Winning right games at right time is what matters — Pieter-Steph du Toit

With the Rugby World Cup on the horizon, the good news is 2019 World Rugby Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit is once again in peak condition.

After being on top of the game in 2019, winning the World Cup as well as being awarded the highest individual accolade the game has to offer, the following years would turn into a nightmare for Du Toit.

In 2020 he suffered a serious leg injury that led to fears of it being amputated and then the following year he messed up his shoulder in the second Test of the British and Irish Lions series.

The injuries brought about a sudden dip in Du Toit’s performance levels in 2022 but the encouraging part was he was on the field. Fast forward to the present and he’s looking like his old self again, being a dominant force on the field and he’s also in top condition.

‘Well-conditioned’

“It’s really nice to be properly fit,” Du Toit told the media after the Springboks’ 22-21 win over Los Pumas on Saturday at Ellis Park.

“I really feel well-conditioned since joining the national team in our pre-season. There’s also plenty of motivation to be so (well-conditioned) when you have world-class teammates alongside you. You want to be at your best.”

Du Toit said playing his club rugby in Japan has been hugely beneficial.

“Japan has been good to me. I believe my conditioning has been complemented by both settings. I was in good shape over there and here I had to contend with the altitude of the highveld again. It’s about 400m higher, so you’re definitely huffing and puffing a bit more, but we’ll get there,” said the Toyota Verblitz flanker.

‘Negatives and positives’

The Springboks finished the Rugby Championship in second place after two wins and a loss in their three matches.

The Boks’ management spread the minutes around the group and explored different combinations over the course of the competition. But while the performances haven’t been of the highest quality, Du Toit said there was no alarm in the Bok squad.

“We have to take the negatives and positives out of each game, you have to get better. The more mistakes we make now, the more stuff we can learn,” Du Toit said week out from the start of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.

“We’re definitely on the right road. As long as we keep learning and absorbing the lessons we’re being taught in the build-up to the World Cup, we’ll be fine.

“I’d rather have us make these mistakes now. The World Cup is a different beast, especially since this year’s tournament feels like a play-off from the outset. You have to win the right games.”