Damian Willemse is not giving up on his dream to play for the Springboks at next month’s World Cup in Japan.
Selected at flyhalf for Western Province for the first time this season after recovering from injury, Willemse wants to play the Cheetahs off the park in their Currie Cup clash in Bloemfontein on Saturday to force his way into coach Rassie Erasmus’s plans.
With 32 Springboks currently in camp and Erasmus set to name his squad for Japan on Monday, Willemse is adamant that his name should not be crossed out just yet.
His WP coach John Dobson, who named his team for the Cheetahs clash on Wednesday, explains: “He [Willemse] is such a special kid off the field. This is not your run-of-the-mill maverick 10, this is a deep thinker of the game, a deep thinker of life.
“I spoke to him before and his approach was ‘it’s up to him’.
“If he sets Bloemfontein alight on Saturday afternoon, he might still create a headache for the national selectors.
“He is playing to play in the World Cup, that’s the right attitude. He knows it’s unlikely.”
Dobson adds: “There’s a possibility he could go on loan to Saracens as a joker during the World Cup - which I think is brilliant
“He said his first goal is to win on Saturday, play as well as he can and if he’s not announced on Monday night then he’ll think about Saracens.
“It’s the right approach.”
Dobson expects Willemse to add flair to WP’s attacking game on Saturday as they search for a bonus-point win against the men from Bloem.
He says: “We can expect for us to be a little more attacking.
“There is suddenly scenarios in this game that we could still lose and make the semifinal if we score four tries.
“We have to attack - we’re not going up there and beat the Cheetahs, not scoring [at least] four tries.”