Willie 'the glue' in Bok backline

11/12/2024 06:58 AM

England backs Ben Youngs and Anthony Watson have hailed two-time Springbok world champion Willie le Roux as one of rugby's most "criminally underrated" playmakers.

The 35-year-old Le Roux, who needs just two more appearances to reach 100 Tests, showcased his class during the Boks’ convincing win against Scotland at Murrayfield on Sunday with a perfectly weighted cross-kick for Makazole Mapimpi’s second try.

Speaking on the For The Love Of Rugby podcast, Youngs praised Le Roux’s contribution despite the veteran fullback often dividing opinion among South African supporters.

“I want to also talk about Willie le Roux’s kick for Mapimpi’s try, because every time we talk about Willie le Roux [I get the feeling] a lot of South African fans feel like he shouldn’t be in the starting XV,” the 127-cap scrumhalf said.

“I know they’ve got so many talented players but he’s a classy operator. The weight of that kick… he basically put it into that space for him to run on to. I just thought, ‘wow, that’s a bit of absolute gold from him there.'”

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Watson, who played against Le Roux during the Vodacom Bulls star’s time at Wasps in the English Premiership, went further in his praise of the back-to-back World Cup winner.

“Willie le Roux, in my opinion, he’s the best non-flyhalf ballplayer and back out there. He looks like he has so much time on the ball,” the Leicester Tigers flyer insisted.

“When you look back to the Wasps days when they had a backline of Kurtley Beale, Danny Cipriani, Willie le Roux, [Charles] Piutau, Elliot Daly… in a backline full of unbelievable playmakers, Willie le Roux glued it all together.”

Watson highlighted Le Roux’s influence beyond his individual brilliance: “In any slowdown in the phase play you can see Willie le Roux is helping Polly [Handre Pollard] drive it. I think his left-footed option makes a massive difference for South Africa.

“In my opinion, he’s been criminally underrated for years, and one of those guys who looks like he’s got all the time in the world and a classy operator. He definitely complements that backline, he’s unbelievable.”

Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images

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