With the Springbok alignment camp a week ago still fresh in so many players’ minds, Vermeulen thinks the Loftus showcase of the biggest derby in South African rugby is going to be a stage where several players will want to show the Bok selectors they understand what’s expected of them.

“After the Springbok alignment camp we had the last week, I think the players are ready to fire. They’ve got some feedback from the coaches and what we want to see as a coaching staff at the Springboks. The players know exactly what the coaches want from them. So I think this weekend, you’ll see a lot more from the players as they try to perfect their craft. That’s a big thing because there are always spots up for grabs in the Springboks. It’s not a definite that you’ll be in the Springbok mix if you were invited to the alignment camp. That was just to tell them what the coaches are looking for, and hopefully the players can change their mindset and attitude to the game accordingly if they need to,” says Vermeulen.

With the DHL Stormers looking vulnerable of late and the Vodacom Bulls showing signs of finding their feet under new coach Johan Ackermann, the Pretoria outfit should be favourites for this encounter. Especially playing at Loftus. Having said that, the Stormers have found a way to beat the Vodacom Bulls at Loftus on some key occasions in this competition.

“We saw in the past couple of games of the Stormers that something isn’t gelling. I don’t know what that is. But they’ve got class players and if they can work together than can definitely upset teams. With the Vodacom Bulls, they struggled with a new coach but they seem to have found their way. The last couple of games it’s been good to see how they play as a collective. They’ve also become accustomed to what Johan wants to achieve. It seems like they’re very aligned, while the Stormers are missing their mark a little bit.

“But you never know. The North-South Derby is always difficult to call. You can’t rely on previous form. You need to focus on the day. This is always a big crunch game for these teams. I’ve been on both sides, and on the winning and losing side. It’s a tough battle for sure. You go up to Loftus where altitude does play its part. Everyone goes there and says, sure it’s altitude, but if you take away the L it’s attitude. But I was with the Stormers for seven years and it was always difficult to play at Loftus. That has changed over the past few years and the Stormers have been very successful at Loftus. The Vodacom Bulls still see it as their fortress though. I enjoyed both teams when I played for each in this derby. You give 100% because that’s your team for this derby.”

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The request was approved by SA Rugby and the Springbok management as part of the organisation’s ongoing collaboration with its member unions.

The Bok coaches will engage with the Bulls on a limited basis, both remotely and in person where required, in line with SA Rugby’s standard practice of sharing national coaching resources when requested.

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus said the support reflected the existing working relationship between the Springboks and the franchises.

“We maintain regular engagement with our franchises, and when they request input in specific areas, we assist within the normal scope of our roles,” said Erasmus.

“We understand the importance of a strong, collaborative relationship between our provincial teams and the Springboks, as it ultimately benefits South African rugby as a whole.”

SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer welcomed the collaboration: “Our approach has always been to work collaboratively with our franchises where possible. We want to see all our teams perform to the best of their ability, and we will continue to support them when they reach out for assistance.”

The support is short-term in nature and does not constitute any formal appointment with the franchise.

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The 37-year-old Vermeulen had a great Springbok career that spanned 76 Tests over 11 seasons. He would have probably played 100 times for the green and gold if he hadn’t been hurt.

He played No. 8 in 68 of his Tests, three times at flanker, and five times off the bench. He scored three tries for South Africa.

Vermeulen is from Mbombela in Mpumalanga. He played his first Test match against Australia in Perth in 2012 and his last game for his country was in the 2023 Rugby World Cup Final against New Zealand in Paris.

Besides that, he won the SA Rugby Player of the Year Award twice, in 2014 and 2020. He joined Schalk Burger (2004), Bryan Habana (2005), Fourie du Preez (2006), Jean de Villiers (2008), and Pieter-Steph du Toit (1916, 2018, and 2019) as the only players to have won the award more than once since professional rugby began.

Vermeulen and the late Springbok loose forward Theuns Stofberg are the only players in provincial history to have won the Currie Cup with three different unions. Stofberg did it with the Toyota Cheetahs (2007), DHL Western Province (2012), and Vodacom Bulls (2020).

“Duane will forever be regarded as one of the real hard men of South African rugby – he was not only a formidable force for the Springboks but also a multifaceted player who consistently delivered his best,” said Mr Alexander.

“As someone who preferred to operate away from the limelight, Duane was one of those players who never settled for second best and always gave everything he had to his team.

“He was a leader who captained South Africa in four Tests, but he also retired as the most-capped Springbok No 8 with two Rugby World Cup winners’ medals – a wonderful achievement for a player who will be remembered as a true legend of the sport.”

