14 quotes
People have noticed a change on attack, but the truth is that we’ve become a greater all-round threat.
De Klerk: You have to adapt to survive (2019)
I want to be spoken about in the same breath as those greats and to be remembered as a special attacking player.
De Klerk: You have to adapt to survive (2019)
Sale needed me to kick, so I put in a lot of time after training sessions sharpening that part of my game.
De Klerk: You have to adapt to survive (2019)
I suppose that’s one thing I won’t have to worry about for a while until I rejoin Sale.’
De Klerk: You have to adapt to survive (2019)
I won’t stop working to become the all-round scrumhalf. That’s what a team needs, a player who can alternate between a running and kicking game.
De Klerk: You have to adapt to survive (2019)
When I look back now, I can say that I learned a lot about myself and am stronger for the experience. It was an important step in my life.
De Klerk: You have to adapt to survive (2019)
I’ve always been a positive person who relies heavily on my faith. In a sense, it was a challenge going from a very religious environment at the Lions to a set-up without that at Sale.
De Klerk: You have to adapt to survive (2019)
Who knows, if opposition teams view me as a threat, maybe they will focus on shutting me down and it will mean more space for my teammates.
De Klerk: You have to adapt to survive (2019)
I don’t think I would have grown as much if I had stayed in South Africa. Over there, you also have the opportunity to travel to Europe and experience so many different countries and cultures.’
De Klerk: You have to adapt to survive (2019)
It wasn’t a case of “This is the Lions or WP or Sharks’ style of play”. We had developed something that was our own.
De Klerk: You have to adapt to survive (2019)
I was up there in Manchester without my girlfriend, friends and family. I’m grateful I had my faith to fall back on.
De Klerk: You have to adapt to survive (2019)
They challenged our way of thinking,’ They gave us freedom to make decisions, but also made it clear that we needed to take responsibility for our choices.
De Klerk: You have to adapt to survive (2019)
Every young boy dreams about it, don’t they? I remember watching Jonny Wilkinson kicking those goals at the 2003 World Cup. George Gregan was a hero of mine, as was Jason Robinson.
De Klerk: You have to adapt to survive (2019)
It was great to have their backing. It was great to see players backing each other and getting excited about some of the decisions that were being taken. After a while, we were all on the same page.
De Klerk: You have to adapt to survive (2019)