Jean-Luc du Preez has a rare chance to re-establish himself in the Springbok frame when he starts at No 8 against the Barbarians at Cape Town Stadium, writes MARK KEOHANE.

Writing for TimesLIVE, Keohane says Du Preez is ideally placed to impress, with Jasper Wiese recovering from neck surgery and Evan Roos absent from the match-day squad.

A strong performance against a Barbarians back row featuring Sam Cane, Peter O’Mahony and Shannon Frizell could reshape his Test prospects.

READ: Du Preez deployed to swing Bok hammer

Du Preez made a memorable mark as a 21-year-old against the All Blacks in 2017 but has struggled to break into the Bok match 23 since Rassie Erasmus took charge in 2018. Despite being involved in alignment camps and occasional squad selections, his international impact has been limited to 15 matches – and just four of them starts.

“His versatility and impact is what seduced the Investec Champions Cup champions Bordeaux to invest in him,” Keohane writes. He notes Du Preez has started in multiple positions across 149 professional games: No 8 (28%), openside flank (25%), blindside flank (20%), and one of the two second-row positions (27%).

Keohane argues Du Preez’s size, physicality and utility value align him with the type of forward Erasmus favours – likening his potential role to that of Danie Rossouw during the Boks’ 2006–2011 era.

He also highlights Du Preez’s club credentials at Sale Sharks, where he played 144 matches, often alongside his brothers Dan and Robert, who also came through Kearsney College and the Sharks system. Du Preez averages 70 minutes per game at club level, but just 32 in a Bok jersey.

“He has so much to profit from a powerful Saturday in Cape Town,” Keohane writes.

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