Willie le Roux has credited Wasps for giving him the chance to impress the Springbok coaching staff and resurrect his Test career.
Le Roux arrived at Wasps from the Sharks in 2017, struggling for consistent form and seemingly out of favour with then Bok coach Allister Coetzee.
However, an excellent 2017-18 season with Wasps, when he helped the team finish third in the Premiership, saw him earn a Bok recall from coach Rassie Erasmus.
‘When I came here I thought my international career was over,’ Le Roux told the media in Coventry. ‘Then I played one-and-a-half seasons at Wasps and played some good rugby. Luckily I got seen by the coaching staff back home and I got another opportunity to play for my country.
‘That makes a big difference. I owe everything to Wasps. If I did not come here and play they would not have seen me. So thanks to [Wasps coach] Dai [Young] and everybody for giving me the opportunity to go out, enjoy and express myself. That made it easy.’
Le Roux is set to leave the Premiership for Japanese side Toyota Verblitz, coached by Jake White, at the end of the season, but is still focused on helping Wasps qualify for the playoffs.
‘Some of the games just did not go our way, when earlier in the season they did. You get those extra two or three wins and you sit in the top four. That is how close this league is now. One win and you are in the top six, one loss and you are at the bottom. It has been a different season. We have got unfinished business and our only focus this week is on Worcester.’
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