Dangermen of the World Cup: Damian de Allende

In this new segment called ‘Dangermen’ we’re highlighting the main threats that will be present in this year’s world cup. After this past weekend’s performance it would be a mistake not to start off with South Africa’s own Damian de Allende, the new generation of centre.

De Allende rose to prominence during the 2012 Varsity Cup where he played for Ikeys. He made his debut for the Western Province first team during the 2012 Vodacom Cup against Pampas. In August 2013 he was called up to the WP Currie Cup and Stormers sides. It takes most players some time to find their form and de Allende was no exception.

Under the tutelage of Alistair Coetzee and his coaching staff though, de Allende has been moulded into a potent midfield weapon who at present could stand toe-to-toe with any of the world’s best. As was illustrated by this past Saturday’s performance, de Allende has excellent presence on the field and always presents the opposition with problems when he gets ball in hand.

The most impressive part of de Allende’s play is something that most rugby coaches would be proud of: the ability to run with the ball in both hands. Simple, but oh so impactful. Running with the ball the way de Allende does instills doubt into the opponent’s minds, because they never know whether he intends to pass, break or kick. These are the types of centres that all good opposition fears.

What de Allende lacks in size and strength (though not by much) he definitely makes up for in decision-making and pace, as was illustrated this past Saturday against the World XV team. With an impressive Springbok debut and a successful Super rugby season under his belt momentum seems to be on de Allende’s side. We hope now that he can carry it into the World Cup where he’ll face up against battle-hardened veterans like Nonu and Smith.

Do you think he’ll be able to cut it?