Suddenly the ‘old man’ of rugby is flavour of the month again
- Willie le Roux is 35 years old but suddenly he is back in the spotlight.
- His performance against the Lions two weeks ago was his standout performance of the URC so far. Can he do it again this weekend?
Many experts believe when Willie le Roux came on for the Bulls against the Lions two weekends ago, he turned the match around.
And the scoreboard seems to prove that.
After 52 minutes, the Lions were leading 17-13 with both teams having scored one try each.
The Bulls, with Boeta Chamberlain at flyhalf, just didn’t seem to get going. Then Willie le Roux came on (at 50 minutes) and the game changed.
Suddenly the Bulls played with commitment and fire. Le Roux was taking the ball up to the advantage line, giving the backline room to play. His tactical kicking, as always, was excellent.
He was managing the team from the number 10 position.
The Bulls scored three tries in 30 minutes and the Lions one. In the end it was almost a runaway win for the Bulls.
And in the middle of all of this was Willie le Roux. A player who at the 2019 World Cup was already considered to be a little long in the tooth. In 2023, fans were wondering if he should be there at all.
It was only through Rassie Erasmus that Le Roux went to France.
And now Willie is running the show. The Bulls team for the United Rugby Championship match against the Stormers in Cape Town this Saturday has not yet been announced, but it is a safe bet that Willie will be the key player in the light blue jersey.
It is also a safe bet that he will be dictating the game from the number 10 spot.
Willie, whose professional career started with the Boland Cavaliers as long ago as 2011, has always been a contentious player. He has had some truly brilliant games (as he did against the Lions) but he has also had some shockers.
At times he could be a superstar as well as the worst player on the field all in the same match. His tactical kicking has led to many tries for wingers near the touchline. His long passes somehow always find the right players – but he has also kicked penalty kicks out on the full when his team could least afford it.
Sometimes he gets involved in arguments with other players and sometimes even with the ref. How he gets away with shouting at the officials nobody knows.
But now he is riding high again.
His contract with Bath has fallen through, but that doesn’t matter anymore. All sorts of teams are indicating that they want to have a serious talk with him at the negotiating table.
On the one hand, the worst of all comments for a sportsman is also applied to him. “Willie is in the twilight of his career,” they say. On the other hand, people are talking about three-year contracts.
At 35, it’s a nice situation for him to be in. And what’s more, he deserves it.
He’s going to be around rugby for a long time to come – if not down on the field, probably up in the coach’s box.
Pictured above: Willie le Roux.
Source: @wjjleroux