Cape Town – Record Springbok try-scorer Bryan Habana says Joost van der Westhuizen inspired him to the point that he “so desperately wanted to play scrumhalf” when he was a youngster.
The 33-year-old Habana was the man to break Van der Westhuizen’s Bok record of 38 for most tries in Test rugby, when he dotted down against Namibia in the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Habana, who has gone on to earn 124 Bok Test caps and scored 67 tries, moved from the Golden Lions to the Blue Bulls in 2005, just two years after Bulls stalwart Van der Westhuizen retired from the game.
The star wing made his name at school as a scrumhalf initially, but eventually evolved into an outside centre at provincial level before making a permanent switch to wing.
On the eve of the memorial service for Van der Westhuizen at Loftus Versfeld on Friday, Habana took to Instagram to pay tribute to the former Springbok captain, who passed away on Monday aged 45 after a six-year battle with motor neuron disease (MND).
“The ’95 World Cup winning team was without a doubt the inspiration for me wanting to take up the beautiful game of rugby but it was because of Joost, his tenacity, his sheer brilliance and his never say die attitude that I so desperately wanted to play scrum-half and aspire to be as half good as he was,” Habana wrote.
“In terms of rugby legends, Joost is without a doubt up there with the best ever and the legacy he leaves behind with the J9 Foundation and the fighting spirit he showed over the past 7 years far outweighs his greatest rugby achievements. #RIPJ9 #ThanksforTheMemories #ThanksForTheInspiration”
The memorial service begins at 12.30pm on Friday, with members of the 1995 Springbok World Cup-winning team expected to carry Van der Westhuizen’s casket on to the field at Loftus.
* Follow @IOLsport on Twitter for live updates of the memorial service.
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