Few would argue that Bath and South Africa star Francois Louw is among the top flankers in the modern game. Here, Louw, who featured for the Springboks in their mid-year Tests against Wales and Scotland, talks to Tom Bradshaw about the loose forwards he most respects – and there's a familiar name or two among them.
Look through the team sheets in the Aviva Premiership and there are a lot of overseas players who occupy the number seven shirts.
While Bath have Louw, Saracens have the buccaneering Namibian Jacques Burger, Sale have wily former All Black Dan Braid and Leicester have Australian trooper Julian Salvi – a man who needs little introduction in these parts. Salvi, who played a single season at The Rec during 2009-10, topped the Premiership tackle chart last season with 235 hits and was second in the turnover chart with 26.
Louw – a close student of the game – is an admirer of Salvi's ferocious work at the breakdown but says there is more to him than straightforward ball-scavenging.
"Julian is definitely very strong at the breakdown but he's got good hands too," says Louw. "You can stick him between the centres and get him to offload. He brings something else to attacking play."
Then there is Burger, not necessarily the most popular man on the banks of the Avon following a couple of borderline-legal challenges on Peter Stringer and Anthony Watson the last time he was at The Rec.
"Jacques has done very well for Saracens," explains Louw. "He has an incredibly high work rate and just doesn't give up. With him, you get solid, hard rugby for 80 minutes.
"He is the kind of guy you want in your team. He does the dirty work, nothing flash. And of course he makes those hits.
"I think he's right up there. All loose forwards are that little bit unique and have their own strengths. With him it's about 100 per cent commitment all the time."
New Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper and New Zealand captain Richie McCaw also claim places in the pantheon of great opensides for Louw, who admits that the now-retired All Black Jerry Collins was an inspiration as he was growing up.
"Hooper attacks the breakdown very well while McCaw is your all-round openside with great defence," he said. "Jerry Collins was a robust ball carrier who just knocked people out of the way. I really enjoyed watching him.
"You can't give those guys any time because they will hurt you."
