The Bok player who is 'worth his weight in gold'

SPOTLIGHT: Springbok head coach Jacques Nienaber has described Frans Malherbe as a "big hero" in his team.

Malherbe will run out for his 50th Test for the Springboks in Saturday's Rugby Championship Round Two clash against the All Blacks in Johannesburg.

The 31-year-old has been a rock in the scrums for the Boks over the last few years and he has been somewhat of an "unsung hero" for the Boks, especially when it comes to keeping that scoreboard ticking over.

"I have been coaching him [Malherbe] since he was at the academy at Western Province, so we really come a long way and I am privileged to see a milestone game like this," said Nienaber.

"You might be right in saying he is an unsung hero, but he is definitely not in our environment because we notice his contributions.

"Look at all the penalties that got kicked over because of his scrummaging and all the metres that we gained when he got a penalty from a scrum in our exit zone.

"Frans Malherbe has contributed a lot to the Springboks in terms of points scoring and in terms of gaining territory, so we understand that in the team.

"For us he is a big hero like all our props are.

"That's the nice thing about rugby - it is a game for all shapes and sizes and Frans Malherbe is probably worth his weight in gold."

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Bringing the intensity

The Springboks are known for their intensity in Test matches and that is something Malherbe brings in droves.

Malherbe's teammate Lood de Jager knows that intensity will be the name of the game once again in their second meeting against the All Blacks after they beat them 10-26 in Nelspruit last weekend.

"They [All Blacks] will enter the match with the mindset that they want to return to No.1 in the world," said De Jager.

"Our focus, however, is on what we can do better. But that said, they will come at us with everything they have, and we are expecting another massive battle this weekend."

De Jager added: "The big word against the All Blacks is intensity. When we face other, both teams give everything they have, so for us it is important to take a hard look at ourselves and to improve where we can so we can deliver the best performance possible."

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