Springbok assistant coach Deon Davids says he’s looking forward to seeing Ruben van Heerden make his Test debut against Wales at Kings Park on Saturday.
The 28-year-old lock was called up to the Springbok squad last month after Stormers teammate Salmaan Moerat withdrew with a neck injury.
He started for South Africa A against Zimbabwe in Gqeberha and will now earn his first Test cap along with prop Carlü Sadie, flyhalf Vusi Moyo and winger Jaco Williams.
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“It was the first time I’d worked with Ruben, but I’ve really enjoyed working with him as both a person and a rugby player,” Davids said on Tuesday.
“He had an outstanding season for his franchise. He’s a smart lineout caller who understands lineouts. He’s also a player who works very hard.
“He wants to be a Springbok and he’s waited a long time for his opportunity.
“He’s been in one or two previous alignment camps, and now he’s spent an extended period training with us.
“You can really see that, as time has gone on and he’s spent more time with the experienced locks, he’s started to understand how we do things.
“He’s embraced the environment and really stepped up in the way he’s adapted to it.
“He deserves his opportunity this weekend. I’m looking forward to seeing him play for the Springboks.”
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The world champions go into Saturday’s Test as overwhelming favourites after humiliating Wales 73-0 in Cardiff last November.
The Dragons beat Fiji 39-24 in their opening Nations Championship match in Cardiff before suffering a 35-21 defeat to Argentina in San Juan last week, a result that saw them drop back to 12th in the World Rugby rankings.
Davids insists the Boks won’t underestimate a side rebuilding under coach Steve Tandy.
“They’ve gone through a spell where they’ve worked very hard to get themselves back onto an upward curve,” he said.
“I think they would have learned a lot in the Six Nations and also in the game against Argentina. You can see improvements in their game.
“With them coming here and having the opportunity to play against us, this will be another step for them in their journey to improve and become more competitive.
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“For us, we approach this as a proper Test match. It’s always about having the same mindset and ensuring that we continue to build our game the way we want to play. We want to build momentum going forward.
“We expect a very tough game, a very physical game, against a side that won’t go away.
“We’ll have to make sure we execute with quality, put them under pressure and keep that pressure on them.
“Then we have to make the most of the opportunities we get in the game.”
Photo: Steve Haag/Getty Images
The post Davids: Ruben deserves his opportunity appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Springbok assistant coach Deon Davids says he’s looking forward to seeing Ruben van Heerden make his Test debut against Wales at Kings Park on Saturday.
The post Davids: Ruben deserves his opportunity appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
