Stage set for Leyds to amplify his Bok claims
DILLYN LEYDS has an opportunity to make an already great Super Rugby season even better at Newlands on Saturday when he runs out for the Stormers in the quarter-final against the Chiefs.
It is difficult to see him not being in the Springbok set-up again come the start of the Rugby Championship next month.
The Springboks begin their challenge with home and away matches against Argentina on August 19 and 26, and if he is in the squad Leyds should get a better chance to take his Super Rugby magic into the international arena.
Whether it’s been on the wing, at fullback, or even at flyhalf, Leyds has set the scene alight with scintillating performances, and got a few minutes in the green-and-gold jersey in the recent home series against France.
If you look at just how good he’s been, it wouldn’t be unfair to say that he deserved more than just a call-up that resulted in a brief cameo during the recent series whitewash.
He has been good when standing in at fullback and he’s been devastating out wide. He has created something out of nothing and he has shown just how potent he is in broken play – his performances against the Cheetahs, the Sunwolves and the Bulls alone in the last few weeks are proof enough of that.
Leyds’ performances this season after having missed out on most of last season for the Stormers with injury, speak loudly of how he has come on as a player, and Saturday’s playoff match against the New Zealand franchise who whipped the Cape side at the same stage and at the same venue last year present an apt stage for the utility back to make another statement of intent as to his international aspirations.
Coming into the current campaign Leyds had to make up for lost time after last season’s recuperation from that knee injury.
It all started when the Stormers went up against their age-old rivals, the Bulls, at Newlands in Round One.
Leyds played his part in a superb season-opening performance by the Stormers.
And at the weekend, Leyds was massive with ball in hand again and absolutely devastating on the counter-attack. His defence-splitting break in the opposition 22 laid the foundation for loose forward Sikhumbuzo Notshe’s try, and he also ran a great angle at pace past Bulls defenders and scored the try that regained the lead for Robbie Fleck’s team.
To top it all off he also gave a superb offload to flyhalf Damian Willemse to put him away for the try.
But there was so much more that happened before that last game against their old foes at Loftus.
In the first few rounds, he was a top performer.
Remember the solo try he scored in the Stormers’ defeat to the Lions?
Or that stunning, back-handed offload against the Chiefs at Newlands that set SP Marais up for his try?
He even stepped into the flyhalf position when the Stormers were beset by ALSO INSIDE: Proteas inspire, P22 Froome in control, P22 Craven Week: WP draw, P23 injuries in the No 10 position. He was thrown in at the deep end, and it doesn’t get any tougher than facing the Crusaders, the Highlanders and the Hurricanes in their own back yard.
The Southern Kings and Cheetahs lifeline (playing in the northern hemisphere) is gathering momentum with both sides certain to feature in the extended Pro14 competition as soon as September.
Reports out of Scotland confirm a deal has already been struck with the current Pro12 teams and the two South African sides and all that is to be decided now is a new format for the competition.