VIDEO: Young Bok flank walking in the footsteps of PSDT
VIDEO: Ben-Jason Dixon is well on his way to becoming the next Pieter-Steph du Toit but the young flank says he is still far off from the kind of player Du Toit is.
The 26-year-old will start against the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday in arguably the biggest game of his life.
There was even more pressure on him as he was earmarked to be the backup lock with the initial exclusion of Eben Etzebeth from the starting line-up that was announced on Monday.
The world’s best lock has since been cleared to play and will start off the bench which sees Marco van Staden lose his spot between the replacements.
With Etzebeth now part of the match-23, Dixon says it does relieve some of the pressure.
“It simplifies my job a little bit,” he told reporters during a media briefing on Wednesday.
“I am working on having full confidence to fulfill that role but maybe it is good that there is a bit more time for me to prepare,” he said.
When Erasmus announced the Bok side to face Portugal in Bloemfontein in July, he commented on Dixon, saying: “Ben-Jason Dixon is not far off from a guy like Pieter-Steph [du Toit] in the way he plays.”
There is no doubt that the 26-year-old is the modern-day flank, physical, and athletic, with an incredible work-rate and game awareness.
He is a hardworking flank who seems to cover the length of the pitch with relative ease.
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In the Test against Portugal, he made ten tackles, 14 carries, and covered 84 metres.
But that still doesn’t come close to the 28 tackles Du Toit made in the World Cup final against New Zealand in France last year – the most by any player in a single match at last year’s tournament and the most by any player in a final, overtaking the 18 made by Richie McCaw against France in 2011.
“I like making tackles, it happens in a game.
“But what he did in the World Cup, I doubt I will get close to that soon,” the tall friendly flank said.
“It is great to be part of a team with guys like Pieter-Steph, physical, hardworking, and clever forwards – to be part of a group like that.”
Dixon said a test against the All Blacks is any schoolboy’s dream, something every player aspires to do one day.
“Playing against the All Blacks is the standard and growing up as a Bok fan that’s the big moment and one almost plans your Saturday around it.
“I think it is the real deal,” he said.
“You will need to be at your best for 80 minutes. It will be a huge challenge and one I am a little bit nervous about, but also very excited.”