Vermeulen played his first senior provincial game for the Airlink Pumas in 2005, the same year that he graduated from Hoërskool Nelspruit.

The Bulls tried to get him to join, but he chose to stay with the Mpumalanga-based union instead, skipping the junior ranks.

As a junior, he never played for South Africa. But on August 5, 2005, just a month and two days after turning 19, he made his debut for the Pumas in a Currie Cup match against the Border Bulldogs.

In 2005 and 2006, Vermeulen played for the Pumas. Then, Rassie Erasmus, who was then the head coach of the Free Staters and is now the Director of Rugby for SA Rugby, got him to move to Bloemfontein. In 2007, two months before he turned 21, he played his first Vodacom Super Rugby match.

They moved to Cape Town in 2009 and played for DHL Western Province and the Stormers. Erasmus and Springbok head coach Jacques Nienaber also went there. He played his first international rugby match that same year when he was picked to play for the Emerging Springboks against the visiting British & Irish Lions in the Mother City. He also played against the Lions for DHL WP during the same series.

In 2010, he was part of a preliminary Springbok training squad that was getting ready for the end-of-year tour. However, he didn’t play his first Test until two years later because of injuries, which meant he missed the chance to play in the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Vermeulen also played club rugby in other countries. From 2015 to 2018, he played for Toulon in France, from 2018 to 2020 for the Kubota Spears in Japan, and from 2021 to 2023 for Ulster in Ireland.

“Duane made a massive impression wherever he went, and looking at his achievements all over the world, it’s clear that he was not only a Springbok great, but a superb ambassador for South Africa,” added Mr Alexander.

“I know Duane still has a lot to give back to our wonderful game, but as his playing career comes to an end, on behalf of the entire South African rugby family, I would like to thank Duane for his selfless service to his country and the Springboks, as well as his provincial unions.

“I would like to wish him, his wife, Ezel, and their two sons, Anru and Zian, the best for their future.”

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As director of rugby, Erasmus and head coach Jacques Nienaber actively encourage Springbok players to attend coach meetings and, in this instance, to move to the tribune.

“It’s good for us as coaches to sometimes have a player there because they give us a different perspective of how our communication is within the team,” said Nienaber.

“They get a sense of the sometimes frustration that coaches are under in a coaches’ box. That grows them as a player.”

Vermeulen, who was man-of-the-match as South Africa defeated England in the 2019 World Cup final, described watching the Irish’s 13-8 defeat as “crazy” from the coaches’ box.

“It was nice to be up there, but it’s also daunting to be up there. I actually enjoyed it, it was good fun,” said the 37-year-old.

The strong backrow forward described the interaction between coaches and players as “a nice dynamic.”

“We learn a little bit, but they also see how we might think about the game.”

But Vermeulen, who has played club rugby for Toulon, Kubota Spears and Ulster, outside South Africa, added: “I would definitely love to be on the pitch, that’s the most important thing, that’s what it’s all about.

“The worst thing was just sitting there and you can’t do anything. When you’re on the pitch you’re still part of the game, you can still make a change or change the outcome of the game.

“At the top, you give the players the info and what you want and what you see, then it’s up to the guys on the field.

“I would still prefer to be on the pitch as much as I can!”

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Last month, the Springboks beat their fellow three-time world champions New Zealand 35-7 at Twickenham, which was their worst loss ever. On Sunday, both teams will play their first game of the season.

But they are in a tough pool with the number one team in the world, Ireland, a strong team from Tonga, and a team from Scotland that can do anything.

Stuart Hogg has retired, but the Scots still have Russell, who is one of the most creative players in the game.

Vermeulen, who was named Man of the Match in the 2019 final when the Boks beat England 32–12, said that Scotland’s fly-half will get more time to prepare for the game in Marseille.

“Scotland love to play on quick ball and Finn Russell is the kingpin in that position,” Vermeulen said at a press conference.

“He’s a magician with ball in hand. He’s got a massive playbook in his head and is just a fantastic individual player.

“It’s a guy we really have to sit down and have video sessions (on) and have a look at what he does.”

Vermeulen, who is 37 years old, says he often thought he wouldn’t play in another World Cup after getting hurt several times after the Springboks won the 2019 final in Japan.

“Just before I joined Ulster (in 2021) I was in a tough spot, the body was acting up,” he said.

“I thought maybe I should have called it (his international retirement) back in 2019. The coaches reassured me to play on.

