Bath Prop Thomas du Toit Determined to Regain Springboks Spot After Missing 2023 World Cup
(BBC Rugby Union, May 10, 2023)
Thomas du Toit may have missed out on the 2023 Rugby World Cup with the South Africa Springboks, but the in-form Bath prop is determined to earn his way back into Rassie Erasmus’ squad. The 29-year-old was involved in the build-up to the global tournament, playing three matches earlier this year, before ultimately missing the final 33-man Springboks roster.
Since then, the tighthead has made the move to England and enjoyed a remarkable campaign with Bath in the West Country, putting himself firmly back in the Test contention mix. With a new World Cup cycle now underway, there’s little doubt that the former Shark is likely to be a key component of South Africa’s defense of their title in the years to come.
“I’ve made my aspirations clear. I’ll do anything to retain my jersey and there’s an exciting block of games this summer,” Du Toit told Planet Rugby. “I want to be involved and I know I’ve done everything in my power to get back, so I know that if they select me, it’s for the right reasons, but I also know if they don’t then there’s nothing more that I could do, and I’m entirely at comfort in that.”
Du Toit’s impressive work in the set-piece has been complemented by his simply remarkable try-scoring exploits this season. Since joining Bath at the start of the campaign, the prop has confounded tradition by becoming a veritable scoring machine, crossing the whitewash on seven occasions in the Premiership and a further four times in Europe.
“Firstly, I’m not the only front-rower at Bath that’s done well crossing the whitewash this season,” Du Toit explained. “But the simple truth is that the coaching team identified that I had explosive ability in the close carry over one or two metres, and we worked on getting me, and others, with ball in hand in threatening positions.”
With a new World Cup cycle now underway, there’s little doubt that the former Shark is likely to be a key component of the South Africa Springboks’ defense of their title in the years to come, and Du Toit is determined to force his way back into Rassie Erasmus’ plans.
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