Willemse settles Springbok No.15 debate
OPINION: Springbok superstar Damian Willemse not only brilliantly capped his 50th Test in a Springbok jersey with a flawless performance, but also erased any lingering doubt as to his best position.
The Stormers stalwart was the star of the show as the Boks handed England a 45-21 whipping in their Nations Championship opener at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Willemse was South Africa’s best player on the day in an outing that boasted an abundance of standout individual performances and was deservedly named Rugby365’s player of the match.
From outstanding defence, including a couple of try-saving hits, and tactical control, to constantly threatening from the back with beautiful touches and aerial mastery, the utility back had it all. And then there was that stunner of a 50-22.
Willemse also cleverly held up Marcus Smith in the first quarter, covered 57 metres through his 13 carries, and beat a defender. He wasn’t just the best player in the match; he was the best player in the entire Nations Championship opening round.
It’s no secret that the 28-year-old is world-class when it comes to his work under the high ball, but his authority in the air at the weekend made it hard to imagine any other player holding a candle to his airborne domination.
His aerial work also laid the foundation for a fantastic team try that saw Cheslin Kolbe score the hosts’ second try after humiliating Cadan Murley out wide, while he also put in a top run leading up to Thomas du Toit’s try.
It was the best possible way to reach half a century in the Bok jersey, and it was a rugby clinic in fullback play of the highest quality.
Willemse is the ultimate utility player, having covered inside centre, flyhalf, and fullback for the Stormers and the Boks after bursting onto the Super Rugby scene in 2017 at just 18 as a No.10.
But fullback has become his most regular position in he first played at there for the Springboks during the pool stage of the world cup in Japan in 2019, and while he also established himself as South Africa’s No.1 fullback during the 2023 spectacle when the Boks went back-to-back in France after defeating the All Blacks in the Final, there will always be traces of positional question or doubt when it comes to a versatile player.
There are those who believe his build, his passing game, and his ability to break defensive lines make him a better fit at 12. And then there’s also the contact he could draw in the midfield to create space out wide.
But he is now a fullback, and it fits him like a glove.
Willemse has the counter-attacking finesse and trickery, pace, vision, defence, and, of course, aerial abilities to make the area at the back his playground, but he is just so good that he can deliver impactful performances and spark the backline regardless of which number he wears on his back. And it’s perhaps in that seamless adaptability that much of his value lies.
But the curse of the utility player doesn’t apply to the double World Cup, inaugural United Rugby Championship, and Currie Cup winner.
And if there was any lingering doubt as to the outrageously talented back’s best position, he duly settled it with that masterful performance.
