Damian de Allende

Damian de Allende (born 25 November 1991) is a South African professional rugby union player who currently plays for the South Africa national team and Japanese club Saitama Wild Knights. His usual position is either centre or wing. He was a member of the Springboks team that won a record-equalling third Rugby World Cup in 2019.^[3]

Damian de Allende

Date of birth	(1991-11-25) 25 November 1991 (age 31)
Place of birth	Cape Town, South Africa
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	105 kg (16.5 st; 231 lb)
School	Milnerton High School
University	University of Cape Town
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre, Wing Youth career 2010–2012 Western Province Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2012 UCT Ikey Tigers 6 (5) Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2012–2018 Western Province 27 (30) 2013–2019 Stormers 91 (75) 2015–2017 Hanazono Kintetsu Liners 4 (5) 2019–2020 Saitama Wild Knights 5 (10) 2020–2022 Munster 37 (25) 2022– Saitama Wild Knights 2 (0) Correct as of 25 December 2022 National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2014– South Africa 70 (45) 2015 Springboks^[a] 1 (10) 2021– South Africa A 2 (0) Correct as of 26 November 2022

Club career

He made his first team debut for Western Province during the 2012 Vodacom Cup, in their game against Pampas XV.^[4] He made a total of three appearances in that campaign, scoring one try. He was then also included in the squad for the 2012 Currie Cup Premier Division.

In August 2013, he signed a two-year contract that kept him at Western Province and the Stormers until 2015.^[5] He further extended his contract with the Stormers in July 2017 which saw him remain until the end of the 2019 season.^[6] De Allende represented the Ikey Tigers in the 2012 Varsity Cup.^[7]

After the 2019 Rugby World Cup, where de Allende was a member of the victorious South African team, he joined Japanese Top League side Saitama Wild Knights. De Allende joined Irish United Rugby Championship side Munster, whose head coach was former Springboks forwards coach Johann van Graan. Though de Allende's two-year contract didn't officially commence until 1 July 2020, he arrived in Ireland in May 2020 after the cancellation of the remainder of the 2019–20 Top League and completed two weeks of isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[8][9]

De Allende made his debut for Munster in their 27–25 defeat against Leinster on 22 August 2020,^[10] and scored his first try for the province in their 52–3 win against Italian side Zebre in round 8 of the 2020–21 Pro14 on 30 November 2020.^[11] He made his Champions Cup debut for the province in their opening fixture of the 2020–21 competition against English side Harlequins on 13 December 2020, starting in Munster's 21–7 home win.^[12] De Allende was named in the 2020–21 Pro14 Dream Team in his first season with Munster.^[13]

De Allende left Munster at the end of the 2021–22 season,.^[14] and returned to Japan to rejoin League One club Saitama Wild Knights, for whom de Allende had previously played for during 2019–20.^[15]

International career

In May 2014, De Allende was one of eight uncapped players that were called up to a Springbok training camp prior to the 2014 mid-year rugby union tests.^[16] He was subsequently named in the final squad,^[17] but suffered a medial knee ligament injury and had to withdraw from the squad.^[18]

However, he was once again selected in the Springboks' next squad for the 2014 Rugby Championship^[19] and was named in the starting line-up for their opening match of this competition against Argentina in Pretoria.^[20]

In 2015, he was selected in the starting XV of a South African side against the World XV for a game held on 11 July 2015.^[21] He scored two tries in the game, earning praise from the World XV and former Australia coach Robbie Deans, who commented that "Damian has been playing remarkable rugby the whole year and he keeps doing the right things. He can add a new dimension to the Boks".^[22]

Having only been on the field for 13 minutes, De Allende was controversially red-carded in the 75th minute of New Zealand's 25–24 win against South Africa on 8 October 2017 for a late hit on first-five Lima Sopoaga, intending to charge down Sopoaga's attempted drop goal. De Allende was not suspended, as SANZAAR stated he should not have received red for the attempted charge down.^[23][24]

De Allende was named in South Africa's squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.^[25] South Africa went on to win the tournament, defeating England in the final.^[3] De Allende started in all three tests for South Africa during the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa, earning his 50th cap for the Springboks during their third test victory that sealed a series win for the home team,^{[26][27][28][29]} and garnering widespread praise for his performances during the series.^[30][31]

Statistics

Super Rugby statistics

As of 23 August 2021^[32]

Season	Team	Games	Starts	Sub	Mins	Tries	Cons	Pens	Drops	Points	Yel	Red
2013	Stormers	14	8	6	737	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2014	Stormers	14	14	0	1,109	4	0	0	0	20	0	0
2015	Stormers	16	16	0	1,171	4	0	0	0	20	0	0
2016	Stormers	11	9	2	785	2	0	0	0	10	0	0
2017	Stormers	6	5	1	382	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2018	Stormers	16	16	0	1,238	3	0	0	0	15	1	0
2019	Stormers	14	13	1	1,026	2	0	0	0	10	0	0
Total		91	81	10	6,523	15	0	0	0	75	1	0

