Bok centres De Allende and Am — inseparable on and off the field

Arguably the best centre partnership in world rugby, Damian de Allende and Lukhanyo Am, are set to light up Twickenham on Saturday as they look to continue their superb partnership against England in their final end-of-year-tour match.

De Allende and Am have become an inseparable duo in the Springbok midfield and have dominated opponents for a number of years now, with their strong bond off the field assisting in their performances on it.

“We have a very strong relationship and I think it helps that we get along so well even off the field as well,” said De Allende. “We know every game is different and comes with its own challenges, but we stay composed on the field.

“We chat a lot and try and stay in the moment, even though sometimes we don’t feel like we are in the game and find it hard to get involved, whether that’s on attack or defence. We always just chat to each other and say we must be ready for the next moment that comes.

“Once we have that opportunity we try grab it with both hands, whether that’s making a big tackle, making a steal at the breakdown or making a nice play on attack. So for the two of us we just try stay in the moment on the field and try stay as prepared as we can for the next opportunity that comes our way.”

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A key strength for the duo is in how they back each other up on the field of play, especially when one may be a bit off the boil or having a bad game, which then limits the damage to the team and also helps get them back on their feet.

“We just have a good feeling for each other,” explained De Allende.

“I think if he (Am) does something on the field I am there to back him up and it’s the same with me, he’s there to back me up.

“Sometimes we both make mistakes and we are there to cover each other’s backs. I also think our communication on the field is exceptional and I think that helps a lot.

“It is awesome to know that we play rugby like that and to have such a good understanding of each other.”

The midfield duo will now hope to produce another massive showing on the weekend and help the Boks claim a clean sweep on their end-of-year-tour.