Le Roux likens his rare try to lottery

Fullback Willlie le Roux does not score many tries and the one he got for the Springboks in the Rugby Championship win against the All Blacks on Saturday was like winning the lottery.

Le Roux explained after the match that he was preparing for a tackle when a throw from the normally reliable New Zealand Jordie Barrett fell kindly in his path, leaving him with the simple task of touching down after 25 minutes.

The converted try was significance in the bigger scheme of things because the Boks took a two points lead and recovered from being 12-0 down inside 17 minutes and conceding two tries.

“I was actually going for the tackle full on but the ball came to me,” he said.

“It was the luck of the bounce and I ran towards the line score a try.

“I don’t get to score many tries but it is a nice feeling and I can say that I was lucky with the lottery there.”

Later in the game, Le Roux nearly became a villain as he was sent to the bin for a deliberate offside and left the Boks to play for 10 minutes from the 67th minute with a man down.

The visitors conceded a try from Ardie Savea in that period.

“When I walked out of the field, I was thinking that I have let my team down.

“If they score here and we lose the game it is going to be on me because of the yellow.

“But, we managed to cross the line in the end and that is what is important,” he said.

Le Roux also praised his teammates for the manner in which they managed to capitalise on attacking moments in the game, especially in the second half where substitute Cheslin Kolbe scored a try immediately after the restart.

“The All Blacks are always switched on and if you lose concentration for one second they will punish you,” he said.

“They have been winning all their games even though they roll the dice, for us it is just about being awake on big moments.

“The ball is bouncing and you never know where it will land and luckily it went our way.

“There have been a few good performances before but this week we told ourselves that this is for us. Everyone who was part of the travelling team, it was about putting pride back in the jersey and make people back home proud.”