Every so often, rugby sheds its hard skin and shows us its soft side. Not that Mouritz Botha was soft, you understand. It was his back story that tugged at the heart strings.
Casting an eye over his “dream team” in last week's edition, the memory closed in on conversations back in 2012, shortly after the South African lock had earned himself a place in the England pack.
Such dizzy heights were a mystery to him: recent “employers” had included Northern Northlink College in Cape Town, followed by Bedford Athletic, who weren't even the best side in Bedford. The line of questioning was therefore obvious. How the hell had he made it this far?
The best answer came from Edward Griffiths, who, along with his countrymen Morne du Plessis and Brendan Venter, had interviewed Botha for a place on the Saracens roster. The following words are his.
“Our primary target was a Fijian international. We asked him why he wanted to play for Saracens and he told us that as his wife was in the British Army and stationed up the road, it would be really convenient. Then it was Mouritz's turn.
“He said something along the lines of: ‘This is the most important day of my life because if I don't get a break here, that's me done.' His jaw went a little and we were all struck by the emotion of it. When he left, Morne said we should sign him on the basis of desire alone.
“As Mouritz opened the door of his car, I phoned his mobile and told him there was a year's contract on the table. We watched from the window as he sat in the driver's seat and punched the air. Forty-five minutes later, he was still parked there, calling family and friends.”
Seriously…how good is that?
