Du Preez seeks another gear
Daniel Gallan talks to Sale No.8 Daniel du Preez about his batttle for Springbok honours
Daniel du Preez is not a man of many words. Interviews seeking to delve into the psychology, motivations and personal history of a player can last up to an hour and a half. Du Preez is more economical, using just as many words as are necessary to convey his views.
He does, however, spill into a comparative ramble when asked if he could count himself ‘lucky'. Reading the bullet points of his career, which saw him play representative rugby every step of the way from 13- years-old right through to the 2015 World Rugby U20 Championship in which he helped South Africa claim a bronze medal, one might assume that he has lived a blessed life in the sport.
“I suppose you could see it like that,” the 26-year-old Sale Sharks loose forward from Durban told The Rugby Paper, only slightly raising the register of rumbling voice. “Everyone knows of a great rugby player who got injured at a crucial stage of their career and didn't reach their potential. Some talented high school or club player who would have been a professional otherwise.
“But I've worked incredibly hard. I've sacrificed loads and I've done everything I can to make sure I stayed healthy and fit and on the field. But ya, I guess you could say I have had luck along the way.”
There was a worrying neck injury he picked up when still a teenager. He had just been selected for the 2014 Junior World Cup –a year early – when he was on the wrong end of a tough tackle in training. That sidelined him for four months. Was that a moment where he had to dig deep?
“Not really,” he says, reverting to his monosyllabic tone. “I knew I had another year so I just stayed patient.”
There's more between the lines in that last reply. Patience and a sense of destiny are two prevailing themes in his story. Daniel's father, Robert, played seven matches for South Africa in the early 1990s at scrum-half.
Daniel's older brother by two years, also named Robert, was a high school prodigy at fly-half.
Daniel's twin brother Jean-Luc was an equally talented loose forward as the three Du Preez brothers dominated school rugby at the prestigious Kearsney College – alma mater of Brad Barritt – and each chartered a course for the Springboks.
Between them the brothers have played 20 Tests for their country. Daniel was a member of South Africa's Rugby Championship squad in Australia but played just a handful of minutes in both games against Argentina on home soil. In the more arduous contests against the Wallabies and All Blacks in Australia, he did not make the bench and was forced to endure life in a biosecure bubble without the promise of a match on the weekend.
“It can be frustrating,” he concedes. “Obviously you want to play for your country but it's also just about playing rugby, playing the game you love. It can be harder to stay motivated but you remind yourself that you're playing an important part in the system. My role was to help the guys prepare for some tough matches. I'm a professional and I was there to do a job.”
“Steve Diamond is a character and a massive motivator”
But job satisfaction is integral to a happy life and it is perhaps no surprise Rob scored on his return to the field in Sale's 33-32 loss to Gloucester last week. He played all 80 minutes at No 8, as he did in Friday night's win over Harlequins. In fact, of the 47 matches he has played for the club, he has started all but one and been substituted just eight times. It is a testament to his prowess as well as how much two very different coaches rate him. “I joined [from the Durban based Sharks, for the start of the 2019/20 season] because Jean-Luc and Rob told me how great it was,” he says, referencing his brothers' loan spell the season before. “But also because of how highly they spoke of Steve Diamond. He's a character and a massive motivator. It was a sad day when he left.”
Du Preez suggests Diamond is a man who could convince you to run through a brick wall. His replacement, Alex Sanderson, is someone who would rather teach you how to climb over it.
“They're very different,” Du Preez says. “Alex is so technical and tactical. He focuses on the little details. I'm a better player having worked with both of them.”
But better is not quite good enough. A prolonged stint in the Springbok jersey remains the aim. With Duane Vermeulen the incumbent at the back of the scrum, and Leicester's Jasper Wiese now making a claim, Du Preez knows he must find an extra gear if he is to realise the promise that he carried ever since he first picked up a ball.
“I'll achieve my goals if I stand out for my club,” he says.
“That's the only thing I'm interested in. Sale is a wonderful place. Everyone here wants me to succeed. It's so hard to stand out in this league. There are world class players in every position and we're all desperate to win our individual battles. So if I can stand out and impress, that's how I'll become a regular Springbok. I can't do much else.” As is so often the case when two South Africans living in the UK speak, our conversation meanders to the weather – “it's always cold here,” Du Preez says – and braai meat. “I've got a great connection, but Jean-Luc is the braai-master”.
Du Preez signs off with a stream of “thank-yous”. He sounds relieved to be ending the interview after insisting that Sale will be “taking it one game at a time” as they hope to set their season back on track and push for a place in the final.
To use a cliche of our own, this is a man who prefers to do his talking on the field.
