Faf de Klerk: I want to stay fit and get back in the Boks squad

Yokohama Canon Eagles scrum-half Faf de Klerk held a farewell press conference following the club's 31-22 win over Kanagawa rivals Mitsubishi Dynaboars at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Tokyo on Sunday.

South Africa's double World Cup winner, 34, will end his four-year stay at the club following their final game next week Shizuoka Blue Revs to return to his homeland to join the Cheetahs.

“It’s been a great four years," said the former Sale Sharks star who came on to play in the final 13 minutes as the hosts recorded their third consecutive win.

"It's disappointing the injuries I’ve had along the way but I’ve made special memories here and made special friends. I’ll never forget my time here. I just want to focus on keeping healthy and to see if I can get back in the Springboks squad. I want to do my best for my new club (Cheetahs)."

The Mpumalanga native revealed that he held talks with his Japanese club about extending his time in Kanagawa but that they failed to agree terms.

“Things didn’t work out at Canon, we’ve had chats about that, I wanted to get back to my family. For me to provide for the family and be with them is something very important. That’s the main reason for going back.

“Hopefully I’ve helped people to enjoy the game and it grows even bigger from here.

De Klerk believes that the star-studded League One competition presents unique challenges and situations that has helped him to grow as a player.

“The way the game goes here, it gives you opportunities to get your attack going well. Very good basics and a kicking game helps to open up space. There’s world-class players in every team including in our team. There’s stuff that happens in games in Japan that doesn’t happen anywhere else so you can always learns something.”

The Springboks ace also believes that the fast-paced flowing rugby has helped him to take his conditioning level to new heights.

“I’ve think I’ve been the fittest I’ve ever been while playing in Japan. International rugby is different, I think it’s just more intense the mindset. Having my fitness where it is currently helps me prepare for Test rugby.”

The well-travelled veteran shared his appreciation for the Japanese fans and said that he is open to possibly returning in the future.

“I want to thank everyone for their support, the Instagram messages, everything. I’ve been shown much respect here and I’m very grateful.”

“I'll never say no to returning to Japan, I’ve got a two-year deal with the Cheetahs and we’ll see how that goes. I’m also getting old. If someone in Japan wants me to come back I’ll definitely look at coming back."

De Klerk also spoke about his Springboks ambitions and his friendship with his club captain and international colleague Jesse Kriel.

“You get to a stage in your career where you decide if you still want to play for your national team. I feel good and I want to give it a go. I want to try and make that squad. If I’m not selected I’ll still support them 100%. I'll do everything I can to get back into the squad.

"Jesse and me became really close friends in Japan. I hope the new guys coming in will support him here. I have a lot of respect for him. Everyone at the club supports him. Everyone wants to see this club do better than we did this year."