LAY DOWN A MARKER
The Leicester back-rower is in a stacked department with a whole host of in-form players.
Springbok eighthman Jasper Wiese is aiming for a massive performance in the first Test against Wales at Loftus Versfeld tomorrow as he looks to make the number eight jersey his own.
Wiese finds himself in a
stacked department with a host of in-form players like Evan Roos, Kwagga Smith and Elrigh Louw all vying for the jersey, with regular starter Duane Vermeulen out injured at the moment.
Wiese is thus keen to take the opportunity he has been given and make the most of it by laying down a marker in the first Test.
“You want to put your name on that jersey and make it your own, but with the quality we have at the moment it’s difficult. It’s big competition. Kwagga, Evan and Elrigh are all very good players as you’ve seen in all the competitions,” explained Wiese.
“So I am going to try and do my best for the team and hopefully the results will speak for themselves.
“The quality we have at the moment, especially in the loose forwards is so high that if you don’t perform or don’t train well in the week someone is going to take your spot.”
Wiese heads into the first Test on a high after putting in a Manof-the-Match performance for Leicester Tigers to help them claim the English Premiership title and he will be eager to take that form into the Welsh series.
“I hope I can take form into the Test matches. With fans back and the restrictions being lifted a bit I think it definitely helps us as a team more. When you sit in a stadium and have 60 000 people cheering for you that gets you up
as well,” said Wiese.
“I just want to take the opportunity I have got this weekend and hopefully make the most of it and do everything I can for the team.”
Wiese will also be aiming to put in a much improved disciplinary effort, after he had to be spoken to by his coaches earlier in the season due to his penchant for picking up unnecessary cards in matches.
“It was a pretty stern chat, Steve (Borthwck, Leicester coach) is a pretty intense guy. The coaches here as well said that if it’s not something I am willing to work on then they can’t select me,” said Wiese.
“So it was a chat that I had to have with myself as well.”