Daan Human joked that Pieter-Steph du Toit could one day run out at prop while hailing the utility forward’s work-rate and versatility against the All Blacks. DYLAN JACK reports.
Du Toit showed again why he is considered one of the best rugby players in the world with an incredible 80-minute shift as the Springboks came from behind the beat the All Blacks at Ellis Park.
The Swiss Army Knife of the Bok pack, Du Toit had to shift between both lock positions and blindside flank as injuries and tactical substitutions caused a re-jigging among the forwards.
An injury scare around Eben Etzebeth meant Du Toit was picked to start at No 4, but he moved to blindside when the Bok centurion came off the bench in the first half to replace Ben-Jason Dixon.
Ahead of the rematch with the All Blacks in Cape Town, Bok scrum coach Human marvelled at Du Toit’s work-rate and versatility, as the forward is finding the form that saw him named 2019’s World Player of the Year.
“You know what the lekker thing about Pieter-Steph du Toit is? He played at No 4, 5 and 7. As a prop, I’m not sure if he’s there yet, but we will work on that,” Human said with a chuckle.
“He adds a lot of value and I don’t think he cares, when he puts that jersey on, whether he’s on the bench, it doesn’t matter, he just wants to play. I’m not sure if he knows whether he’s Pieter-Steph du Toit or Steph-Pieter du Toit, but he did very well for us.
“Hopefully he can be part of it again on the weekend,” Human added. “Hopefully, that flows over to the rest of the players as well. It’s inspiring to watch a guy play like that. Really, it’s nice.
“He’s always a learner and always wants to get better. Even himself, this morning he said there are certain areas where he can get better. That’s good to know.”
Photo: Johan Orton/Gallo Images
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
