Western Province youngster Divan Fuller has already convinced members of the Currie Cup side’s coaching staff that the 19-year-old flanker could become a future great.
Fuller, who represented the Junior Springboks in this year’s U20 World Championships, got thrown into the deep end last week when asked to start in the No.7 jersey for Province’s Currie Cup game against the Bulls at Loftus.
Province lost the game 50-34, but Fuller seems to have passed with flying colours according to WP and Stormers assistant coaches Dawie Snyman and Labeeb Levy.
After making 13 tackles, winning a breakdown turnover, beating one defender and making 56m on attack, while putting a teammate in space with an offload, he certainly caught the eye.
Snyman, who already saw Fuller’s potential during a Craven Week tournament for WP Schools, says of the former Paarl Boys High scholar’s debut: “He is mature in terms of his physicality…
“It remains important for us to build depth for the Stormers. We’ve got phenomenal young players. We’re pushing those guys quite early but it’s been great to see a guy like Divan Fuller stand his ground.
“The likes of Fuller, Paul de Villiers [loose-forward] coming through are great to see and in six months to a year’s time we’ll be better for it.”
Meanwhile, Levy adds: “He really put his hand up he showed no fear, even watching him train during the week, you know…
“When they do the training or they do walkthroughs and shadow training, you can just pick out whether a player knows his stuff.
“He seems to have that personality that wants it, if you look him in the eyes, he’s got that look, the physicality and does not hold back after the game and spoke of how his first tackle was so hard that he felt a stinger.”
Fuller will be out to impress again when WP tackle the Griffons innie Kaap this week.
