KENSINGTON, LONDON: No longer content with only being the basher in midfield, Springbok centre Damian de Allende believes he has become a better player since moving to Japan.
On Saturday, the Bok No.12 will come face to face with some of his teammates when the Springboks face Japan at Wembley, something he is looking forward to.
In the past, the big centre was often labeled as a one-dimensional player by supporters because of his robust style of play.
He first got a taste of the Japanese lifestyle in 2015 when he joined the Liners for two seasons before moving to the Wild Knights, his current club.
In between, he had a stint at Munster from 2020-2022, but soon headed back to the Land of the Rising Sun, for exactly that – the sunny weather.
And in doing so, he believes his role on the field has changed, which has now also rolled over to the Springboks, where he is no longer just a typical crashball carrier.
On Wednesday, Rugby365 sat down with De Allende at their team hotel in Kensington, London, to find out what made him go back to Japan, prompting him to play there until 2027.
“I enjoyed the rugby, I enjoyed the speed of it.
“And I enjoyed the weather. When I got to Ireland, I really enjoyed it, but the weather was really tough for me,” he explained.
“It does get very cold in Japan, but the big difference in Japan is that you see the sun a lot more than you do in Ireland.
“I really enjoyed Ireland and Munster, but for me, the weather was a big part of going back to Japan,” he added.
De Allende is very outspoken about his evolution as a player since moving to Japan, where he has taken on a different role.
“In terms of rugby, I’ve learned a lot in Japan. I play a different role at our club, where it’s more of a link. I still carry the ball a lot, but it’s also a lot of link play.
“I feel that’s where my game is going at the moment at the Springboks as well.
“I also know there is still a big responsibility of carrying the ball across the gain line, which is probably the most important thing in rugby.
“But you should also still have the ability to move the ball around.”
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He has expressed his desire to come back to South Africa and settle in Cape Town, but the De Allende family will be in Japan until 2027.
“Still two more seasons left at our club and I am very happy there and I really enjoy myself.
“I don’t speak as much Japanese as Jesse [Kriel] does. When you hear it on the field in a rugby sense, you can catch on to it a lot more.
“But I will have a listen on Saturday and see if I can catch anything.
“Some of the guys are quite good with the language. Lood [de Jager] and Kwagga [Smith] will also pick on things.
“It’s very exciting to get to play against Japanese players from other clubs, but this weekend I’m more excited to enjoy myself and play against some teammates from the Wild Knights because I know how good and how tough they are,” said De Allende, who has played more than 50 games for his club.
“I’ve played against Japanese centre Charlie Lawrence a few times, and it has always been a great battle. He’s very powerful and quick on his feet. There is also Dylan Rylie, who I’ve played with in Japan, and he’s deceptively fast and strong, so it’s going to be a fast, intense, and physical game.”
Given his familiarity with Japanese rugby, De Allende agreed with his midfield partner, Kriel, that they would not underestimate the opposition, despite the fact that they are ranked 13th in the world.
AloJapan.com