Northampton Saints lock JJ van der Mescht says Rassie Erasmus will know when he is ready to play for the Springboks.
The giant 26-year-old recently received a call-up to a Springbok virtual alignment camp for overseas-based players, but is parking excitement around a possible Springbok future.
“I don’t need to dwell on whether I’m ready or not. Rassie is a very smart man and a great coach. He will know when I’m ready,” he told Off The Pitch Rugby.
The towering lock, who has impressed with his physicality and mobility in England, admitted that he placed too much pressure on himself earlier in his career.
“I always worried and thought, ‘I need to do something special to get into the Springbok team,’” he said. “But lately I’ve just been focusing on what I’m doing, getting through my processes, playing rugby and enjoying it.”
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He says that shift in mindset has proven crucial to his current form and subsequent call-up to the alignment camp.
“When I put too much pressure on myself, I started playing badly,” he explained. “I was focusing on the wrong things, playing selfishly and thinking about myself instead of the team.”
Instead, Van der Mescht has embraced a simpler approach.
“My end goal is to enjoy my rugby,” he said. “That’s why I started playing in the first place. If I play well enough, the rest will follow.”
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While the 2027 World Cup looms as a tantalising prospect, the lock is determined not to get ahead of himself.
“I’m not really thinking about the World Cup,” he said. “It’s something I don’t want to dwell on because it can take my mind away from how I’m playing now.
“Don’t get me wrong, I would love to play for the Springboks and I’d take the opportunity with both hands. But if it doesn’t happen, it’s not the end of the world.”
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
The post JJ trusts Rassie’s judgement appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Northampton Saints lock JJ van der Mescht says Rassie Erasmus will know when he is ready to play for the Springboks.
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