of them have a card, nor a reputation for fighting, or foul play. They tackle in the right framework and avoid niggle.



The Beast is a Shona strongman with a soft, and irregular heart. He attended the poshest Zimbabwean schools (Churchill and Peterhouse) on scholarships, and is the only foreign-born Bok. The successor to Os du Randt, with a mountain of caps and hard-earned scrum craft. He was a reluctant prop, having come up as a ‘small’ loose forward. His real name means “Be Thankful to God.” He is.

As for the four second-rowers, Lood de Jager might be the funniest, goofiest player at the Rugby World Cup. Once he fought Eben Etzebeth in a Newlands derby and it was called on account of laughter. Pieter-Steph du Toit is alla family that boasts street enforcers, bill collectors, police, a world wrestling champion, and a few top rugby players, Eben is the mildest, nicest guy in his family. But that’s like saying he’s the nicest Peaky Blinder. He played centre in high school at Tygerberg, not a top rugby factory like Paul Roos or Paarl Gim, which can be seen when he gets in space.

He has a cloud over his head from an altercation in the wee hours at a resort town: to protect family and friends, he has kept silent, and maybe he shouldn’t, but in a way, he has more to play for than anyone. He is playing for his reputation, the name of his family, and as the best friend of Siya Kolisi, the first