This Bok tighthead does his best work ‘under cover’
And brother Jacobie shows that playing front-row rugby at highest level runs in the family
HE is not the man of the moment. Nor is he someone whose arrival will require hyperbole, trumpets or coordinates to centre stage.
But that suits silent assassin Lourens Adriaanse, 25, a tighthead prop of guile and technique. Some of his best work goes unseen.
He is one of two recognised tighthead props on the Springboks’ endof-season tour of Europe. The other is Frans Malherbe, while Coenie Oosthuizen is still on the road from No 1 to No 3.
Malherbe got first crack in the starting team against Wales yesterday, but the turf on which the tightheads on this tour are treading ( in the absence of Jannie du Plessis) is far from firm.
Finding an understudy for Du Plessis is a priority for coach Heyneke Meyer. Du Plessis’s work load, in a high contact area at the ripe old age of 32, means orthopaedic recovery will become, if not the order of the day, at the very least an occasional irritation.
Du Plessis is a fan of Adriaanse, whose performances at Griquas in the Currie Cup and the Cheetahs in Super Rugby have helped establish a burgeoning reputation.
His stock is so high that the Sharks came calling. Adriaanse completed his move from Kimberley to Durban shortly before he was named as eleventh-hour replacement for the injured Du Plessis on the Bok tour.
“It is great to go to a place where there are some great new developments,” he said about his move to the balmy east coast.
“I was in Durban already, completely unpacked in my new house. I am so glad they won the Currie Cup because that made me realise that I was going to the best province in the country.
“It will be a big challenge. They have good tightheads with Jannie and Wiehahn Herbst. To compete against really good players will only improve you,” Adriaanse noted.
It wasn’t the first time he has faced the prospect of a big move. As a former Paarl Gimnasium pupil, Maties student and Western Province representative at agegroup level, his allegiances are rooted in the Cape. He captained Maties to the 2010 Varsity Cup title but, in the absence of real long-term prospects at Province, he moved to Griquas, who offered him greater exposure.
“At that point I felt that I had to go to a place where I could get regular game time at a higher level. I thought I could play Currie Cup but I was privileged to play Super Rugby in my first season. It made sense to make that move. I really enjoyed Griquas and Kimberley.”
He is deeply appreciative of the launch pad the Varsity Cup provided. “The Varsity Cup gave me the opportunity while studying to play at a high level where people can see you.”
His rise isn’t entirely surprising. His brother Jacobie helped scrum the Lions to Currie Cup glory in 2011 and now plays in Wales, for the Scarlets.
“I went to visit Jacobie last Sunday. He’s about 80km from here. It is going well with him.
“I’m lucky that my brother also plays. Rugby was part of my family’s
A lot of people make the mistake of thinking front-rankers are dumb. I’ve done my honours but I have to complete my articles. It’s a tough one because I won’t be able to work full time
life but, to play professionally, you have to work hard.”
Adriaanse certainly isn’t scared of graft. He completed an honours degree on his way to becoming a chartered accountant.
Bok tightheads have a history of immersing themselves in their studies. Cobus Visagie went down the same career path, whereas Du Plessis is a doctor.
“A lot of people make the mistake of thinking front-rankers are dumb. I’ve done my honours but I have to complete my articles. It’s a tough one because I won’t be able to work full time.
“At this stage I am focused on my rugby. I studied something that I could fall back on when I stop playing.”
With a test career on the horizon, that isn’t going to happen any time soon.