Bok prop Thomas du Toit surprising himself with bevy of tries at Bath

Du Toit made the move to England from the Sharks ahead of the 2023/24 season and has been a revelation for his new team, scoring six tries in the 12 matches and helping to lift Bath into third on the Premiership table.

Just don't ask the burly prop to explain his newfound try-scoring prowess.

"Look, I'm a prop and getting on the scoresheet so often feels a bit weird," he told Planet Rugby's James While.

"I've never scored like this and for some reason, it's just happening.

I much prefer scrum penalty over a try so I'll leave it at that!" he joked.Du Toit had to deal with the disappointment of narrowly missing out on selection to the Springbok Rugby World Cup squad for France after getting called up four years ago to replace the injured Trevor Nyakane during the pool stages in Japan.The 28-year-old has played 18 Test matches for the Boks during the Rassie and Nienaber era and would have been right on the cusp of selection for the World Cup squad.

He has quickly become a key figure at his new club, however, and it has helped ease the pain of his World Cup omission, as has the pleasure of experiencing a new culture while settling down in the southwest of England.

"Yeah look, I'm loving it here in Bath," Du Toit added.

"We are living in Corsham which is just outside of Bath and what's nice about it is we're basically finding both sides of the social spectrum.

"We are in a smaller village where we know a lot of the people - we know the local coffee shop owner and we know the local florist; there's a real community feel here. And then we get to Bath to experience the city life and see the beautiful scenery and architecture that this area and Bath have to offer. So honestly. in our opinion, we've got the best of both worlds for now and both my partner and I are thoroughly enjoying it."Still only 28 years of age and with the rare ability to pack down on either side of the scrum - all while continuing to show signs of growth as a player - it's safe to say Du Toit still has a big future with the Springboks ahead.