Since making the brave decision to leave the Blitzboks, JC Pretorius has established himself as a vital part of the Lions pack, with his dynamism key to an unbeaten start to the Vodacom URC campaign.
Pretorius made a team-high seven successful carries as the Lions maintained their unbeaten start to the 2024/25 campaign by thrashing Edinburgh 55-21 at Emirates Airline Park.
In his first game of the season, Pretorius provided a timely reminder of why his athleticism and relentless work ethic has helped him fit in seamlessly at the Lions.
Impressed by the former Blitzboks star’s rapid adjustment to the 15-man game, Lions scrum coach Julian Redelinghuys today kept his praise light-hearted when asked about the loose forward.
“I don’t need him to get big-headed now,” Redelinghuys laughed. “I don’t know who picks the man of the match or if JC is bribing them.
“You guys are seeing him stealing the ball, making massive yards on the edges and finishing tries and assisting tries for us. We love that, but what you don’t see is the team man that he is, the character that he is, how he gets the guys up and the toughness that he brings. That also makes a massive difference for us.
“Don’t blow too much smoke up his arse, but he brings a massive presence to the pack,” the former Springbok prop added. “I remember watching U21 games when he was still at the Bulls. He wasn’t as fris (strong) as he is now, but we just thought that this guy really plays the way we like to play. He had to go and win a few sevens tournaments, but when we got him here, we were excited.
“The way he has grown into the 15s, it’s really great to be part of that.”
The switch
Pretorius explained that while the switch was a significant leap, it was one he felt he had to make.
“When I came from the sevens, I knew it was going to be a leap of faith,” Pretorius said. “I hadn’t played 15s in three years. When I arrived, everyone welcomed me with open arms. I learned a lot from my mentor, Jaco Kriel.
“There were a lot of challenges for me. The physical aspect of the game, sizing up a little bit. I stuck my head down and just kept on working hard to get where I am today.
“The reason I left the sevens was that I felt I had achieved everything that I could. I played in every single tournament in the Sevens Series and in the Olympics, as well as the Commonwealth Games. By stepping away, I also felt I could give a younger up-and-coming player a chance.
“I had to take that leap of faith. I always try to go outside of my comfort zone. Whenever you are in your comfort zone, you never grow.”
Pretorius has been named in the Lions’ 28-man squad for their three-match URC tour, where they will look to continue their unbeaten start to the season against Dragons (Sunday), Zebre (October 19) and Leinster (October 26).
“I feel that the squad is gelling really well at this stage,” Pretorius said. “We have lots of depth, there’s players who put their hands up during the Currie Cup and played really well. The guys who were doing their pre-season for the URC and the guys who played in the Currie Cup are gelling well.
“There’s healthy competition in the camp. Everyone wants to make each other better. We saw that in the first half against Edinburgh, even though that was a game of two halves. We are in a good space where we aren’t over or undercooked. We are in the right space.”
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