Van der mescht: the colossus colliding with bath
The Rec will tremble. Northampton Saints, spearheaded by a 6’7”, 23-stone behemoth named JJ van der Mescht, are primed to inflict a brutal statement on a Bath side desperately seeking Champions Cup quarter-final glory.
A force of nature
Van der Mescht isn’t merely large; he’s an elemental force. The Springboks’ exiled lock, recalled for July Tests, arrives with a singular purpose: to dominate the breakdown and create havoc in Bath’s engine room. His arrival has injected a palpable intensity into the Saints squad, a hunger fueled by a desire to prove themselves on the biggest stage.
More than just size
While his sheer size – the joint-heaviest player in the Premiership – is undeniable, Van der Mescht’s impact extends far beyond raw power. He’s a product of years honing his technique at the Sharks, and his connection with former teammate Thomas du Toit, a fierce rivalry forged in the heat of teenage competition, adds another layer of intrigue. “Yeah, 100%, and he’ll do the same to me,” he stated bluntly. “I’ll feel disrespected if he comes in softly against me.”
A past reconnected
The memory of those grueling pre-season battles against a young du Toit and Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira – a contest often held in an octagon, a brutal proving ground – remains vividly etched in Van der Mescht’s memory. He lost that duel, conceding victory to the Beast, a humbling experience that solidified his determination to succeed. Even whispers of his brief spell as an exchange student at New Hall school, where his prodigious speed – 11 seconds flat for the 100m – caused considerable local astonishment, still linger.
A tactical masterstroke
Phil Dowson, Saints’ director of rugby, recognizes Van der Mescht’s unique value. “People are getting bigger, but he’s genuinely a freak,” Dowson admits. “When we looked at him, Jaco Pienaar said he was a fly-half trapped in a second-row’s body. He can do things other people simply can’t.” This ability to generate critical post-contact metres – a vital asset in the tight confines of the Rec – is precisely why Saints risked letting him go, a calculated gamble designed to harness his destructive potential.
Numbers tell the story
Remarkably, Van der Mescht restricts his diet to a single meal a day, foregoing breakfast and lunch, a strategy that has yielded a seven-kilogram weight reduction since joining Northampton. Jaco Pienaar, the scrum coach, and a devotee of ‘braais’ – South African barbecues – undoubtedly play a role in this dietary regimen.
A springbok ambition
Despite his contentment at Saints, Van der Mescht harbours ambitions to return to the Springboks. “We’ve got amazing locks in South Africa, and if I don’t fit into their gameplan, I understand why,” he concedes. But Dowson is optimistic, citing Felix Jones’ commitment to pushing him to his limits. The stage is set for a compelling clash, one that could reignite Van der Mescht’s Test career and propel Saints to Champions Cup glory.