Rossouw: 'You ain't seen nothing yet'
Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:58
Best yet to come: Bok lock Danie Rossouw
Danie Rossouw still rates Bakkies Botha as the best No.4 lock in the world, but he has aspirations of surpassing his Bulls and Springbok teammate.
Speaking ahead of Saturday's one-off Test against France in Cape Town, Rossouw admitted to feeling like Botha's stand-in as the World Cup-winning second row serves out the final week of his four-match ban for reckless play.
With an Achilles operation late last year having sidelined Botha for most of the 2010 Super Rugby season, Rossouw established himself as Victor Matfield's lock partner at the Bulls... and now also finds himself a fixture in the national team.
In fact, many pundits feel that Rossouw is in the form of his life and could challenge Botha - when available - for his Bok starting place.
That, however, is not the view of the 32-year-old utility forward who will make his 48th Test appearance when the Boks take on the Six Nations and Grand Slam winners at Newlands.
"There is no doubt Bakkies is the best No.4 lock in the world when he is on form," said the modest Rossouw about Botha who has partnered Matfield in a record 54 Springbok Tests.
Describing Saturday's Test as "a big opportunity" to play alongside Matfield against the northern hemisphere's best team, Rossouw said he has managed to forge a good partnership with his provincial skipper in the Super 14.
"I'm enjoying it and to play with a guy like him, who is approaching 100 Tests, is a great honour," Rossouw said.
He added that although he worked hard in the off-season, the real reason for his improved form has been the "additional game time" in Botha's absence.
"I think I've got a few years left in me and I just want to get better," said Rossouw, when quizzed about his future, adding: "I think the best is yet to come."
He suggested that "hard work" would help improve his game, but again pointed to game time as the key: "The more you play, the more confident you get and confidence certainly helps a lot."
The one aspect of his game he most wants to work on is ball control.
Asked how he had managed to keep in shape after more than a decade of first-class rugby and eight years of Test rugby, the World Cup-winning No.8 said it helped that he was on the bench a lot of time in the early stages of his career.
"I often only played 20 minutes or 30 minutes at a time," Rossouw said, adding: "Vic [Matfield] plays the full 80 minutes all the time."
Looking towards Saturday's Newlands Test, Rossouw believes that the Boks will be up against one of the most physical teams in the world.
"The last time I played against them [a 13-20 loss for the Boks in Toulouse in November] it was one of the most physical games I ever played in," he added.
"We have analysed them and they play exactly the same type of game that we do - very physical and direct. We must do the best we can and focus on our game."
The French, one suspects, could be saying just the same - especially based on Rossouw's showing against Wales last week.
By Jan de Koning
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