Du Preez is all fired up

SPRINGBOKS: EIGHTHMAN READY TO PLAY HIS FIRST TEST IN SEVEN YEARS

- Ross Roche

Powerhouse Springbok loose forward Jean-Luc du Preez is fired up for his first Test start in seven years, after he was picked at eighthman for the second Rugby Championship game against the Wallabies in Cape Town tomorrow.

Du Preez has endured a difficult nine-year career for the Boks, largely on the fringes, with him in and out of various squads over the years, but unable to nail down a regular spot in the team.

He played the majority of his 14 Tests in 2017, when he featured 10 times for the Boks, while his last start came against England at Ellis Park in 2018, and by the end of that year he had 13 Test caps.

Since then he has only played one official Test for the Boks, in 2023 against Argentina, although he did start for them in the non-Test against the Barbarians in Cape Town at the end of June.