Springboks forward Jean-Luc du Preez is primed to make his Bordeaux-Begles bow after recovering from a knee injury suffered in September.<\/b><\/p>\n
The 30-year-old joined UBB from Sale Sharks in the off-season but his debut has been delayed due to that issue sustained four months ago.<\/p>\n
Du Preez could well feature in the Top 14 clash against Racing 92 on Saturday but, if it doesn\u2019t come this weekend, he will almost certainly be available for the Investec Champions Cup<\/a> ties with Northampton Saints and Bristol Bears.<\/p>\n \u2018A top level player\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s been training with the team for the past three weeks,\u201d Bordeaux coach Noel McNamara said. \u201cI hope he\u2019ll be available this week to play in the match.<\/p>\n \u201cIt will also allow us to rest some of the back-row players who have played a lot. I hope Jean-Luc can contribute, because he\u2019s a top level player. He\u2019s already shown that with the Springboks<\/a>, the Sharks and Sale.\u201d<\/p>\n Du Preez will hope for more luck than he had while with South Africa having missed out on the chance of representing Rassie Erasmus\u2019<\/a> team.<\/p>\n The back-rower has consistently been on the periphery of the Springboks squad during Erasmus\u2019 time in charge but, with them lacking options at number eight, he was given an opportunity against the Wallabies at the start of the Rugby Championship.<\/p>\n Illness forced him to withdraw late on but another opportunity presented itself when they took on the All Blacks. However, the aforementioned knee injury ruled him out of the Eden Park clash and the start of the northern hemisphere campaign.<\/p>\n It means that Du Preez remains stuck on 14 caps with his last Test appearance coming against Argentina in a 2023 Rugby World Cup warm-up.<\/p>\n Planet Rugby\u2019s Top 50 men\u2019s players of 2025: \u2018Unstoppable force\u2019 takes top spot as Springboks dominate 10-1 selection<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n PREM giants make late bid to hijack Sharks deal for gargantuan Springbok in wake of Siya Kolisi exit<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Playing the biggest matches<\/p>\n He will hope that brutal misfortune does not continue as he begins his career with Bordeaux. The loose forward got himself back in the international reckoning with his displays for Sale and signing for the defending Investec Champions Cup champions gives him a chance to prove his credentials to Erasmus once more.<\/p>\n Providing the back-rower can become a first team regular, the 30-year-old will likely be playing in some of the biggest club games at the end of the season.<\/p>\n