Springboks test match record

Against	Played	Won	Lost	Drawn	Tries	Points	% Won
Argentina	13	11	2	0	1	5	84.62
Australia	7	0	5	2	1	5	14.29
British & Irish Lions	3	2	1	0	0	0	66.67
Canada	1	1	0	0	1	5	100
England	7	4	3	0	0	0	57.14
France	2	1	1	0	0	0	50
Ireland	5	2	3	0	1	5	40
Italy	3	2	1	0	1	5	66.67
Japan	2	2	0	0	0	0	100
Namibia	1	1	0	0	0	0	100
New Zealand	14	3	10	1	2	10	21.43
Samoa	1	1	0	0	0	0	100
Scotland	3	3	0	0	0	0	100
United States	1	1	0	0	1	5	100
Wales	7	5	2	0	1	5	71.43
Total	70	40	28	2	9	45	57.14

Correct as of 26 November 2022^[33]

Notes

1. In addition to playing in test matches, De Allende featured in a match against a World XV in Cape Town in July 2015.^[1] This match has an equivalent status to international tour matches, but was played on home soil.^[2]

References

1. South African Rugby Annual 2016. South African Rugby Union. 2016. pp. 124–125. ISBN 978-0-620-69290-8.
2. South African Rugby Annual 2018. South African Rugby Union. 2018. pp. 61–62. ISBN 978-0-620-78461-0.
3. "England 12-32 South Africa: Springboks win World Cup for record-equalling third time". BBC Sport. 2 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
4. "SA Rugby Match Centre – DHL Western Province 20–16 Pampas XV". South African Rugby Union. 14 April 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
5. "WP behou 'monster'; Force soek nóg jonges". Media24 (in Afrikaans). 15 August 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
6. "Bok Trio Commit oo WP Rugby Until 2019". The Stormers. 5 July 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
7. "SA Rugby Player Profile – Damian de Allende". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
8. "Munster Sign De Allende, Gallagher And Snyman". Munster Rugby. 31 January 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
9. "De Allende completes isolation while Munster expect Snyman to arrive this month". The42. 19 May 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
10. "Report | Narrow Loss For Munster In Aviva". Munster Rugby. 22 August 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
11. "Report | Eight-Try Munster Continue Winning Start". Munster Rugby. 30 November 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
12. "Report | Munster Make Winning Start To Champions Cup". Munster Rugby. 13 December 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
13. "Guinness PRO14 Dream Team | de Allende, Holland and O'Byrne Included". Munster Rugby. 1 April 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
14. "South African World Cup-winning centre Damian de Allende to depart from Munster". The42. 29 March 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
15. "Bok duo complete move to Japan". SA Rugby Magazine. 1 July 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
16. . South African Rugby Union. 19 May 2014. Archived from the original on 7 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
17. "Seven uncapped players in Springbok squad" (Press release). South African Rugby Union. 31 May 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
18. "Springboks suffer De Allende injury setback" (Press release). South African Rugby Union. 2 June 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
19. (Press release). South African Rugby Union. 2 August 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
20. . South African Rugby Union. 13 August 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
21. "Boks cruise past World XV". News24. 11 July 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
22. "Deans heaps praise on De Allende". News24. 13 July 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
23. "Damian de Allende given the softest red card in the history of red cards". Rugbypass. 7 October 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
24. "Sanzaar: Damian de Allende should've got a yellow card". IOL. 8 October 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
25. "South Africa World Cup squad: Siya Kolisi wins fitness battle, Eben Etzebeth backed, Aphiwe Dyantyi dropped". Independent. 26 August 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
26. "Gatland's Lions overcome half-time deficit in brilliant first Test victory". The42. 24 July 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
27. "Brilliant second half from Boks takes Lions series into deciding third Test". The42. 31 July 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
28. "Damian de Allende to win 50th Springboks cap in third Lions Test". United Rugby. 3 August 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
29. "History repeats itself as 37-year-old Steyn kicks Boks to victory over the Lions". The42. 7 August 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
30. "De Allende is the best No 12 in the world". Keo. 7 August 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
31. "Burger: De Allende the backbone of Boks' gameplan". SA Rugby Magazine. 8 August 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
32. "Damian de Allende (Itsrugby.co.uk)". Itsrugby. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
33. Damian de Allende, ESPN Scrum, 31 July 2021

External links

• Damian de Allende at ESPNscrum 
• Damian de Allende at ItsRugby.co.uk 
• Damian de Allende at Springboks.rugby