Marco van Staden is bullish about bringing fetching back to the Springbok game plan.
The 24-year-old Bulls flanker believes that his hard work and steals at the breakdown can be an asset for the world champions.
Van Staden missed out on the Bok squad in Japan at the 11th hour, when then-coach Rassie Erasmus made the final cut to his World Cup plans, opting for the experienced Francois Louw as his specialist scavenger.
But with Louw now retired, the natural openside is keen to get his hands on the ball.
LEADING MAN: Francois Louw was Rassie Erasmus's first choice. Picture: Reuters.
He says: “I still enjoy being this kind of openside flanker and all that comes with it.
“It fits well with how I’d like to play. It all depends on the coach and what game plans they have but I still think there are teams that use specialist fetchers to create turnovers for them.
“But then again, a lot of teams look for big, ball-carrying loose- forwards.
“I just have to have faith that my time will come if I just keep working hard.
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“But you can only control what you can control, so if I play the best Super Rugby I can, then I’ve done my part.
“The rest is up to them. If the opportunity comes, I have to use it.”