Not only will Willie le Roux’s wizardry on attack be vital for the Bulls at flyhalf against the Stormers, but it is also his leadership ability that will be harnessed at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday (2pm kick-off).
That was part of the reason coach Jake White provided on Friday after naming the veteran Springbok fullback at No 10 for the big North-South Derby, which is set to be played in front of a sell-out 55 000 crowd at the 2010 Fifa World Cup venue.
Le Roux produced a stunning second-half display as the pivot in the 35-22 win over the Lions at Ellis Park a few weeks ago, and with the knee injury to Johan Goosen, the 35-year-old has been called upon to spark the Bulls attack once more.
But the absence of injured co-captains Ruan Nortjé and Elrigh Louw has created a bit of a gap in the leadership ranks, and while flank Marcell Coetzee will take over the captaincy on Saturday, Le Roux will assist in that regard too.
“I suppose I could’ve gone with the other two flyhalves (Boeta Chamberlain and Jaco van der Walt),” White said during a press conference on Friday.
“But he’s got 98 Tests, and let’s not forget that he was a flyhalf. He’s played lots of Tests at fullback, but I remember him playing for Boland as a flyhalf.
“So, he is very adept at going to 10 anyway, and in fact, most of his good games at 15 is when he pushes the 10 out of the way and plays 10 for most of the fixture anyway.
“So, I’m very comfortable that he will understand what we want to do. He’s got a very good feeling for the way we want to play tomorrow.
“I can always come back to Boeta at 10 and moving him (Le Roux) back to 15 at the back-end of the game, if I feel that’s what’s needed.
“I rate him highly enough and I think we need his voice there, without Ruan as our captain and Elrigh there.
“To have him closer to the team instead of at fullback is also a blessing in disguise, because he’s very vocal, very good at delegating and coaching from behind.
“I’m not taking anything away from Marcell and Grobbies (Johan Grobbelaar) and Nizaam (Carr) and those guys who’ve been captains.
“But maybe having his voice a bit closer in the middle of the team between the forwards and the backs is also something I think will be good for us tomorrow.”
White also made the big selection decision to start Jan-Hendrik Wessels ahead of fellow Bok Gerhard Steenekamp at loosehead prop, and said it was part of the necessary rotation to ensure that his players stay fresh for the series of SA derbies over the next few months.
“I think it’s going to be like that for the next couple of weeks,” White said.
“I don’t think we’re going to be in the fortunate position of playing the same guys in (all the) derby games. The derby games are so tough, and it’s a helluva attrition rate that comes with derby games.
“I’m going to be changing it around quite a lot over the next couple of weeks.
“There’s no meaning there, other than putting a team on the field that can get a result.”
Bulls Team
15 Devon Williams 14 Canan Moodie 13 David Kriel 12 Harold Vorster 11 Sergeal Petersen 10 Willie le Roux 9 Embrose Papier 8 Cameron Hanekom 7 Reinhardt Ludwig 6 Marcell Coetzee (captain) 5 JF van Heerden 4 Cobus Wiese 3 Wilco Louw 2 Johan Grobbelaar 1 Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
Bench: 16 Akker van der Merwe 17 Gerhard Steenekamp 18 Francois Klopper 19 Ruan Vermaak 20 Nizaam Carr 21 Zak Burger 22 Boeta Chamberlain 23 Sebastian de Klerk.