Salute for Paul Roos' first Springbok centurion
SPOTLIGHT: Willem Jacobus le Roux, or just Willie if you wish, elicits antithetical opinions.
To his fans (and there are 100s of thousands), the 36-year-old is an exceptionally talented playmaker and outside back.
He is known for his vision and try -assist capabilities.
The misandrists will point to any of his in-game mistakes as the reason why they believe he is ‘overvalued’ or past his best.
However, on Saturday, when the Bulls host Benetton at Loftus Versfeld, Le Roux will run out for his 400th first-class match!
Not bad for a player who has received so much critique, at international, franchise and domestic levels.
There must be good reason why he was selected 399 times by Springbok coaches (101), Boland (39), Cheetahs (58), Griquas (11), Sharks (13), Bulls (55), Wasps (61), Verblitz and Eagles in Japan (57), as well as outings for SA XV (two), SA ‘A’ and Barbarians (one each).
To those who worked closely with him, coaches and teammates, Le Roux is a friendly chap always ready to share his insights.
Unlike the ‘couch coaches’, his teammates appreciate his passion, even when it looks from the outside that he is berating them.
Jake White, the former Bok World Cup-winning (2007) coach, likened Le Roux to having a ‘coach’ on the field.
Bok coach Rassie Erasmus and team analysts often highlight his ability to identify space before others, providing crucial information to teammates.
However, there is none better than former two-time junior World Cup-winning Baby Bok coach Eugene Eloff to give an insight into the exceptional talent that Le Roux #IS!
“It was 2011, and I was looking for a player with the proverbial ‘X-factor’, with creative instinct,” Eloff said about the gifted Springbok.
“I was told about this young player in France, who wanted to return to South Africa.
“I watched a video where he played at school, for Paul Roos, and then Maties [University of Stellenbosch].
“It didn’t take long to realise he was magic, with some very special skills.”
Le Roux was lured back from France, and what a “great call” that was by the Boland executives.
“I gave him carte blanche, and that was the start of an exceptional career,” Eloff added.
The most remarkable aspect of his breakout season (2011) was that Boland averaged seven tries per match and scored nine tries in a rout of the Eastern Province Elephants (later renamed EP Kings) in the First Division Final.
The rest, as they say, is history, and he became Paul Roos’ first Bok centurion.
Le Roux is still lauded for his high work rate, his constant scanning for space, and his exceptional passing game.
His experience allows him to anticipate defensive shifts, a key factor in his role as a mentor to younger players.
Le Roux made his Bok debut against Italy on June 8, 2013, at Kingspark, in Durban, and last wore the Green and Gold against New Zealand in Auckland on September 6 last year.
While he can comfortably operate at flyhalf, as he did for the Bulls against Zebre last week, he has never started a Test in the No.10 jersey.
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