the second row and back row due to injuries in the pack.
The 32-year-old started as the No.4 as a result of the injury scare of Eben Etzebeth but later covered the flank and No.5 lock – as Ruan Nortje and Ben-Jason Dixon left the field.
He played all three positions with such skill that he was named Man of the Match.
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Speaking to reporters ahead of the Rugby Championship Round Four match against the All Blacks in Cape Town, Springbok scrum coach Daan Human had huge praise for the star.
“You know what the ‘lekker’ thing about Pieter-Steph du Toit is? He played at No.4, No.5 and No.7.
“As a prop, I’m not sure if he’s there yet, but we will work on that,” said Human.
“He adds a lot of value.
“I don’t think he cares when he puts on that jersey, whether he’s on the bench.
“It doesn’t matter, he just wants to play.
“I’m not sure if he knows whether he’s Pieter-Steph du Toit or Steph-Pieter du Toit, but he did very well for us.”
Human added: “Hopefully, that flows over to the rest of the players as well.
“It’s inspiring to watch a guy play like that. It’s nice.
“He’s always a learner and always wants to get better.
“This [Monday] morning, he said there are certain areas where he can get better and that’s good to know.”
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Du Toit and Nortje were part of a new and untested second row combination before the Bulls lock was replaced by Eben Etzebeth in the 26th minute.
Then there was another change as Dixon left the field before half-time, resulting in Nortje returning to the second row and Du Toit moving to flank.
While the on-field changes to the second row proved not to be costly, Human noted that it did affect the scrums to a certain extent.
“There’s a lot of stuff that I think we can work on and get better at, but we realise they [All Blacks] are a quality side so it’s going to be tough to always have greater results in all the departments,” Human explained.
“We have very versatile players, who can play a lot of positions, and I wouldn’t say it weakened our scrum but we realise the guys like Ruan and Pieter have not played together as a lock pair and then we swap Pieter to five and then seven, so all that had an influence.
“But it’s the decision that we made, and I think they have really delivered. We know there are a lot of locks injured, and we are hoping they get ready soon.”
