Pretoria - Springbok and now Bulls lock Lood de Jager knows all about starting from the bottom and quickly rising to the top. Playing in the Varsity Cup Young Guns competition five years ago to making his Springbok debut against Wales two years later was nothing short of meteoric.
But 24-year-old De Jager is far from the finished product. He decided to leave the Cheetahs at the end of last year to join three-time Super Rugby champions the Bulls to reach the lofty goals he’s set himself.
The move from the Free State capital to the nation’s capital had been anticipated for De Jager as the Bulls had set their sights on him after his exploits while playing for the Leopards under-21 side in 2012.
However, the Cheetahs were quick to secure the signature of the lumbering Alberton-born hard man and wasted no time elevating him up the ranks into their Super Rugby side.
While De Jager thrived during his time with the Cheetahs, which saw him become a Springbok, he dreamt of not only being the best lock in the land, but also of silverware that comes with such a step-up that will be a constant reminder long after he hangs up his boots.
And that is how the move from Bloemfontein to Pretoria happened he has the belief that he is a season or two out from emulating what his childhood heroes Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha achieved in their time at the Bulls by winning three Super Rugby and Currie Cup titles.
Even though De Jager has only signed for one year, it is likely he will stay on for two more seasons if he renews his Springbok contract and opts to remain in the country until the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
“The Bulls have probably been the biggest union in South Africa for the last decade. If you look over that period they have been the most successful union. It has been a massive honour to get the opportunity to join them,” said De Jager.
“We have a young team here, but we can build something special. There is a lot of young talent, the coaching is good and the guys have the right work ethic and that made it an easy decision to make. The Cheetahs are a great side and they will do well, but I felt it was time for a change and the Bulls were the right option.”
As far-fetched as talk of winning Super Rugby might be viewed by those on the outside of the Bulls kraal, the reality is that the Bulls possess one of the most talented squads in the competition and with continuity in coaching and playing personnel from last year, there is no reason why they won’t fancy their chances with the likes of De Jager in the side.
De Jager is already feeling at home and comfortable at Loftus, so he is not too far off from replicating the form that made him the talk of world rugby two years ago and SA Rugby Player of the Year in 2015.
“I told my wife it feels like we’ve been living here for years. Fortunately, I know a few of the guys in the team so the transition was easy. I settled in quickly. The coaches and management have been really nice and have gone out of their way to make life easy for me and my wife,” De Jager said after yet another tough training session in the sweltering Pretoria heat on Friday.
What the Bulls will seek in return for their faith in De Jager, even though his form dipped considerably last year due to injuries and turmoil within the Springbok team, are the same performances, if not better, of two years ago.
“It is what you make of it if you put pressure on yourself in any situation. For me, it is a real challenge and I’m looking forward to it. I needed the change in my career and I felt it is the right thing to do it.
“I’m really excited. I don’t feel the pressure. I just want to enjoy my rugby and play the way I can play.”
At the same time, though, De Jager admits that last year was not a good time for him and much of that came with the pressure he placed on himself and the expectation from the rugby public after being crowned the best player in 2015.
“I put too much pressure on myself last year because I had such a good season in 2015 and all the expectation. Even on your off days you think about rugby all the time and that is the mistake I made. I burnt myself out mentally. I was tired even before I went on to the field. Now I’ve said I will control what I can control. I will work hard but only do what I can do for the team. If I get time off then I’m off and take time away from the game, otherwise it is a long year and you’ll burn yourself out mentally. I’m really looking forward to this year, it is going to be a great season.”
For De Jager to play, he will have to overcome stiff competition at the Bulls from youngsters RG Snyman and Jason Jenkins, while he faces a similar uphill battle for a starting berth in the national team with Pieter-Steph du Toit and Eben Etzebeth seemingly the preferred second-row combination.
But the lanky cherub-cheeked De Jager is relishing the challenge to his throne and is counting on his versatility at being able to call the line-out with the precision of a Matfield, being as robust and abrasive as Botha and having the mobility that has made All Black locks Sam Whitelock and Brody Rettalick the best in the world.
“Jason and RG are very talented players, young players who have a lot to offer. They are athletic locks and understand the game and they have a massive future ahead of them.
“Where I can help them, I will do so and try to learn from them as well. The three of us can really build a good partnership, it’s a long season. There are a lot of games and there will need to be rotation in the squad.
“I want to play a more balanced game where I can be physical but I want to be composed on the field as well. I want to be a leader and make good decisions at line-out time. I want to be a balanced lock that can play four or five and do my own thing because I believe it is a bit different,” De Jager said.
De Jager also brings balance to a demanding career by helping his wife settling into their Pretoria home and is also looking forward to rekindling his partnership on the golf course with fellow Springbok Handré Pollard.
Unlike many of his teammates who are avid hunters, De Jager concedes that it will take him some time to get into wearing camo caps and all the trappings that come with the life of spending a lot of time in the bush.
For now De Jager is happy being himself, sharing some banter with his new teammates and ready to establish a path that will not see him try to be the next Matfield or Botha but be his own man and have the silverware to prove it.
“I would like to walk my own path and play the way I want to play. One needs to put in the hard yards, there’s no easy way to the top,” said De Jager.