Returning Springbok No 8 Duane Vermeulen is champing at the bit to get stuck into the All Blacks when the arch-rivals lock horns at Ellis Park on Saturday.
A fit-again Vermeulen takes over from Jasper Wiese at the back of the scrum for the Rugby Championship clash in Johannesburg – the 2019 World Cup winner’s first Test in 2022.
Speaking at a Bok conference after Jacques Nienaber’s team announcement on Tuesday, Vermeulen couldn’t contain his excitement, having missed the 26-10 victory over New Zealand at Mbombela Stadium.
He told reporters: “I would’ve loved to have played in Nelspruit, I grew up in Nelspruit … the atmosphere, the vibe, the everything – even the half-time show with [Pumas coach] Jimmy Stonehouse was impressive!
“Sitting on the sidelines and watching the guys play, starting with the anthems and then the haka and everything, it gives you goosebumps and you really want to get on the field and play.
“The passion is so much within … but luckily I get an opportunity this weekend and I’m just going to give it my best.”
Vermeulen missed the Wales series in July due to knee surgery, but the 35-year-old loose forward is eager to deliver a solid performance on Saturday.
“Physically, you just have to wait and see. It’s very much a 50-50 thing. I haven’t played for the past eight weeks,” he said.
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“I’m just going to give my best and see how far I can push myself and then we have replacements to take over. It’s probably interesting coming back at altitude, it should be a difficult challenge in a good way. We’ve worked hard and well over the past few weeks and I just want to give back. I’ll give it my all, even if it’s just 40 to 50 minutes.”
Vermeulen added: “Mentally, you’re always switched on. It’s international rugby, you have to be. You sit with the coaches and you receive a lot of info to work through – reviewing lineouts and plays.
“Being mentally switched on is probably the easiest part for me. You’ve been in the game for a number of years.”
On facing Ardie Savea, one of the struggling All Blacks standout players in 2022, Vermeulen said: “We play No 8 but we play different styles, and [the Boks] loose trio have got a way of dealing with opponents’ plays and what their loose trio has to offer.
“So for us, it’s not just a one vs one battle, it’s obviously a team battle or otherwise I could’ve gone to play chess or something like that.”
Nienaber has backed Vermeulen to make his mark on Saturday: “If you’ve played as many Test matches as Duane has, I don’t think you really can prepare for a game against the All Blacks any differently than you already have with that amount of experience.
“And that’s what Duane brings. It’s nice to have him back.”
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Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
