Pieter-Steph du Toit’s career almost ended two years ago so it was fitting that he spearheaded South Africa’s charge to a second successive World Cup trophy.
In 2019, Du Toit stood on top of the world, named World Player of the Year for his performances as the Springboks lifted the Webb Ellis Cup in Japan.
But the following year, he suffered a thigh injury that almost resulted in his leg being amputated. He avoided that fate and after 14 months on the sidelines, was able to play again.
Lucky for the Springboks that he did. As they made it a hat-trick of one-point wins in the knockout stages of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, beating New Zealand 12-11 at the Stade de France, Du Toit was everywhere.
He made 28 tackles, most of them shutting down All Black attacks, with playmakers Richie Mo’unga and Jordie Barrett singled out for the most destructive hits.
That deservedly earned him Player of the Match honours underlining his importance to the side.
He said: “It is an honour and privilege to play for this team. The last three games have been quite tough. We played each one as a final and each one was [won] by one point. We are quite happy with the win.
“I guess as a team we like drama. We have had drama for the last few years. It helped us a lot as a team to get through the drama and cope with it and it shows the resilience of the team and the whole of South Africa.”
Even after returning from injury, it has not all been plain sailing for Du Toit, who took time to rediscover his best form.
A first-half red card a year ago in a defeat to France was another setback, but there was never any question that the Springbok coaches would lose faith in him.
In fact, for Jacques Nienaber, the defence coach turned top dog, Du Toit may be his greatest asset.
He explained: “He was phenomenal. Defence is my department and he was exceptional. I must say in the last couple of games, he wanted it desperately. Not only him, but everyone wanted it desperately.
“He put himself in the right positions. I always joke that if there’s a white plastic bag that blows over the field, he would probably chase that down as well. ‘The Malmesbury Missile’, he was like a machine.”