“It’s that last bit of energy that’s in you and you know you want to push and finish on a high, so that’s where I am at the moment.”

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The match – which kicks off at Emirates Airline Park at 17h05 on Saturday – will not only mark the team’s last game on local soil this season, it will also be Jacques Nienaber and assistant coach Felix Jones’ last home game as Springbok coaches and possibly Vermeulen’s last dance in the green and gold jersey in South Africa.

Nienaber and Jones will join Leinster and England respectively after the World Cup, while Vermeulen may decide to hang up his boots following the global spectacle.

“As a team we spoke about the fact that it’s probably my last game in the jersey in SA and it will also be the last for two of our coaches,” said Vermeulen.

“It may be a bit emotional but the important thing for me will be to channel that emotion into leading the team well.

“It’s also our last game on home soil before the Rugby World Cup and we want to finish on a high note. If we play well and get a good result, it would be even more special.”

This, and the team’s desire to bounce back strongly from their defeat against New Zealand in Auckland, will be fuelled even further by the fact that every player realises the importance of making a statement as Nienaber prepares to announce his 33-man Rugby World Cup squad on Tuesday, 8 August.

“The World Cup squad has not been named yet, so this will be an opportunity for every player in the squad to try to cement a place in the group,” said Vermeulen.

“As players it is vital that we use every opportunity we get, and if we deliver quality performances, it will allow us to play the way we want to play against Argentina.”

Commenting on the threat the Pumas posed, Vermeulen said: “We definitely can’t sit back and rest on our laurels. Argentina are a physical side and they can play a complete game. They have strong forwards, skilful backs, and a massive work rate. They also don’t stand back.”

Vermeulen added: “As forwards we need to step up because we want to give Grant (Williams) and Manie (Libbok) the platform to have a good game. We didn’t do that for Faf (de Klerk) against New Zealand, and we’ve been working hard to ensure that we get things right this week.”

Stick echoed his skipper’s sentiments and said: “It would be stupid to write off Argentina especially after their victory against Australia. They’ve delivered some fantastic results in the last two seasons, so you can never underestimate them. They are a good team and if we are off our game, they will punish us.

“Hopefully we can go out there tomorrow and rectify the things we did wrong against New Zealand.

“It’s also our last home game before the Rugby World Cup, so it’s important to deliver a good performance.”

The Springboks may still be in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship title race if Australia deliver a surprise result against the All Blacks in Melbourne on Saturday, but Stick took a realistic view about the team’s chances and said: “We didn’t touch on that as a team because that’s out of our control. The focus for us has been on playing well and giving Argentina the respect they deserve.”

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Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber made nine changes to the starting team that went down 35-20 against the All Blacks in Auckland two weeks ago, with the squad featuring a new halfback pairing of flyhalf Manie Libbok and scrumhalf Grant Williams. This will mark Williams’ first start for the team.

Nienaber also rotated his loose forwards with the trio of Vermeulen and flankers Pieter-Steph du Toit and Marco van Staden, who started the opening match of the competition against the Wallabies, returning to the run-on team.

The other changes to the pack of forwards were at hooker, where Malcolm Marx takes over from Bongi Mbonambi, and lock, where Marvin Orie comes in for Lood de Jager.

In the backline, meanwhile, wing Kurt-Lee Arendse – who scored a hat-trick against Australia – will start in place of Makazole Mapimpi, while experienced centre Jesse Kriel will make his first appearance of the season in the midfield alongside vice-captain Damian de Allende.

Nienaber opted for a five-three split on the bench in favour of the forwards, which includes prop Trevor Nyakane, who will provide an impact with Mbonambi, Vincent Koch (prop), RG Snyman (lock) and Kwagga Smith (loose forward).

The three backs on the bench are Faf de Klerk (scrumhalf), Lukhanyo Am (centre), and the versatile Damian Willemse.

“This is a quality team that will offer us the skills we need against Argentina,” said Nienaber. “It also contains a good balance of experience and youth, which is vital as we build toward the Rugby World Cup.

“There are only four more matches before we kick off our Rugby World Cup campaign so it’s a fine balancing act to give all the players a chance to stake a claim for places while selecting teams that we believe are best equipped for the opposition we’ll face, and we’re pleased with the way we’ve managed that process up to now.

“Obviously the result in New Zealand was bitterly disappointing, but we came into the season with a plan that will hopefully allow us to select the best possible squad for the World Cup and peak at the right time.”

