Vermeulen excited to be back for Boks

Duane Vermeulen during the South Africa Rugby afternoon Training session at Belhar Rugby Club, Belhar on 6 June 2016 ©Chris Ricco/BackpagePix

Duane Vermeulen during the South Africa Rugby afternoon Training session at Belhar Rugby Club, Belhar on 6 June 2016 ©Chris Ricco/BackpagePix

Published Jun 8, 2016

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The Springboks normally watch some sort of motivational video ahead of every Test series.

It is to remind them what it means to be a Springbok player, and what the green-and-gold jersey means to the people of South Africa. It’s about the unity in diversity, and about the pride and honour of representing one’s country.

Duane Vermeulen arrived in South Africa from France a few hours before Bok assistant coach Johann van Graan played the video to the squad, which includes several rookies who are hoping to feature in the three-match series against Ireland over the next three weeks.

While Vermeulen has been part of such occasions before, he still got goose bumps when the latest video was played at the team’s hotel on Sunday.

And he squashed any doubts that existed about his national future yesterday – which had more to do with speculation than anything else – and pledged his allegiance to the Boks for the foreseeable future.

“I feel like a debutant, I’m extremely excited about the opportunity to be back for the Boks,” Vermeulen said.

“We had a video session on Sunday night, and I got goose bumps. That feeling you must never lose. It is a great feeling, and it makes you feel like you want to be part of something special again.”

The main reason why it was thought that he may ignore a Bok call-up were after reports that Vermeulen’s French club Toulon’s owner Mourad Boudjellal threatened to withhold his salary for this month if he returned home on international duty.

But when it comes to the Boks, there are no half-measures for Vermeulen, and the formidable No 8 assured the nation that he is all-in for Saturday’s clash against the Irish at Newlands (kickoff 5pm).

“It was never an option to stay in France. I said from the start I want to play international rugby and if I can represent my country, doesn’t matter where in the world, I would do it to the best of my ability,” said Vermeulen, whose cauliflower ears were still red after training at Cape Town Stadium.

“Everything is inside my contract. I just want to represent my country. I’m very happy to be here, and I’m hoping to have a great time with a new coach and a new team.”

However, the fact that he plays in France has ruled him out of contention for the Bok captaincy, as coach Allister Coetzee has made it clear that his skipper must be based in South Africa.

SA Rugby is also formulating a plan which could limit the number of overseas-based players that Coetzee will be able to call up over the next four years.

But Vermeulen, because of his unbelievable ability as a rugby player and a leader, will always be in the mix as far as the Boks are concerned.

For the moment, though, he is looking forward to working with the 57th captain of the Boks, Adriaan Strauss.

“I don’t have any problem with the captaincy. It’s not my decision, it’s out of my hands. It’s anyway the decision of the coaches and SA Rugby, who they feel the right man for the job is,” Vermeulen said.

“I think Adriaan Strauss is a very good captain, he was the captain of the Cheetahs and he is leading the Bulls. He knows how things work at international level.

“I’m 100 percent behind him and if he wants some input from the other senior players, we will certainly help him.”

Meanwhile, the Boks have released hooker Scarra Ntubeni, loose forward Sikhumbuzo Notshe, scrumhalf Nic Groom and flyhalf Garth April to the SA A side for the first of two matches against the England Saxons at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Friday (7.10pm kickoff).

The four players will re-join the Bok squad on Saturday in Cape Town.

Coetzee will name his matchday 23 tomorrow in the city. The last time the Boks and Ireland met in a Test on South African soil was in 2004, when Coetzee was one of the assistant coaches. - Cape Times

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