The buzz around Damian de Allende has reached fever pitch as New Zealand rugby legends dub him the Springboks' game-changer for the upcoming Rugby Championship. With a pair of crucial matches against the Wallabies on the horizon, De Allende is tipped to be at the heart of South Africa's battle plan under Rassie Erasmus’ stewardship.
Former All Black Jeff Wilson didn't mince words about the importance of De Allende, calling him "critical" to the Springboks' aspirations.
"I think he’s a player who’s been absolutely pivotal and critical for the Springboks,"
Wilson expounded on The Breakdown."He’s got an unbelievable skill set, he’s got physicality, he’s a high-ability ball player, he’s incredibly consistent. For me, I think he’s highly underrated as a rugby player."
Stephen Donald, another All Blacks alumnus, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the seamless fit of De Allende in Erasmus' tactical setup.
"The great thing about him too is that he’s tailor-made for how Rassie is playing at the moment,"
noted Donald.De Allende's track record speaks for itself. Since 2014, he's been a midfield staple for the Boks, clinching World Cup victories in 2019 and 2023, and was instrumental in the 2021 series triumph over the British & Irish Lions. His evolution under Bok attack coach Tony Brown hasn’t gone unnoticed either. Frans Steyn, a former teammate and now head honcho at Free State Cheetahs, praised the new dimensions added to De Allende's game.
Steyn shared insights on Sport Nation’s Scotty and Izzy show, saying,
"With Damian and what we’ve seen under Tony, they’ve used the quality of his passing a little bit more. He’s not just trucking it up every game."
Steyn continued,"It’s good for him – the world gets to see more of Damian. For that team, he is a rock in the midfield."
Reflecting on past rugby partnerships, Steyn likened De Allende's impact to that of Ma’a Nonu for the All Blacks, asserting,"When they face the All Blacks, Damian will play. When you had Ma’a Nonu at 12 and Conrad Smith at 13 … Damian is South Africa’s Nonu at the moment."
As the Springboks gear up for their encounters at Ellis Park and Cape Town Stadium, all eyes will be on De Allende, the not-so-secret weapon poised to keep the Wallabies at bay and stamp his authority as a midfield maestro.