Nienaber said the team was resolute on bouncing back from their defeat against the All Blacks and to finish the Castle Lager Rugby Championship on a high note. He warned, however, that his charges had to fire from starting whistle, especially given the massive physical onslaught they expected from Argentina.

“The Pumas showed in their last two games that they can be a force to be reckoned with, so we have to be sharp from the get-go, be accurate in our execution on attack and defence, and use the opportunities we create,” said Nienaber. “They pride themselves on their set pieces, they are very dangerous at exploiting your mistakes, and they never stop fighting which makes them a challenging opponent.

“But that said, we know where we went wrong in our last match, and we are determined to correct the wrongs from that day and get our season back on track.

“We are anticipating a hard-fought battle and we know we need to be focused for the full 80 minutes, but we are ready to go out there and give everything.”

Nienaber said the fact that the match would mark their last on home soil this year made the match even more significant for the team.

“We saw in 2019 how passionate the nation is about the Springboks and hopefully we can make this a good send-off for the team,” said Nienaber.

“The support we have enjoyed at Emirates Airline Park in the past has been phenomenal, and although we know our Castle Lager Rugby Championship hopes of are out of hands at the moment, it would be a memorable day if things go our way, and the match proves to be a decider.”

Springbok team to face Argentina in Johannesburg:
15 – Willie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls) – 85 caps, 65 pts (13t)
14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath) – 24 caps, 81 pts (12t, 3c, 5p)
13 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 59 caps, 60 pts (12t)
12 – Damian de Allende (Panasonic Wild Knights) – 71 caps, 45 pts (9t)
11 – Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) – 8 caps, 50 pts (10t)
10 – Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers) – 5 caps, 19 pts (8c, 1p)
9 – Grant Williams (Cell C Sharks) – 3 caps, 0 pts
8 – Duane Vermeulen (captain, SA Rugby) – 67 caps, 15 pts (3t)
7 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 68 caps, 30 pts (6t)
6 – Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 11 caps, 0 pts
5 – Marvin Orie (DHL Stormers) – 12 caps, 0 pts
4 – Eben Etzebeth (Cell C Sharks) – 111 caps, 20 pts (4t)
3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 60 caps, 5 pts (1t)
2 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 60 caps, 75 pts (15t)
1 – Steven Kitshoff (Ulster) – 73 caps, 10 pts (2t)
Replacements:
16 – Bongi Mbonambi (Cell C Sharks) – 58 caps, 60 pts (12t)
17 – Trevor Nyakane (Racing 92) – 59 caps, 5 pts (1t)
18 – Vincent Koch (Cell C Sharks) – 43 caps, 0 pts
19 – Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 32 caps, 20 pts (4t)
20 – RG Snyman (Munster) – 25 caps, 5 pts (1t)
21 – Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles) – 47 caps, 44 pts (5t, 2c, 5p)
22 – Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks) – 33 caps, 30 pts (6t)
23 – Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 29 caps, 36 pts (2t, 4c, 4p, 2d)

Springbok record against Argentina
Played 34; Won 30; Lost 3; Drawn 1; Points for: 1 193, Points against: 657; Tries scored 140, Tries conceded 62; Highest score 73-13; Biggest win 60 points. Win % 88%.

Milestones:
Eben Etzebeth has played in 19 Tests against the Pumas and becomes the first Springbok to play in 20 Test matches against Argentina.
Etzebeth will surpass former Springbok captain and hooker John Smit’s 111 Test caps on Saturday, making him the fourth most capped Springbok.
Malcolm Marx needs one try to equal Schalk Burger’s record of 16 Test tries, the most by a Springbok forward.
Grant Williams will earn his first Test start.

Miscellaneous:
The total Test caps for the Springbok starting line-up is 718.
There are 256 caps in the backline, with 462 caps among the forwards. On the bench there are a further 326 caps.
The average caps per player in the backline is 36, the forwards 57, while the players on the bench average 40.

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Both teams will take the field for the first time this season at Fortress Loftus in a Test which both sides will target for a victory to set the tone for what is a very important season with the Rugby World Cup kicking off in September.

The visitors will have the extra motivation of possibly making history by becoming the first Australian team to win at Loftus Versfeld – a factor the Boks were well aware of.

“A Test against Australia is always big,” said Stick. “The match was sold out a long time ago, and the boys are excited. So it’s going to be a big game.

“They have a strong team and they’ll be up for it. We’ve tried to analyse them and we know what we’ve looked at won’t be 100% correct because Eddie (Jones – Australian coach) can take the players to dark places to get the best out of them.

