Even the most ardent Bakkies Botha fan would have to admit that he sometimes crossed the line, but that’s part of what made ‘The Enforcer’ such a force to be reckoned with.
It’s not every day you see a lock kick for poles, although Bakkies Botha isn’t going to give John Eales a run for his money in that department.
Bakkies Botha’s chronic Achilles’ tendon problem flared up once again at training earlier this week. It now looks like he will almost certainly miss South Africa’s rugby World Cup opener against Wales on Sunday. There is also an injury concern over winger Brian Habana, who also had not taken a full part in training this week.
Looking at the lock forwards that Peter de Villiers should take to the World Cup is a quick and easy discussion. Victor Matfield and Andries Bekker cover the number five jersey / four-jumper position as arguably the two best lineout options in world rugby, while Bakkies Botha and Dannie Rossouw should be named as your two-jumpers in the four jersey. But what about Juan?
It seems that social media impersonators are creating a bit of discomfort within the Springbok camp. While I’m not sure I have found any that are intended to deceive the public (and media), I did find a rather comical example dedicated to one Bakkies Botha. More after the jump.