Ruhan Nel of the DHL Western Province during the Currie Cup match between iCOLLEGE Pumas and DHL Western Province at Mbombela Stadium on August 31, 2018 in Nelspruit, South Africa. (Photo by Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images)
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus delighted a substantial number of observers this past weekend by including Ruhan Nel in the national squad for the remainder of the Rugby Championship.
Interestingly, Erasmus has very much based his decision on the 27-year-old’s red-hot form in the Currie Cup for Western Province, as well as his pedigree as one of the Blitzboks’ leading players.
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But what exactly makes him appealing as an option at outside centre?
Here’s what you need to know.
Nel is, plain and simple, the type of physical player the Boks are known for
Former Bok coach Jake White always reiterated his belief that big and burly players need not be poorly skilled.
In fact, he thought the best players were the ones that were big but also possessed finesse.
Nel is 1.91m tall and weighs a meaty 101 kg.
That’s truly an ideal physique for a No 13, who needs to be able to win his collisions just as well as he hits gaps.
His work ethic will rub off on his Springbok teammates
Don’t think for one moment that Nel will believe he’s “special” for walking into the national squad without having played Super Rugby yet.
His Western Province coach, John Dobson, has stated previously that when he included Blitzboks – like Nel, Seabelo Senatla and Werner Kok – the “professionalism” among the broader squad increased dramatically.
The Blitzboks setup is all about accountability and excellence, which means its star players have made it a habit of continually working hard to become better.
It’s a quality Erasmus admits he tries to instil by calling up specific overseas-based stars too.
Smart defence
As the Springboks’ performances to date have shown, good tackling and a good grasp of a defensive pattern are different concepts.
The national side has an abundance of midfielders that can stop a ball-carrier in his tracks, but almost all the men used to date have shown some weaknesses in making sound decisions on defence.
It’s one of the reasons why the Boks have missed Jan Serfontein, a known organiser on defence.
But Nel could be a trump card in this regard.
He’s renowned as one of the best defenders on the sevens circuit, where a player not only needs to make sure he makes his tackles but also ensures he makes good decisions, especially since you realistically have only four to five other teammates further down the defensive line.
The Blitzboks are taught to be intelligent players, not just physical.
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