Damian Willemse, a Springbok utility back, shone in their 24-8 Rugby Championship victory against the Wallabies in Sydney, but he refused to accept the praise for his outstanding work at flyhalf.
Willemse had the chance to start at No. 10 in the rematch against Australia since Handre Pollard and Elton Jantjies were injured and unable to play. The Boks were able to earn their first victory in Australia since 2013.
The Stormers star, who has established himself as a reliable force for the Boks at No. 15 and has previously excelled at No. 12, had a strong performance over the weekend. He not only maintained good control of the match but also contributed a dynamic edge and some excellent touches on offence.
The 24-year-old had nothing but love for Jantjies to say about the match.
“Really, it wasn’t that difficult. Moving into the flyhalf position for tonight’s game was really a little change in duty, according to Willemse. Since the Wales series, I have sometimes played there. Credit goes to the coaching staff and everyone else who supported me all week.
“Elton has had a huge impact. He is a true team player. Since I joined the team as a young man in 2018, his assistance to me has been fantastic. He has really improved my kicking and overall performance.
“He deserves credit for my performance, I feel. He helped me stay composed and with my preparations throughout the week. He’s a truly selfless person in every way. I salute him.
“Tonight’s part may have been a little different. I had a great time with it. It comes with a lot of duty along with tremendous honour. I can’t accept all the compliments on how I performed.
I had a lot of support, and I must admit that the forwards provided me a tremendous platform.
As they scored four tries to one, the Boks had strong diversity in their attack, and Willemse cited their game’s balance as well as their kick-chase as crucial factors in their victory.
Jaden Hendrikse was brilliant with his kicks from position nine, and we had two players, Canan Moodie and (Makazole) Mapimpi, pursuing those kicks, the referee stated. “The tactical kicking from Willie (le Roux) with his left boot…
“We had the chance because they (the Wallabies) offered us a lot of contestables. Our coordination between running and kicking was thus rather excellent.