Durban – You almost feel sorry for the Japanese given the raw hunger and ebullience exuded by Springbok No8 Duane Vermeulen, who is primed to make his comeback from a serious neck injury in the Boks’ opening World Cup Pool game in Brighton on September 19.
The 29-year old has played 29 Tests and he wants to make this 30th the most memorable of them all. He says he has sat on an exercise bike in the gym at the Boks’ training camp hotel in Durban North and visualised swopping the bike for making a tackle or taking the ball into a collision.
In short, he is a (big) pent-up ball of frustrated fury.
“It is funny how it works,” he says. “It was in this very same hotel in Durban that I lay awake six weeks ago wondering if I would play again, never mind in a World Cup, but I was going under the knife the next day and completely trusted the hands of the best (neuro) surgeon in the country, Stephan Joubert, and when he reassured me after the operation that I would make it, I have not had another doubt.”
Not that long ago, Vermeulen’s neck vertebrae injury would have instantly ended his career. He says a damaged disc between veterbraes three, six and seven was removed and a fusion completed. “Ten years ago, I would have had to retire. Technology and expertise has come a long way,” he said. “At the time, it was predicted that my rehabilitation would be complete by September 16, and all the evaluations so far show that I am right on track, and I certainly feel like I can take on the world right now!”
In the meantime, a player of Vermeulen’s combustible nature can take only so much time running up and down the sidelines and then hitting the bike at night to work off steam.
“I am damn fit!” he said with a wry grin. “The fittest I’ve been because the only thing I have not been allowed to do is take contact, so I have got stuck into the conditioning.”
Vermeulen’s first physical contact will be in the match against Japan, and he says he does not want to lift his head up from combat for the following six weeks, which would take him to a World Cup final.
“I want to go to the World Cup and be part of every single game,” he enthuses. “That is what everyone in the 31 would like but the coach can only pick 23. We will see what happens. But I want to play as many games as possible in the Pool stage to get ready for quarters.”
With respect to the other 30 in the squad, coach Heyneke Meyer could concur with Vermeulen’s ambition. He is massively key to the Boks’ title hopes and he can just about rest assured that he will not be idle during those four matches before the play-offs.
A warrior he may be, but is there not the slightest concern in the deep recesses of his mind about smashing into that first collision?
“I am honestly not worried,” the SA Player of the Year for 2014 said. “I have hit some tackle bags ... but not a lot,” he adds with a confidential smile as he possibly lets out an indiscretion. “I have just checked out how it feels, and it feels great. I have no psychological hang-ups about the injury. I feel totally confident.
“Taking contact is one of my main reasons for playing rugby. It is the thing I am most looking forward to,” he said, stopping just short of licking his lips. The Japanese team is nicknamed the Brave Blossoms, and they might well need all the courage they can muster when the Vermeulen time bomb explodes. - The Star