Springbok flank Pieter-Steph du Toit has opened up on his experience of being coached by World Cup-winner Steve Hansen at Japanese club Toyota Verblitz.
Du Toit is into his first season with Verblitz, having signed for the club from the Stormers last year. While Verblitz have had a topsy-turvy start to the season, winning five of their opening nine games, Du Toit has been in good form, notably earning a Man-of-the-Match award for his performance in the win over Shining Arcs.
At Verblitz, Du Toit has linked up with Springbok teammate Willie le Roux as well as Hansen, who was assistant coach to New Zealand when they won the World Cup in 2011, and then took over as head coach before the All Blacks defended their title in 2015.
In an interview with Rapport, Du Toit told the newspaper about being coached by Hansen, and the unique experience of playing in Japan.
“Being part of the group where Steve is involved is a whole new experience for me. If you look at what he has achieved with the All Blacks, it goes without saying,” Du Toit said.
“Something I noticed is that Steve is focused on a good team culture. The players should be happy. Another thing that got a lot of focus this week is individual skills.
“What has also changed is the balance of our training sessions. Where it has always been 100% tempo, there is also more focus on ‘clarity’ … what exactly is expected of each player.”
Owing to leg and shoulder injuries, Du Toit has spent the majority of the past two years on the sidelines, but the 2019 World Player of the Year is eager to get back to his best.
“I am finding my feet again,” he told Rapport. “As always, I still have a lot to work on to become a better player.
“However, the Japanese league is very focused on attacking rugby. Because rugby here is still a fairly new thing among the spectators, they want to make it attractive to the public. It is different from what I was used to, and gives me the opportunity to adjust my game as I should.”
Photo: Getty Images
