How De Allende’s warrior spirit has fuelled Boks’ rise and ongoing success

Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber were forced to rebuild the South African rugby system after returning to the country in 2018, and in the early days of what would later be known as the golden era, a core group of players was tasked with restoring pride in the Springbok jersey.

More than eight years have passed, and the Boks have won many trophies and titles in the interim.

Many of the warriors who spearheaded the turnaround in 2018 are still in tow, and one of the most influential players of this generation will win his 100th Test cap against the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday.

Warrior spirit

Damian de Allende has had his detractors since making his debut in 2014.

But under Erasmus he’s developed into one of Test rugby’s most complete inside centres, and has received high praise from legends such as Jean de Villiers and Victor Matfield, as well as Jordie Barrett, who will line up for the All Blacks at No 12 this Saturday.

When the going gets tough, De Allende gets going. Who could forget the powerful leg drive that culminated in a game-changing try against Ireland in Johannesburg in 2016, at a time when the match and the three-Test series were slipping away from South Africa?

De Allende has carried the Boks over the line – quite literally – at the past two World Cups, fighting his way past several Welshmen to score in the 2019 semifinal in Yokohama, and then bulldozing the French in the 2023 quarterfinal staged in Paris.

And yet, the 1.89m, 106kg centre is far more than just a gainline monster. Since playing for Munster in Ireland and more recently for the Panasonic Wild Knights in Japan, De Allende has developed his attacking and kicking skills.

And since working with attack guru Tony Brown at the Boks from 2024 onwards, he’s taken his game to the next level. Erasmus may feel vindicated when De Allende walks out ahead of the team at Ellis Park on Saturday and receives the respect and adulation he is due.

On Thursday, Erasmus recalled how a young De Allende combated All Blacks centre Sonny Bill Williams in the early days of his career.

“At that stage, very few guys could handle Sonny Bill, who brought so many threats to the defence with his physicality and offloading game,” said the Bok coach. “But Damian never took a step back.”

Damian Willemse, who attended the team announcement press conference in Johannesburg alongside his head coach, was quick to praise De Allende for his contributions over the years.

“He’s one of those guys who never misses a training session and always seems to be in the mix when we play the big games,” Willemse said.

“I’m very proud of the player and man he’s become. Damian always steps up for us, he always gets the team going, and after delivering, he never looks for praise.

“It’s great to see him getting to that milestone of 100 Tests and joining an elite club.”

Many critics have been proved wrong, as De Allende has taken his place among the great No 12s, and in more recent seasons has proved a key cog in a trend-setting attacking machine.

It’s often said that Erasmus has bolstered the Boks’ depth to the point where he can field two or three different teams on successive weekends and still expect to claim the desired results.

While that may be true with regards to some positions and combinations, the team sheets for the marquee fixtures staged between 2018 and the present include a few common denominators.

De Allende has won two World Cups, a British & Irish Lions series, and three Rugby Championships with Erasmus’ Boks.

Of the players in the current squad, Cheslin Kolbe, Handré Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Eben Etzebeth are the only other Boks who have featured across all six title-winning campaigns. Du Toit will lead the side this Saturday and could win his 100th cap in Cape Town next week.

While Erasmus has rotated his players more than any other coach – using more than 100 players in his eight-year tenure – the midfield combination of De Allende and Jesse Kriel has been backed for many of the marquee Tests during a golden era for South African rugby.

Record-breaking partnership

De Allende and Kriel broke the national record for the most starts when they lined up against Ireland in Durban two years ago, and since then they have stretched their remarkable tally to 44 Tests.

While they may struggle to surpass All Black greats Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith (62), the preeminent midfield combination of the 2020s should hit 50 in the lead-up to the 2027 World Cup.

Back in the 2015 Rugby Championship, then Bok coach Heyneke Meyer selected a young and largely untried 10-12-13 combination of Handré Pollard, De Allende and Kriel.

The Boks lost a nail-biter to the All Blacks at Ellis Park, but in the aftermath New Zealand coach Steve Hansen praised the South African attack and marked that exciting backline combination as one for the future.

De Allende will turn 35 this November, but remains the Boks’ first-choice No 12 and should go on to represent South Africa in a fourth World Cup when the team travels to Australia next year.

While Kriel is one of the group’s oldest (32) and most experienced players (90 Test caps), he is also one of the fittest – and has signalled his intent to push on to the subsequent global tournament staged in the US in 2031.

Like many of the senior players in the current squad, De Allende and Kriel have endured the worst and best of times.

Both represented the Boks during the dark days of 2016 and 2017, when South Africa slipped to seventh place in the world rankings.

More recently, both have been integral to a team that is widely recognised as one of the best the sport has ever seen.

Both will have a key role to play in the four Tests against the All Blacks, and in future matches to come – although it’s safe to say that their place in the pantheon is already assured. DM