We asked two SA Rugby magazine team members: Which overseas-based SA player should be headhunted to bolster one of our URC teams?
Devin Hermanus says Robert du Preez to Vodacom Bulls
Flyhalf Robert du Preez polarised opinion during his time at Western Province and the Sharks, and his critics will always highlight his only and uninspiring Test appearance for the Springboks against Wales in 2018, but he has made a real impact in England with the Sale Sharks. The leading scorer after the first 17 rounds of the 2022-23 English Premiership season, Du Preez has been instrumental in Sale’s campaign and was named Player of the Month for December 2022.
The eldest of the three Du Preez brothers, all of whom are contracted to Sale, Rob has commanded respect with his play and has found some impressive try-scoring form.
He kicks well out of hand, stands tall in the collisions, relishes attacking the gainline and his boot is metronomic.
Given his size (1.92m, 98kg) and skillset, the 29-year-old is as close to a carbon copy of former Sharks and Springbok pivot Butch James, who won the 2007 World Cup under Jake White, the Bulls director of rugby.
At the Bulls, Du Preez would be a more experienced option than incumbent Chris Smith, and a more reliable option than the injury-prone Johan Goosen, especially once veteran Morné Steyn hangs up his boots. Du Preez also has plenty of experience at inside centre and can easily be shifted to midfield.
He’s come a long way since sitting fifth in line for the Sharks No 10 shirt as an academy recruit in Durban. Du Preez won the Currie Cup with the union in 2018, a year after winning it with WP. He is a more rounded player now, with a lower error-rate, and knows how to unlock defences and manage a game in wet and dry weather.
Maligned early in his career, the forgotten man of a Bok WhatsApp group is steadily realising his potential and is worth a call from White and the Bulls.
Oliver Keohane says Handré Pollard to Sharks
When asked to give some thought to a South African franchise that could benefit from bringing any one player back from overseas, my mind immediately went to a Sharks side that has bought half the Springbok team in recent years but continues to under-deliver due to their lack of quality at flyhalf.
Handré Pollard is the obvious answer.
There were rumours at the end of 2021, when Pollard was out of contract with Montpellier, that franchise owner Marco Masotti was interested in acquiring the Bok flyhalf as part of his star-studded Shark Tank overhaul.
It never came to fruition, as Pollard made the move to the Leicester Tigers, but it makes no less sense more than a year down the line.
The Sharks have bought a side that boasts huge attacking prowess but continues to be handicapped by flyhalves unable to unleash the full potential of their backline. Pollard provides the perfect answer.
In Grant Williams and Jaden Hendrikse, the Sharks have two young Springboks who could build a domestic legacy in Durban, and their depth at scrumhalf just further emphasises the lack thereof one position out. Imagine Pollard playing off the speed of Williams or Hendrikse’s service, and laying the ball off to either Rohan Janse van Rensburg or Lukhanyo Am. Scary.
With Siya Kolisi leaving for Racing 92 after the World Cup, and fellow Springbok Eben Etzebeth likely to follow suit, the Sharks would be left with some huge financial playing power. There are plenty of players available locally, and at a much lower cost, who could come in for Kolisi and Etzebeth. There is nobody currently that can offer the same package at flyhalf that Pollard can.
Not only is Pollard a stylistic fit for the type of rugby the Sharks want to play, he is also a perfect complement to the players who would surround him in Durban.
If it ever became feasible for both parties, the Sharks should try to lock down the deal.
– This article first appeared in the April 2023 issue of SA Rugby magazine. The May 2023 issue is on sale now.