Lappies Labuschagné

Newly minted as the captain of Japan, we f ind out more about the back-rower

IMAGINE UNIVERSITY dorm buddies ending up at the same professional rugby outfit all the way out east, on the other side of the planet. For hooker Willie Britz, now with Houston SaberCats, and his back-row pal Lappies Labuschagné, that is exactly how it panned out.

Patching together some phone signal from his farm back in South Africa, Britz tells us about his friend Lappies.

“I never played under him when he was captain, he always played under me when I was captain when we played together in university and at the Sunwolves. But he is a great guy.

“He has a very big work-rate off the field – he’s had it ever since he was in high school. He always made sure he finished every rep. He would sometimes go back to the gym during break time if he didn’t finish his sets before school! He is very committed and hard-working.

“We were in the same hostel in university. He was my little brother in the hostel, he always had time for a joke or a prank, he loved playing Rugby08 on the PlayStation and was very competitive. He loves card games, anything he can compete in. Just a smart man off the field, too. By that I mean he’s a very well-presented man, treats others with a lot of respect.

“He is also a Christian – he really loves Jesus! He is a very good father, and he is just someone that you can count on.”

Which paints him as a solid, humble fella. However, it’s that competitive side that gives him the greatest equity in the game. You see, we’re entering a new era. A time after the stewardship of the totemic Michael Leitch. The Japan national team have a new skipper and Labuschagné has taken on the mantle.

So what makes him top candidate for the job? According to Japan assistant coach Tony Brown, the reasons mount.

“He’s a natural leader,” the Highlanders boss tells RugbyWorld. “He plays and prepares with 100% commitment. The players love what he does on the field and love that he puts his body on the line every time he steps onto the training and playing field. And he’s playing really good rugby.

“He obviously loves playing in Japan, loves the culture here. All that stuff comes out of him on a daily basis and that’s why he’s naturally really good for

Japanese guys who, traditionally, are not great leaders but good followers.”

Does his ability to chat with referees factor into his selection as the captain?

“I think so. I think anyone who’s played Japan knows they don’t argue with refs, they just agree with what that decision is. They can be really, really nice on the rugby field, which doesn’t always mean you’re gonna win games of rugby.

“The laws need to be challenged and the best teams live right on the edge of the wall and potentially on the wrong side of it. For Japan to be competitive against the most physical teams in the world, they need to challenge the ref, they need to push the barriers around the physical side and they need to potentially live on the edge of the wall.”

Some might wonder why the great Leitch needs replacing at all, but Brown explains that the long-time skipper has “a couple of personal things happening” and also faces more challenges to claim a starting spot. This takes pressure off the flanker to focus simply on playing.

Everything Japan do now is about besting the top Test teams. The run’s been sparse since they toppled rival sides in the 2019 World Cup, with only losses against the British & Irish Lions and Ireland lately. They need to roll again and Labuschagné will be a driving force for the duration of their tour.

His competitive edge may have been noticeable at the University of the Free State. It will need to shine through in Dublin and Edinburgh this November.

“I WAS playing at Nice; it was going to be a year or two and I ended up in the South of France for eight enjoyable years. I went over in 2008 but could only play that first season. I was 36 and had the neck of an 80-year-old.

“I was working as a cash equity broker in a boutique broker in Monaco and it took off. More luck than judgement!

“I came back to England in 2016 thinking I’d stay in finance but through rugby got a post with Northcott Global

KEVIN YATES

Age 48 Position Prop Teams Bath, Hurricanes, Sale, Saracens, Nice & England

Solutions, a medical assistance company heavily involved in the insurance market. I took redundancy early in the pandemic, thinking it would be a couple of weeks, then the whole world fell apart.

“Now I am at Bendac Group, a young tech company just outside Bath, and we provide LED solutions. It suits me down to the ground working locally and I still get to the Rec. John Hall has taken over as president and has been active in getting ex-players to do Q&As at games.”