VIDEO: The most 'underrated' Bok
Damian de Allende is not everybody’s cup of tea.
He often gets labelled as just a ‘crash-ball’ player.
However, with 78 Tests and two World Cup winners’ medals, the powerful midfield is getting plenty of plaudits from his teammates.
In the latest of Jim Hamilton’s Walk the Talk series on RugbyPass TV, De Allende talks about the perception of being one-dimensional.
His teammates – Siya Kolisi and Handre Pollard – said he is the most underrated and undervalued player.
Having played with Kolisi since Under-19, they know each other very well.
“We had a ‘stacked’ Under-19 team at Western Province,” De Allende told Hamilton of a side that featured current Boks like Frans Malherbe, Siyabonga Ntubeni, Eben Etzebeth, Nizaam Carr and Siya Kolisi.
“They know I am not just a crash-baller,” the 32-year-old said.
“I can play with the ball and have lots of fun on the field.”
(WATCH as Damian de Allende talks about the plaudits heaped on him by his teammates….)
He readily admits that, in a team sport, you make some sacrifices.
“That is why I appreciate team sports so much, because you always get individuals that get more limelight than the others.
“I always put the team first.
“I know I can do a lot more on the field, but sometimes doing the basics well is more important than doing flashy things – especially in Tests.”
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