Damian Willemse salutes Bok legends after dazzling 50-cap masterclass

The double World Cup winner produced a performance for the ages in his 50th Test against old foes England. Willemse ruled the airways, attacked with flair, kicked brilliantly out of hand and made important interventions on defence.

This helped contribute to the Boks' comfortable 45-21 Nations Championship win, marking a positive start to an already injury-plagued season for the Boks.

Speaking to the press after the victory, Willemse was the first to acknowledge the mentors who shaped him over his already storied career.

"I'm really grateful to my teammates, the management and everyone who has believed in me," said the 28-year-old.

"I learned from legends of the game like Morne Steyn, Frans Steyn and Willie le Roux," Willemse said.

"Damian de Allende has always helped me at inside centre. Polly [Handre Pollard] helped me when I played flyhalf and Elton Jantjies also helped me a lot with my kicking."

Willemse also credited assistant coaches Felix Jones and Mzwandile Stick for helping develop his skills under the high ball, which were superlative on Saturday.

Talking about the week leading up to the season opener against England, Willemse revealed coach Rassie Erasmus inspired him with talk of Springbok legacy.

"We spoke about it this week because Rassie mentioned that the last time England beat South Africa at home was in 1972," he added.

"We spoke about the legacy and how we're protecting our legacy playing at Ellis Park. It's our home and we needed to protect and defend that legacy."

Having established himself as the Boks' leading fullback while still being able to cover most of the backline, the Cape Town native is a crucial cog in the Bok setup going forward.