Jordan Larmour has hailed Willie le Roux as a player who “ticks all the boxes as a 15” as the two international fullbacks prepare to meet this weekend in the United Rugby Championship.
Larmour’s Leinster Rugby will host Le Roux’s Bulls in a mouth-watering URC top-of-the-table clash at the RDS arena.
Both players will go into Friday night’s much-anticipated Dublin showdown in fine fettle.
Larmour’s last outing saw him share in Ireland’s Six Nations title-clinching victory over Scotland, as he made his first start for his country in three years.
Le Roux in form
As for Springboks star Le Roux, he produced a Player of the Match performance in the Bulls’ victory over Dragons RFC at Rodney Parade on the weekend.
Giving his thoughts on the two-time South African Rugby World Cup winner, Larmour said: “He is an incredible player. He kind of ticks all the boxes as a 15.
“He’s someone I looked up to when I was growing up, watching Ireland and the Lions play South Africa.
“He’s unbelievable in attack, a great defender, great under the high ball. He has all those attributes as a great 15.
“So if I get the chance to play against him this weekend, it will be really cool. He’s definitely a player I look up to.”
Having returned to the international arena as a replacement versus Italy last month, Larmour was then handed the Ireland No 15 jersey for the decisive final game of the Six Nations against Scotland following the late withdrawal of Hugo Keenan.
No time to think
“I got the nod late, but I kind of knew in the back of my head I could have a chance because Hugo was carrying a small knock,” said the 26-year-old.
“Then when I got the call, I didn’t really have time to think about anything, I was just straight in. The warm-up was just about to get under way.
“Andy Farrell just said to go out and back yourself and do your thing and fully commit to it, so that’s what I tried to do.
“It was a great week to be a part of and a good way to finish it off.
“I still have ambitions to play for Ireland. Coming off the bench against Italy, it was good to get that taste for international rugby again after three years, so I just wanted to get more.
“Getting to start a game and finish how we did was very special.”
Supplied