Lood de Jager

The value of having veteran Bakkies Botha in the Springbok squad could be measured by how much time it takes new cap Lood de Jager to settle and become comfortable at international level.

The influence that the likes of Botha and now Victor Matfield could have on the development of the young players in the squad has often been referred to as one of the main reasons for having them in the mix.

It was when he saw the awe with which the youngsters regarded Botha when he joined the Boks in Wales last year that coach Heyneke Meyer made the decision to get the one half of the legendary “Blood Brother” combination into the mix more regularly.

But there is nothing quite like hearing it direct from the horse’s mouth, and De Jager left little doubt after his announcement in the match day 23 for Saturday’s first test against Wales here in Durban on Saturday that the presence of both Botha and Matfield has added even greater impetus to what has already been a special time for him.

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And if you consider that De Jager is still only 21, and thus would have been just 14 when Botha and Matfield were locking the Bok scrum en route to the 2007 World Cup win, the reverent tones with which he speaks about the pair can be taken as authentic.

“Bakkies, now he is a meneer (mister),” said De Jager. “When I was growing up Bakkies and Victor were the ‘blood brothers’, the lock pairing everyone was in awe of, and now being able to tour with them and be part of the same squad is just unbelievable. I am learning a lot from Victor about the lineouts, and I am learning from both of them about general play as a lock.”

De Jager is more in the Botha mould than the Matfield one at this stage of his career, although at 2.05 metres tall he has the physical dimensions for both positions.

Meyer has said that he sees him as more of a four than a five lock, though he has also said he can be used on both sides, which makes him the ideal man for the replacement’s bench on Saturday.

“Lood was very pleased to hear he would get a chance to play for the Boks and he has really grown a lot as a player in the last while,” said Meyer after announcing the Free Stater in the match 23.

“He is a typical South African lock in that he is hard and robust and also a great ball carrier. He is a clever guy too, and earned three distinctions in his matric year. He is willing to learn and I expect great things from him.”

“You don’t get better guys to learn from as a lock than Victor and Bakkies. It will be a big step up for him, but I have confidence in his ability. And it was great to see his face when I told him he would be in the match day squad.”

Indeed, the recent upward trajectory in the De Jager career has been a sharp one.

A few weeks ago he would have felt that he was on the outer looking in, particularly as he was ruled out for some time during Super Rugby by a finger injury picked up playing against the Sharks in Durban on the Easter Weekend.

“I was out for nearly two months and was devastated by the injury but fortunately I was able to still keep my fitness levels up so there was no big adjustment needed or easing in period when I was ready to play again,” said De Jager.

“I was extremely excited when I was named in the bigger training squad a few weeks ago, and then even more delighted when I made it into the squad for this series of matches. Then when coach Heyneke told me that I would get a chance to be in the match 23, it was really amazing. I am really grateful for this opportunity and it means so much to me.”

“My parents will be coming down to Durban for the game, and my brother and sister too, so it will be a big family reunion and celebration.”

Although this is the first time he is playing against another country at this level, De Jager said he expected the Welsh to be particularly physical but at the same time, with their big backs, capable of playing a fast paced game.

De Jager went to the Cheetahs from the Leopards, where he played just one Currie Cup game but was spotted and then recruited by the Bloemfontein union during an impressive run with the Leopards Under 21 team in 2012.