Western Province fullback SP Marais went from being a stoutgat to one of the leaders of the team in this year’s Currie Cup.
By his own admission, Marais says he was pleasantly surprised that coach John Dobson included him in the leadership core as Province look to successfully defend the title they won last year.
And he is stepping up big time.
Marais, 29, won the Man of the Match award when WP beat the Free State Cheetahs 32-0 last weekend, with the fullback adding 12 points - three try conversions and two penalties - to the grand total.
What was impressive about their display was how Province changed their approach in the game.
And Marais reveals that it was the players on the field that got together and decided how they will squeeze the life out of their visitors.
He tells Super Rugby: “When the rain started to come down heavily, we knew we had to get them to make mistakes. We knew they were going to run out of patience and everyone immediately bought into the plan. They got more and more impatient and that counted in our favour.”
Marais believes WP’s pre-season tour of France helped the team gel.
He adds: “Coach John Dobson made the tour really enjoyable and we could get to know each other a lot better.
“It helped shape the character we want as a team in the Currie Cup.”
Of his leadership role in the team, Marais says: “Dobson gave me a leadership role - which was a bit weird, seeing that I am usually the one that will be a bit naughty.
“For me to help my teammates is something new and I enjoy it. Luckily the guys still listen to me a bit. We have a big leadership group and at the end of the day it’s up to us to make the decisions on the field.
“Everyone gets a fair chance to give input and then we make the decisions and stick to it.”