Du Preez fine tuning his attack at Sharks
ROBERT du Preez wants to reinvent himself like Faf de Klerk following his threemonth loan move to Sale Sharks in a bid to boost his international ambitions.
The Currie Cup-winning fly-half, from the Natalbased Sharks, was compared to Owen Farrell in last week’s TRP by coach Nick Easter for his physicality, good kicking game and organisational and leadership skills.
But the 25-year-old, who won his solitary Springbok cap in the defeat to Wales in Washington this summer, hopes moving to England will also make him more of an attacking threat.
“I’m looking forward to going up against the best and being involved with the attacking style of play here,” du Preez told The Rugby Paper.
“I like the way Sale try and isolate people in attack, especially with those balls out the back and the short lines, I think they do it really, really well.
“I like to manage the game and kick long and, in ‘D’, I like the physical stuff. But I’d like to be more of an attacking threat and hopefully I can work on that while I’m here.
“I think that is the way the game is going, and I am really looking forward to learning and taking what I learn back to South Africa.”
While his first cap was largely forgettable, du Preez hopes the Springbok selectors will give him another chance to show what he can do.
And he takes encouragement from the way de Klerk’s international career has taken off while playing in the Premiership.
“If that happens I’d be delighted,” he said.
“Faf reinvented himself when he came here and has played some excellent rugby for the Boks. From what I’ve heard, he is the glue of this Sale Sharks team. I don’t think many scrum-halves in the world clear the ball away as quickly as he does.” Du Preez says the chances of him returning for a longer stint in England in the future depend on his Springbok status. “I’ve got one cap, and it wasn’t the best game: we lost to Wales in Washington. I hope there will be more to come,” he said. “I’ve still got a contract with the Sharks in Durban until 2019, and obviously I’ll honour that. Depending on what happens with the Bok situation, I’ll make a call as to whether I stay or go. It (returning to the Premiership) is not something I am against, I am open to it.” Du Preez has scored 319 points in 31 Super Rugby games for the Sharks and fractionally more on both counts in the Currie Cup. Brought to the AJ Bell Stadium as cover for injured US Eagles fly-half, AJ MacGinty, du Preez admits his feet have barely touched the ground since landing in the UK at the end of last week.
“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind, the last couple of weeks, coming off the back of a Currie Cup win and a week of celebrating, I landed last Friday and got on a train to London on Saturday to go and watch the Test. But I am feeling refreshed and, as they say, a change of scenery is as good as a rest.”
Swapping South Africa’s summer for winter in North-West England, at a time when England have just beaten the Springboks, doesn’t make for the best of timing but du Preez says he is equipped to deal with any banter that comes his way.
“I’m actually pretty used to British banter because I played with Huw Jones in Cape Town, so I can take some flak; it is all in good fun.”