Colossal Force for Champions Cup Clash
Northampton Saints unleash their towering lock JJ van der Mescht in the Champions Cup quarter-final against Bath at the Rec. Standing 6ft 7in and weighing 146kg, the 26-year-old South African forward dominates the Premiership as one of its heaviest players. Spectators may feel the ground tremble as he charges into contact, delivering bone-jarring tackles and vital post-contact yards.
South African selectors recently added Van der Mescht to an alignment squad for upcoming Tests against England, Scotland, and Wales, recognizing his direct running style.
Rivalry with Former Teammate Thomas du Toit
Van der Mescht anticipates a fierce battle with Bath prop Thomas du Toit, his former Sharks teammate from Durban days. He packed down behind du Toit as a youngster and relishes the challenge. “Oh, 100%, yeah. And he’ll do the same to me. It’s a respect thing. I’ll feel disrespected if he comes in softly against me,” Van der Mescht said. “I love Thomas. He’s a great human being who helped me a lot when I was younger.”
He recalls a grueling pre-season octagon drill against older forwards like du Toit, Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira, and the Du Preez brothers. “I was 18 and going in against the Beast, Thomas and the Du Preez brothers. You had to prove yourself,” he shared. The Beast emerged victorious.
Early Days and Unique Physique
Son of a professional wrestler and a 6ft 3in netball international, Van der Mescht clocked 11 seconds flat for 100m as a schoolboy. At 14, he already measured 6ft 4in or 6ft 5in during an exchange at New Hall school in Essex. Now sporting size 16 feet—rivaled only by Australia’s Will Skelton—he mirrors Skelton’s style: too heavy for frequent lineout lifts but unstoppable close-range.
“We can do things other people can’t,” Van der Mescht noted.
Revival at Northampton Saints
Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson and scrum coach Jaco Pienaar, formerly with the Sharks, recruited Van der Mescht after his Stade Français release. “People are getting bigger but he’s genuinely a freak,” Dowson said. “Jaco said he was a fly-half trapped in a second-row’s body. People talk about what JJ can’t do but you’ve got to look at what he can do.”
The move reignited his passion. “Since I’ve been here something has clicked. Previously I felt like I was in a constant loop … rugby felt like a chore rather than something I loved,” Van der Mescht explained. “When I get home my wife can see that I’m happy.”
He fasts until evening, eating one meal daily, shedding 7kg since joining. Pienaar’s barbecues fuel him: “Jaco loves a braai. I think JJ does the eating,” Dowson quipped.
Springboks Ambition and Bath Focus
Van der Mescht eyes Springboks selection, content to wait. “We’ve got amazing locks in South Africa and if I don’t fit into their gameplan I understand why,” he said. Dowson sees Test potential: “I’m delighted he’s back on the South African radar … There’s loads more in JJ.”
Northampton prioritizes Bath, drawing from their 41-21 league win in December where Tommy Freeman scored a hat-trick. With Fin Smith fit at fly-half, Saints aim to prove doubters wrong. “We have a lot to prove and people have already written us off,” Van der Mescht declared. “We want to show we can compete in this competition.”
