When it comes to rugby dynasties in South Africa, there will be some heated debates from Cape Agulhas in the south to Limpopo in the north and from the beach below Monte Ouro in KwaZulu Natal in the east to the mouth of the Orange River in the west.
At the end of the day, whose family produced the greatest players are probably subjective.
Let’s look at the facts, though.
In modern times, the Du Preezs with Robert senior sitting at the head of the table probably takes the cake.
As it stands, the former Blue Bulls scrumhalf is the only father to have played for the Springboks since readmission in 1992 and then having had a son don the Green and Gold too.
Those Du Preezs have a lot to brag, about, though, with Robert’s three sons, Robert and twins Jean-luc and Dan all playing for the Springboks.
Vier manne van een huisgesin!
Cobus Reinach, meanwhile, is the only other active Springbok whose father also represented South Africa at Test level, while Ruan Pienaar (whose father was Gysie), Schalk Burger (Schalk), Andries Bekker (Hennie), Flip van der Merwe (Flippie) and Wikus van Heerden (Moaner) are some of the more recent father-and-son Bok combos.
In fact, only 13 father-and-son combinations have played recorded Test matches for South Africa, but strangely enough - none of them carry the surname Du Plessis.
A bit weird considering the Du Plessis dynasty, which saw brothers Carel, Michael and Willie all star for the Springboks in years gone by.
It’s the son of Michael, Dan, who is tipped to change all that.
At 29, Du Plessis has, perhaps surprisingly, not yet received a call-up to the national team. But according to Stormers assistant coach Dawie Snyman - whose father Jackie is also a former Springbok - that will change soon.
When asked if Du Plessis can still get a Bok call-up, despite being overlooked for a number of years, Snyman says: “Definitely. I believe he will get his opportunity at some stage. Just the amount of work he puts in in the week, he drives standards not just on the field but off it. I am quite excited for Dan, I really hope he gets his opportunity and if he does, you’re struggle to get him out of that jersey.”
South African are thin in the midfield. At inside centre, incumbent Damian de Allende is turning 33 this year and will in all likelihood watch the next World Cup from the comfort of his living room couch.
Admittedly, Du Plessis has had his fair share of injury problems, but you just get the feeling that if he can stay fit the selectors and coach Rassie Erasmus will have to take a closer look at him sooner rather than later.
Du Plessis, who can play both inside and outside centre, says of his Bok ambitions: “I definitely have the ambition to play for the Springboks, as long as that stays my goal I will keep improving week in and week out.
“Guys like Deon [Fourie] have shown us that it’s never too late to get called up and he ended up going to a World Cup and winning the World Cup. I’ll never give up and still work every week to maybe get into that [squad].”
Du Plessis has the ability to don the Green and Gold and when the Stormers tackle the Ospreys in the United Rugby Championship at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday, he will once again give his all to crack the nod from Rassie.
All we can do in the Mother City is hold thumbs for the son of Michael, who is pushing fellow Stormers Andre-Hugo Venter (son of legendary Bok hardman Andre) hard to become the 14th son of a Springbok father.
dudley.carstens@inl.co.za