Big hearted de Klerk stands by Springbok aerial assault

By Nick Mulvenney
TOKYO, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Faf de Klerk would make an
unlikely Spiderman with his distinctive mane of blonde hair but
the South Africa scrumhalf does share one trait with the
fictional superhero as a small man who packs a big punch.
In a team not short of crunching tacklers, the effervescent
halfback, who stands 5ft 6in (1.72m) tall, has produced big hit
after big hit at the World Cup as the Springboks have worked
their way to Sunday's semi-final against Wales.
"There's no doubt that a big hit from any player gets
everyone excited," South Africa loose forward Francois Louw said
on Wednesday.
"And a guy like Faf is really good at it, he picks his
moments, he drifts behind the line then rabbits out and makes
big spot tackles, usually on the forwards, which is quite
impressive for a little guy. He's got a big heart."
For de Klerk, the fact that he and slightly smaller winger
Cheslin Kolbe (1.71m) have become integral parts of the South
Africa team is a matter of great pride and, he hopes, an
inspiration to youngsters.
"Cheslin has been amazing for us ... it's great to see and
it gives confidence to a lot of kids who might shy away because
of their size," he said.
"If you have heart and you are willing to work hard you can
reach your dreams. That's sometimes what I play for, to inspire
people, especially young kids."
One aspect of de Klerk's game that was more problematic for
Springbok fans desperate to see their backline unleashed was the
frequency with which he went to the box kick in last weekend's
quarter-final victory over Japan.
De Klerk conceded that South Africa do kick a lot but he did
not see that changing much in Yokohama on Sunday against a Welsh
side similarly fond of putting boot to ball.
"We did kick a lot in the air and Japan managed to contain
our aerial battle but we managed to get so much yardage," he
said.
"I think it was a very positive outcome on that. We gave
them possession but they rarely managed to do anything with it.
"It's all about seeing the space. I feel our wings have come
so far these last two years and are competing so well in the
air.
"They have got some good wingers (too) so I think it's going
to be a massive battle in the air."
De Klerk is becoming a bit of a cult hero in Japan and
further afield with his ability to spin the ball on his finger
in particular attracting plenty of new fans.
His dedication to kicking from hand has also inspired plenty
of less adulatory comment online but one play on the Afrikaans
word for kick (skop) and spider (spinnekop) particularly caught
his fancy.
"There's a nice funny picture where it says I can spin a
ball and kick so is that a spinnekop?" he said.

(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney; editing by Richard Pullin)