Bok bruiser to harden Tahs up
Springbok flank Jacques Potgieter is determined to add a hard edge to the Waratahs forward pack, warning his rivals to 'go play tennis' if they can't handle it.
The 27-year-old product of the Eastern Cape made his name for the Bulls before heading to Sydney, and he said that he will not change his trademark abrasive style for anybody.
Potgieter will play his first game for the Waratahs in their final pre-season match against the Highlanders this weekend, and he has vowed to deliver the brutal physicality that South African forwards are renowned for.
"South African teams just love to stuff up each other and that's just the nature of the game. We just go hard whatever we do," he told AAP.
The hulking loose forward said that Australian teams have a reputation in South Africa for shying away from the tough stuff, so he feels that he can give the Waratahs an edge in that department.
"Playing against the Australian sides is more technical. They don't like the contact that much but they play around us and through us.
"I like to throw my body around and, if you don't like the contact sport, go play tennis.
"In rugby, if you see a teammate smash a guy … it lifts your energy and you want to go harder the next one. That's the way I play," he explained.
Potgieter arrived in Sydney from a short spell in Japan, which he says helped develop his game, but he has not given up his ambition of adding to the three Test caps he earned in 2012.
"Yes I do have ambitions. As a rugby player, you always want to play for your country and play at the highest level. If you're playing well enough, they can't leave you out of the team," he said.
