Why England should respect Sale ‘Giant Slayer’
PRAISE has been heaped on young England flanker Tom Curry, but how dangerous is his Sale Sharks team-mate Faf ‘Giant Slayer’ de Klerk?
The South African scrum-half has come under the spotlight after his side’s semi-final win over Wales last weekend which set up a World Cup final against England tomorrow.
He is considered a threat going forward, and the dangers he caused Wales could potentially harm Eddie Jones’ men.
However, he caught the eye of the rugby world in a completely different way last Sunday, after his face-off with Wales player Jake Ball. Ball stands at a monstrous 6ft 6ins, which is significantly taller than the 5ft 7inch De Klerk, who has become a fan favourite at Sale.
The altercation on top of his brave defensive performance has led to a new nickname for the Springbok – ‘Giant Slayer’ – which seemed fitting after the photo of the incident went viral on social media.
Although it may seem an aside from the impact he can have on tomorrow’s game, on the contrary, this is exactly the point.
It is De Klerk’s bravery, defensive work and tactics which make him one of the biggest threats to England’s hopes of winning a second World Cup.
De Klerk was complimentary of England’s performance at the weekend.
“It wasn’t that surprising how they started the game. We know how England play and how they want to start – they always want a great start and a quick start,” he said.
De Klerk also spoke about his Sale team-mate Curry, ahead of the meeting between the Sharks boys.
“Tom has been absolutely amazing for England this year – I don’t think he’s missed one minute for them,” he said.
“He’s always willing to work hard and weighs it up there with most of the stats, but obviously I know him pretty well now and I’ve got a bit of stuff on him that I can share with the group, so that’s always a bit of a positive.”