Mouritz Botha: There's no stopping me now

Evening Standard

Mouritz Botha is so relaxed about his South African origins that he can even joke about his name. "Be sure to spell my name correctly," he says. "Mouritz, not Maurice, otherwise I would sound really English. Then I might even have to be called Maurice Botham."

There's no danger of confusing the lock born in Vryheid, KwaZulu Natal, with Beefy. But the 29-year-old likely to face Scotland in the Calcutta Cup at Murrayfield on Saturday week will wear the England shirt with just as much pride as England's most celebrated all-rounder.

"There is no extra pressure on me because I was not born in England," he insists. "I enjoy living here and am very proud to represent this country. England has a unique and renowned culture that had a massive influence on South Africa. I adapted to the culture. I find it wrong when people move to a country and cling to all the things from their country of origin."