"Learn something new" – Springboks great Willie le Roux adds fly half string to his veteran bow

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At 35 years old, Willie le Roux is proving that experience and adaptability go hand in hand. The veteran Springbok, a two-time World Cup winner and long-time stalwart at full-back, is embracing a fresh challenge, as he switches to fly-half for the Vodacom Bulls.

Le Roux, who has enjoyed a glittering career spanning club rugby in England, Japan, and South Africa, has been handed the No.10 jersey for the Bulls' recent BKT URC fixtures against South African rivals the DHL Stormers, Hollywoodbets Sharks, Emirates Lions and Vodacom Bulls.

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After a standout 30-minute cameo off the bench against the Lions last month, head coach Jake White has made it clear just how vital Le Roux's presence is in the playmaking role. Le Roux himself admits the transition is still a work in progress, but he's enjoying every second of the challenge.

“I still have to figure out the small adjustments, like calling the plays and getting back into the line on defence, but I am enjoying it,” he says. “You learn something new each week. I still need to get that balance right.

"At full-back, I had plenty more time to look for space. When I’m at fly-half and calling the plays, changing the direction of the attack, one tends to look less at space and sometimes miss chances. I can work on that and maybe look up quicker to see who is in front of you defending.”

Le Roux played a crucial role in the Bulls' recent 31-19 bonus-point win over the Lions, even grabbing one of their five tries. With the team now just three points behind second-placed Glasgow in the URC table, his influence has been instrumental.

Coach Jake White has been quick to emphasize the value of having such an experienced head in the team, regardless of where he lines up.

"There's a lot of media talk about is he a 10," White said. "It's irrelevant what position he is the best at. For me and our group, I need him close and I need him to be controlling things.

"He will make mistakes because that's the kind of player he is. He is one of those kind of guys. At one point, we ran the ball and he threw a forward pass, but then you look at the pass he made for one of the tries we scored.

"As long as Willie is on the field, I just feel – especially with all the leaders that have been out – that we have got a sense of how we want to play.

"I probably erred the week before in the Sharks game. I took him off too early. I was too conservative. I should have probably left him on.

"He understands when to run it, when to kick it and that's what makes it so different for us. When he's on the field, there's a little bit more guidance from him to the other players."

White was particularly impressed by how Le Roux helped steer the Bulls to victory against the Lions, after a spirited first-half fightback from their opponents.

"The first 12 minutes was the best we have played in a long while against anybody. It looked at that point – 17-0 up – that it was going to be one-sided, but they scored two tries and got it to 17-14.

"We almost got them by the throat, but we just try and make it so difficult for ourselves.

"What I was really happy about is after having a chat at half-time, we tightened up everything again and I put that down to Willie. That's the importance of having him there."

The Bulls are looking to solidify their place in the URC's upper echelons, and Le Roux's continued evolution at fly-half will be key to their success.

Quotes provided by URC Media

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