Bakkies Botha's celebrated career boasts an impressive CV, recently added to by his second Super 14 title for the Bulls.
Bok lock out to tame the Lions
Bakkies Botha's celebrated career boasts an impressive CV, recently added to by his second Super 14 title.
It includes a World Cup and Tri-Nations as well, and should South Africa triumph in the forthcoming British and Irish Lions Test series, it will include every major honour it is possible for a South African to win while remaining in his own the country. In his own words, winning the series will be "the cherry on the cake".
It seems unlikely that the Newcastle-born lock will move on after this series as so many of the current Springboks are planning to do.
When you see a sign at Loftus saying 'Ons bloed is blou (Our blood is blue)', Botha's huge maniacal grin and bear-paw hands taking line-out ball come to mind. He is the archetypal Loftus rugger man, set to stay there and remain a hero for the rest of his days.
Conquering him and partner Victor Matfield, with whom he has played hundreds of times for province, franchise and country, is the challenge for Paul O'Connell and one other - the identity of whom Botha has some significantly different ideas to the British and Irish media's expectation that it will be Alun-Wyn Jones or Nathan Hines.
"I would pick O'Callaghan and O'Connell. They are a good combination and they showed that in the league overseas that they are the two," he said.
"Maybe they will select Shaw to soften us up the first half and then bring O'Callaghan on to finish us off. He has a lot of experience, and they will definitely try and build him up to make a physical difference."
The bulk of the squad remains from that which lifted the Rugby World Cup in Paris a year and a half ago. That is in sharp contrast to the English winners of 2003, who fell prey to multiple retirements, injuries and losses of form after the Sydney glory.
The coach who took so much responsibility and acclaim for that triumph has gone though, but the team has kept up healthy momentum since.
"We have improved since 2007," ventured Botha.
Special
"That's what makes this squad so special. There are some guys who say 'World Cup is enough' but we don't, that's what so good about this squad.
"Each day we get together we try and push each other to new limits. We all knew that in 2009 the Lions were coming, so it didn't end for us at the World Cup, we are getting together for this campaign now."
It takes a brave man to suggest that the lock can be bossed.
But Willie John McBride - no shrinking violet himself - suggested that Paul O'Connell would be 'bossing' the South African pair come line-out time, a comment which, when presented to Botha, cued that huge wicked grin that has you unsure whether he is going to cuddle you or strip you limb from limb.
Perhaps the latter might be true in the Tests, as he points out that the recent change in laws which allows for driving mauls off line-outs, among other things, might play into his hands just fine.
"Bossing around is my game," he said with a laugh.
"It's going to be a big challenge with O'Connell and to measure yourself with the best locks in the world is a big challenge for Victor and me.
"But Victor is a class lock and player and I admire him for the work he does, especially for the way he has changed his game to get into rucks as well as stealing balls and standing at centre!
"I said to Victor the other day when we looked at the new laws, 'Numbers in the line-outs and mauling: that's my type of game'. It's been a while, but the guys just have to get stuck in and produce the goods."
But will they? It's been three weeks since a competitive game for the Bulls, five weeks or more for the players from the other franchises. That's a long time without rugby at any kind of intensity. Is there not a chance even the mighty Botha could be a little underdone?
"We are going to go out and do what worked for us the last couple of years," he said.
"It's about going onto the field as a family and giving 100 per cent
"I still say to John (Smit) at every scrum: keep your back straight and you'll go forward. We have to buy into changes and make sure we back each other, and it should come good. It will be a big challenge, but that is what Test rugby is all about."
