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World's tallest professional rugby player aiming to be big problem for Bath

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JP du Preez is at almost 7ft the world’s tallest professional rugby player and is aiming to use his incredible height to cement Sale’s position in the Gallagher Premiership play-offs by becoming a line out nightmare for one of his former teammates at Bath tonight.

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Throwing into the Bath line out will be Jacques du Toit, making his first start for the West Country side, who used to aim for the long arms of du Preez when they played together for the Cheetahs in South Africa before they both joined the drain of rugby talent to Europe. The Cheetahs have given Leicester the ball carrying power of Jasper Wiese, brother of Sale lock Cobus, while prop Luan de Bruin is also at the Tigers and outside half Tian Schoeman is with Bath.

Du Preez (6 foot 10.75 inches) is relishing the chance to face du Toit and told RugbyPass: “Jacques and I were in the same Cheetahs team in Bloemfontein and played Currie Cup and Pro 14 together and I know him very well. We built a really good relationship but now I am in the opposition line out. When we do have some time off I go and visit some of the Cheetahs guys like Jasper and Luan who are at Leicester now with Hanro Liebenberg (former Blue Bulls).

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“It is always nice to catch up and be able to speak our own language ( Afrikaans) and you do miss home. I came over with my wonderful wife (Iona) and if you did it alone then it would be tough during the pandemic. The players and coaches at Sale have made it much easier and Jono Ross ( Sale captain) was the first guy to communicate with me and everyone made me really welcome. I am really enjoying it.”

World Cup winner Lood de Jager, currently recovering from a serious leg injury, has spoken about the unusual situation that du Preez has created with the 6ft 9ins Springbok lock no longer the tallest player in the Sale changing room. “Lood is looking up because of my height and I am looking up to him because he is a Springbok – it is nice combination. In my career I haven’t had to look up at another player, but someone who was almost eye to eye with me was Will Skelton when we played La Rochelle in the Heineken Cup. He is a very, very big lad, but also very nice.

“The rugby here is very strategic and we look to where we can target a team’s weakness. Contact wise it is harder and in the lineouts it is always about speed off the ground and reach. The line out is not all about height, it is also about your lifters getting you in the right place to win the ball. Our hookers analyse us individually and so know where the target is if I am playing or one of the other jumpers and they work on this every day.

“I do a lot of box jumps in the gym, cardio work on the bike and running and I like to carry the ball into contact. I really enjoy that part of the game but I am very long and so opponents try and get my ankles and so I concentrate on driving my legs. That is one of my work ons in training.”

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Third-placed Sale have recruited heavily from South Africa with du Preez their 11th import from that rugby-mad country although he is not related to the club’s three other du Preez’s – brothers Rob, Jean-Luc and Dan. While height is a family tradition in the du Preez household – his grandfather was 7ft – JP is the first member of the clan to make a major impact in rugby. “ My grandfather Dup was spot on 7ft but he didn’t play rugby: “ said du Preez who arrived in Manchester on a two-year deal. “ I am almost 7ft and at 26-years-old I think I have stopped growing.

“It runs in the family and my mother and father are also very tall but my wife is, I think, about 170cm (5ft 6ins).”

Du Preez hopes helping third placed Sale bid for the Premiership title will impress the Springbok selectors but accepts that South Africa have a number of world-class locks to choose from headed by teammate de Jager. “It motivates me a lot and if I can get that opportunity it would be great but if it doesn’t happen then I am willing to work harder. I don’t know why we produce so many big locks – maybe it is something in the blood.”

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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