Former Springbok wing Akona Ndungane wants his last Absa Currie Cup campaign to be a memorable one.
The 33-year-old will likely be playing his last domestic competition for the Blue Bulls and he wants nothing more than to collect another Currie Cup winner’s medal to bring the curtain down on his decade-long stay at Loftus Versfeld.
Ndungane recently extended his contract until the end of next year’s Super Rugby campaign after which he will consider playing overseas for another season or two.
With a star-studded career that includes a Rugby World Cup winner’s medal, 11 Springbok caps, two Super Rugby winner’s jugs, two Currie Cup titles and over 100 Super Rugby and 50 Currie Cup appearances, Ndungane is desperate for one more piece of silverware to complete his glory years with the Bulls.
“I have had the best moments of my rugby career with the Bulls – in the Currie Cup and in Super Rugby. Even though I am not retiring yet, this could be my last Currie Cup season with the Bulls and I want to make it a good one,” said the soft-spoken Ndungane yesterday.
Ndungane, along with his Bulls teammates, face a difficult and daunting task in Saturday’s Currie Cup semi-final against Western Province in Cape Town. However, Ndungane believes the current crop of Bulls players thrive on adversity and will be up for the challenge.
The Bulls have embraced the adversity of this year’s competition and risen above it to find themselves among the last four teams standing after languishing in the bottom half for the better part of the season.
As much as the Bulls are unlikely semi-finalists, what matters is that they made it into the play-offs and now it is for them to grab the opportunity of getting into the final.
For many it might seem a mountain too far to climb, but Ndungane is upbeat about the Bulls beating Western Province at Newlands and winning the competition.
In what he regards as nothing short of a miracle, Ndungane came back from two broken legs in 2009 and 2010 to continue his Super Rugby and Currie Cup career with the Bulls.
“Nobody has given us a chance and that has been our story for the entire season. We were criticised at the beginning of the season and many people thought we were never going to make it. We kept on believing, though, and things worked out for us. We are now in the semi-final.
“I know what it is like when people tell you that what you want is impossible to achieve. Many people told me my career was over when I broke my leg for the second time. But I never stopped believing that I would play again and I did,” add Ndungane.
And Ndungane will need more than just belief to stop Western Province speedster Seabelo Senatla who scored some decisive tries in their two matches against each other this season.
“He is a good player and extremely quick. It is not just my job to close him down but the job of the team to close down Western Province. We must do our best to ensure they don’t get good possession,” Ndungane said.
Probable Bulls team: Ulrich Beyers, Akona Ndungane, William Small-Smith, Handré Pollard, Bjorn Basson, Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Piet van Zyl/Rudy Paige, Jono Ross, Jacques du Plessis, Deon Stegmann (capt), Grant Hattingh, Paul Willemse, Marcel van der Merwe, Callie Visagie, Morné Mellett. - The Star