1 month ago
Cometh nan hour, cometh nan large man. There are definite situations erstwhile size matters connected a rugby section and nan 6ft 7in tall, 23 chromatic JJ van der Mescht is nan larger-than-life proof. If spectators astatine nan Rec connected Friday consciousness nan crushed beneath them shingle arsenic Northampton tally retired to look Bath successful their keenly awaited Champions Cup quarter-final, location will beryllium a giant-sized logic why.
Clearly Saints will besides bring their razor-sharp moving crippled but moreover Bath’s meatier forwards should brace themselves. There is invariably a awesome collision erstwhile nan monolithic Van der Mescht thunders into interaction and asks nan nonstop questions that led South Africa to see their exiled fastener successful an alignment squad up of their July Tests against England, Scotland and Wales.
The joint-heaviest subordinate successful nan Prem is peculiarly eager to bump into an aged friend. As a youngster he was a teammate of Thomas du Toit astatine nan Sharks successful Durban and packed down straight down nan Bath prop. Running difficult astatine his ex-colleague erstwhile nan second comes disconnected nan chair is intelligibly an enticing prospect. “Oh, 100%, yeah. And he’ll do nan aforesaid to me. It’s a respect thing. I’ll consciousness disrespected if he comes successful softly against me. I emotion Thomas. He’s a awesome quality being who helped maine a batch erstwhile I was younger.”
“Van nan Man”, now 26, peculiarly recalls nan time successful his teens erstwhile he was required to trial himself physically during pre-season against a bunch of older forwards including Du Toit and Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira. “I retrieve we trained against each different successful an octagon. We had to propulsion each different retired of nan ring. It was tough. I was 18 and going successful against nan Beast, Thomas and nan Du Preez brothers. You had to beryllium yourself.” Did anyone survive? “I lost. I deliberation nan Beast won.”
There will beryllium kids astir Essex still likewise scarred by nan representation of Van der Mescht moving astatine them during his little spell arsenic an speech student astatine New Hall school. “I was already 6ft 4in aliases 6ft 5in astatine nan property of 14. I was a large kid. It was enjoyable!” As a schoolboy, nan boy of a pro wrestler and a 6ft 3in netball world was timed astatine 11 seconds level for 100m. These days he has size 16 feet and reckons only Australia’s Will Skelton needs bigger boots.
Skelton is besides nan subordinate he feels he relates to astir intimately successful position of playing style. Both are excessively dense to beryllium lifted regularly successful nan lineout but effort stopping either of them from adjacent range. As nan personable but purposeful Van der Mescht politely puts it: “We tin do things different group can’t.”
That expertise to springiness a squad captious post-contact metres is precisely why Phil Dowson, Saints’ head of rugby, and his scrum coach Jaco Pienaar, erstwhile nan Sharks forwards coach, made interaction aft Stade Français fto Van der Mescht go. “People are getting bigger but he’s genuinely a freak,” says Dowson. “When we looked astatine him Jaco said he was a fly-half trapped successful a second-row’s body. He besides said group talk astir what JJ can’t do but you’ve sewage to look astatine what he tin do.”
It has proved to beryllium an highly happy matrimony and has besides rekindled Van der Mescht’s emotion of rugby. “Since I’ve been present thing has clicked. Previously I felt for illustration I was successful a changeless loop … rugby felt for illustration a chore alternatively than thing I loved. When I was increasing up each I wanted to do was play pinch a rugby ball. Since coming to Saints I’ve sewage that passion and enjoyment back. When I get location my woman tin spot that I’m happy.”
Just arsenic long, that is, arsenic location is nutrient successful nan house. Remarkably Van der Mescht fasts during nan time and has neither meal nor lunch, preferring to eat only 1 meal. He has dropped 7 kilos since joining Saints and presently weighs successful astatine 146kg, depending connected precisely really galore barbecue steaks Pienaar has been grilling for him. “Jaco loves a braai,” reveals Dowson. “I deliberation JJ does nan eating.”
The Springboks could beryllium nan adjacent beneficiaries. Van der Mescht is contented to bide his clip – “We’ve sewage astonishing locks successful South Africa and if I don’t fresh into their gameplan I understand why” – but Dowson believes he has immense Test potential. “I’m delighted he’s backmost connected nan South African radar because that was 1 of his ambitions erstwhile he joined. There’s loads much successful JJ and I’m judge group for illustration Felix Jones will push him arsenic well.”
For now, though, nan privilege is to sound complete Bath. Northampton person England’s Fin Smith backmost fresh astatine 10 and tin besides tie connected nan spectacular grounds of December’s 41-21 convention triumph astatine nan Rec. Even pinch a supposedly depleted lineup, their front-foot gameplan was richly rewarded pinch Tommy Freeman grabbing a hat-trick of tries.
This latest reunion betwixt England’s apical 2 sides whitethorn yet beryllium nan prelude to different full-on conflict successful this year’s Prem Final. Either measurement Van der Mescht is successful bullish mood, ever assuming he tin compression into Bath’s famously cosy distant dressing room. “It’s OK, I’ll get dressed extracurricular if necessary. I consciousness for illustration we’re going to springiness our best. We person a batch to beryllium and group person already written america off. We want to show we tin compete successful this competition.” When it comes to heavy-duty missions, Saints person nan cleanable man for nan job.
