Springbok hopeful JJ van der Mescht: "If it happens, it happens"

The 26-year-old lock was invited to the virtual alignment camp along with 20 other overseas-based players, including fellow uncapped forward Carlu Sadie.

Van der Mescht tips the scales at around 145kg and stands two metres tall, with his size, speed and ability with the ball in hand exciting Springboks fans following his invitation to the camp.

Speaking to the media earlier this year, Bok boss Rassie Erasmus described him as a 'monster' and a real prospect for the team, as the head coach believes that the squad's lock depth is not where it needs to be.

While that's certainly a ringing endorsement, the Northampton Saints powerhouse is remaining grounded and focusing on performing for his club instead of trying to force the issue and chase a maiden Test cap.

He says that he has shifted his focus to achieving his Springbok dream, and his form has benefited immensely from doing so.

"I always worried and thought ‘I need to do something [special]' to get into the Springboks team, but lately, I've just been focusing on what I'm doing, getting through my processes, playing rugby, and enjoying rugby," he told the Off The Pitch Rugby YouTube channel.

"At the end of the day, if I don't play for the Springboks, I would obviously be sad, but it's not the end of the world. I still have my family. I still have my wife. I still have a future ahead of me.

"Don't get me wrong, I would love to play for the Springboks. I would take the opportunity with both hands, but it's not my end goal. My end goal is to just enjoy my rugby, and that's why I started playing rugby.

"In the past, when I put too much pressure and worried about playing for the Springboks, I started playing badly, and I was focusing on the wrong things: playing selfishly, focusing just on myself and not the team.

"I took a step back from that and focused on enjoying my rugby with my team and not focusing too much on the Springboks."

Elevating that pressure has paid dividends for the giant lock, and he plans to continue with that mindset, allowing Erasmus to decide on if or when he is ready to make the step up to the Green and Gold jersey.

"If I do play well enough, I know Rassie is a very smart man, a great coach, and he will know when I will be ready. So, I don't need to dwell on whether I'm ready or not. He will know when I'm ready, and if that opportunity comes, he'll give me my opportunity.

"I think he's a good enough coach and he's smart enough to know when I'm ready, and if it happens, it happens."

Many players will be targeting a spot in their national team's Rugby World Cup squad with the tournament in Australia some 18 months away. But Van der Mescht is wary of falling into the same trap of chasing an individual goal in a team sport.

He will still be sporting a Bok jersey when the time comes, though, whether that'd be on the pitch or in front of a TV.

"I'm not really thinking about it at the moment; it's something like I don't want to dwell on because it's definitely going to take my mind off the way I'm playing," he explained.

"I'm playing well because I'm enjoying my rugby again. I think that's the most important thing. The World Cup is a massive thing, but I'm still going to watch it, support South Africa, and I know the boys are going to do great. If I'm not there, I know there's a reason for it, that the guy who is there is better than me, and he's going to do the job I couldn't do.

"I want South Africa to do well. If I can help with that game plan, but if I can't, I know there's another guy who can."