Damian’s pedigree as a flyhalf should be enough to convince Erasmus

ONE of the most exciting players to make his mark in SA rugby in recent years has been Damian Willemse – a flyhalf.

He played in the No 10 jersey while at school at Paul Roos Gymnasium, he played in the No 10 jersey for the SA Schools team for two years, in 2015 and 2016, he played for the SA U-20 team at the Junior World Cup in the No 10 jersey and he’s played in the same position for the Stormers.

So, why would anyone want to make him put on a No 15 jersey for the Springboks?

I was surprised to hear national coach Rassie Erasmus talk about Willemse last week as a potential Test fullback ... and that easing him into Test rugby at fullback, off the bench, might be easier on him, with less pressure.

That might be so, and many reasons have been provided why such a move would be best for the player, but the alternative view is that a player who has played flyhalf all his life knows the demands that go with the No 10 shirt. Surely Willemse has shown over the past few years he is good enough to be picked at 10 for the Boks, or play off the bench in that position ... or he wouldn’t have been picked for his school team, the SA Schools team, the SA U-20 team and the Boks. Flyhalf is the position he knows, is familiar with and understands. It’s the flyhalf position that has got him to where he is today – in the Bok squad – and surely his future lies at 10?

Erasmus has said he doesn’t doubt the 20-year-old’s ability but playing at 15 might help him in understanding how to manipulate the opposition. He added the pressure at 15, at Willemse’s age, would be less to deal with than at flyhalf.

That might beso, but surely when you’ve got a talent as promising as Willemse, you want to get him in at 10 as quickly as possible, to let him grow into the role, feel the pressure at 10 and learn.

It’s interesting that Willemse might make his initial strides in Test rugby at fullback, off the bench, while four years ago when another 20-year-old – Handre Pollard – was talk of the town, he was picked straight out of the U-20 team to debut for the Boks at flyhalf.

Of course, all coaches view things differently, and that includes players, but at 1.83m tall and weighing 87 kg, Willemse is not much smaller than Pollard, who is 1.88m tall and 97kg.

Like Pollard, Willemse has also been talked about as a “gifted” player, a man with X-factor, who has attacking flair, can distribute well and is physically imposing. He’s also a pretty decent goal-kicker.

I kind of understand the thinking behind using Willemse at fullback, off the bench, but with his skills and abilities he’s surely going to benefit more playing 10 and even 12 more regularly than at 15.

It was good to hear Erasmus also suggest he sees the 20-year-old as a guy who can cover 10, 12 and 15. Let’s just hope he doesn’t become the perennial bench-sitter for that very reason – that he covers just about every position in the backline and becomes Jack-of-all-trades.

Erasmus has a few very different and challenging juggling acts to perform between now and the next World Cup ... and that includes getting whoever wears the No 10 shirt to produce consistent high-quality performances for the Boks, with a strong pack laying a solid platform to do so.

Pollard has been generally good, without being excellent, for the Boks in his 29 Tests, while current second choice, Elton Jantjies, has been only inconsistent in his 26 Tests, so what’s there to lose in trying Willemse – a young, confident, and extremely gifted player – in the No 10 jersey?