Rassie was born in South Africa and weighs in at 115kg and 1.89mts.

 

SW. You are settling into the squad; explain the big differences between Aurillac PRO D2 and the TOP 14 with Montpellier.

 

RVV. I think the biggest difference is the margin for errors, minuscule,  the scrum is more technical, the front rows are all excellent at their respective jobs, the line outs more complicated, just the sheer speed at which everything is done, everything is more competitive and at a very high level, the training is top class, each players diet is considered, all the errors are cut out if that is possible, and getting into shape here is much easier as everyone reads from the same page, it is great being part of a team that is so professional. I am very impressed with the set up, nothing goes unturned and everything is thought of and analysed to the smallest of details.

 

SW. You have played both hooker and prop your preference?

 

RVV. As we have seen in this years World Cup players are being asked to cover more than one position, my preference is obviously the No.2 spot but I have played tight head as well, sometimes with injuries and other problems, you are asked as a player to fill gaps and you try and do what is necessary especially if it is for the good of the team, it’s all part of the game and if we move forward from it, and it helps the team, well that fine.

 

SW. Can you explain the lack of form from the team then this massive success and turn around against Toulon.

 

RVV. Everything in rugby can just come from a change in the mind set, all the boys came together and said it’s not happening we need to do something to turn this run of bad results around, some of the more senior players had words with the whole squad, something which was desperately needed and it did the trick, basically we were never going to loose that match against Toulon, we knew that nothing was rosy and something had to be done, we lost the monkey of our backs and now we can think about moving forward and also getting back into the winning habit once again, it will do us no harm at all.

 

SW. Have you had time to visit the region since your arrival?

 

RVV. Yes we have visited some wineries, which were great, and of course you have the wonderful beaches and sea and here no sharks which is certainly better than at home. The climate is great, easy to relax after rugby and of course you have Drickus’s Bar B Ques which are the best.

 

SW. I have seen your brand new bright red Vespa, the fans want to know why!!!

 

RVV.  The Vespa was my choice but the colour was my girlfriends, and we both wanted something a little different, should have been blue but the BOSS said red so red it was.

 

SW. I don’t know if you are old enough to remember the film The Sting, that was a Hold Up, what do you think of  last Sundays hold up by the Aussies in the World Cup.

 

RVV. There was a lot of complaining about the Ref but I believe that a good team makes its own luck and you should be able to rise above that, it’s no use crying over spilt milk, lets hope they can put all the pieces back together and start working on the next one, nobody has ever defended a World Cup successfully, there is obviously some sort of jinx on the World Cup winners. No one has ever won a World Cup having lost a pool game, this year the All Blacks are the only unbeaten side left, but who knows the French just might upset the apple cart, first they have to beat Wales no easy task. 

 

SW. Cheers Rassie and good luck on Friday against Bayonne.

 

Interview by Steve Whittell.