Johannesburg - Heinrich Brüssow has credited the Japanese league for his recall to the Springbok team and says he is a better player now than he was before joining the Red Hurricanes in 2013.
Brüssow is the surprise inclusion in Heyneke Meyer’s team to take on the All Blacks in a Rugby Championship match at Ellis Park on Saturday. The 29-year-old last played for the Boks in the World Cup quarter-final against Australia in 2011.
A string of injuries as well as a perceived lack of pace resulted in him being overlooked by Meyer over the last three years. The closest Brüssow has come to adding to his Test tally of 20 caps has been as a member of numerous training squads over the years.
Brüssow said on Wednesday he’d adapted his game in Japan in an effort to force his way into the Bok squad.
“I moved to Japan to experience something new and different and I can say I’m a better player now than before. Because the game is quicker I had to develop and adapt my game to suit the style of rugby. With less time available you have to make better decisions and I feel I’m doing that now.”
This improved decision-making and the fact Brüssow lost some extra kilos didn’t go unnoticed by Meyer. “Heinrich had two bad injuries which prevented him from being picked earlier but he also lost a lot of pace. He tried to be too big and he gained a lot of weight. But, since returning from Japan, he’s lost that weight and he’s got his speed back,” said the Bok boss on Wednesday.
“He’s worked very hard on his game and played brilliantly in Super Rugby. There’s been plenty of speculation that there’s bad blood between myself and Heinrich, but that isn’t true and he’s always known where he’s stood with me. I told him what he had to work on to get back into the fold and he’s done that ... I’ve got huge respect for him for doing that.”
Brüssow comes into the side in place of the injured Marcell Coetzee and with the Boks now boasting two specialist openside flankers, with Francois Louw at No7, Meyer’s team should be a handful for the All Blacks at the breakdowns come Saturday. It’s a change of tactics by the Boks who previously had at least one big ball-carrier in the loose-trio.
“I truly believe this game will be won and lost at the breakdown,” said Meyer on Wednesday. “We pride ourselves in our big ball-carriers, but with Duane Vermeulen and Willem Alberts injured we don’t have one at this stage.
“I didn’t want to do things in half measures. With no big ball-carrier standing at the moment I felt we needed a change of game plan, a different approach, so we’ve gone with two openside flanks. The All Blacks are very difficult to stop when they get quick ball so I believe it’s the right choice to go in with Heinrich and Francois. They can cause havoc on the ground.”
Meyer, though, admitted that picking Rossouw ahead of Warren Whiteley the Boks have lost a line-out option. “Victor Matfield is out and he’s our captain, so it’s a big call for the new No5 (Lood de Jager)... especially against the best line-out in the game,” said Meyer.
“What we lose in the line-out we make up for on the ground. It is a gamble though,” admitted Meyer. “But I don’t think Heinrich would have the same impact off the bench as what I believe Warren will.”
In a late change Cornal Hendricks will start at right wing in place of JP Pietersen who strained a hamstring at training on Wednesday. Lionel Mapoe moves onto the bench and could earn his first Test cap.
Springbok team starting XV: Willie le Roux, Cornal Hendricks, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Bryan Habana, Handré Pollard, Ruan Pienaar, Schalk Burger (capt), Francois Louw, Heinrich Brüssow, Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Jannie du Plessis, Bismarck du Plessis, Beast Mtawarira.
Replacements: Adriaan Strauss, Trevor Nyakane, Vincent Koch, Flip van der Merwe, Warren Whiteley, Cobus Reinach, Pat Lambie, Lionel Mapoe
The Star