“Having been involved with the Springboks in 2007 he also knows South Africa’s strengths, so we are expecting to face a team that is highly motivated and who will want to impress Eddie.

“They’ll come to Pretoria wanting to change history.”

Stick, however, said there was an air of excitement in the Bok camp for the clash: “There’s a big feeling of excitement in the squad, especially with it being a Rugby World Cup year. The balance of youth and experience in this team excites me, and there are some guys coming back from injury. So, I like what I’m seeing.

“That said, we know if we are not at our best, it could be a long day because this is a good Australian side and they have a lot of experienced players in the squad,” he added.

With Australia being somewhat of an unknown factor Vermeulen said he and his teammates had to be ready to for anything Australia produced on the day.

“We have to be adaptable,” said Vermeulen. “We have our plan, and they’ll have theirs, but we’ll have to see how things play out and make plans accordingly. It will come down to us stopping what they bring.”

Of being handed the captains armband, Vermeulen said: “It’s unbelievable to have the honour of leading a Springbok team, and we’ll go out there and give our best. There are a few players in the team that have captained their club or franchise teams, so we can make decisions together.”

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Vermeulen leads a team featuring a core of Rugby World Cup winners and talented newcomers – who have excelled at vital moments in the past few seasons – and includes a debutant in former Ireland international lock Jean Kleyn, who will earn his first Springbok Test cap.

Flyhalf Manie Libbok and loose forward Marco van Staden also make their first starts having previously made three and 10 appearances respectively as replacements.

Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber also named 14 players to depart early for New Zealand on Tuesday to acclimatise and maximise the chances of performing well in the first two Tests, separated by seven days, and 12 000km and 10 time zones.

Vermeulen, who captained the Springboks against Argentina and the All Blacks in 2019, takes over the armband from the injured Siya Kolisi, and forms a powerful loose trio against the Wallabies with Pieter-Steph du Toit and Van Staden, while Nienaber selected a front row featuring props Frans Malherbe and Ox Nche, and hooker Bongi Mbonambi. Kleyn partners Marvin Orie at lock.

In the backline, exciting Vodacom Bulls wingers Canan Moodie and Kurt-Lee Arendse will play in front of their home fans with experienced fullback Willie le Roux serving as the last line of defence at fullback while Lukhanyo Am returns for the first time since August to renew a former Cell C Sharks provincial partnership with Andre Esterhuizen.

Libbok is partnered at halfback by scrumhalf Cobus Reinach – who makes his first start since the final match of the 2021 season.

Nienaber opted for a six-two split in favour of the forwards on the bench with the only two backline players; Grant Williams, who will provide cover at scrumhalf and wing, and Damian Willemse who will cover flyhalf, centre and fullback.

Flyhalf Elton Jantjies, prop Trevor Nyakane and scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies will remain with the team to assist in their preparations for Saturday’s season-opener and to provide cover if necessary, meaning the coaches will have a group of 26 players to work with this week.

“Our plan from the outset was to select a squad that we believe has what it takes to beat Australia while at the same time selecting a group of players that could travel to New Zealand to give us the best possible chance to do well in both matches,” said Nienaber.

“Our last Castle Lager Rugby Championship match is in Johannesburg and then we’ll be able to select a squad from our full complement of players.

“This squad features several Rugby World Cup winners and a crop of younger players who have done the job for us at the highest level, and judging by their enthusiasm and high work ethic at training, we know they are the right players for this big task.”

Nienaber was pleased to have a leader of Vermeulen’s calibre to steer the team into battle and said: “We had a few options as potential captains and we have two good leaders in Duane and Lukhanyo, who has been named vice-captain for this match. They are both quality leaders and they’ll have a lot of experience around them on the field, which is fantastic for us as coaches.”

Commenting on the threat Australia posed, Nienaber said: “They are a top-class team and have a great tactician in head coach Eddie Jones.

“This will be the first time we see them play under his leadership in a while, so our focus is mainly on our game and what we would like to do in the match. This game is very important to set the tone for us this season, and we know that regardless of what style of play Australia dishes up it’s going to a physical and hard match.”

The group departing early to New Zealand with a handful of management includes Kolisi, who will continue to work with the medical and conditioning staff on his rehabilitation from a knee surgery. They will be joined early by Nienaber, assistant coach Felix Jones and Director of Rugby, Rassie Erasmus, who will travel to New Zealand immediately after the Australia Test to ensure that the team has a full week of training.

Another 17 or 18 players and team management members will travel to New Zealand on Sunday afternoon. That group of players will be decided following the Test against Australia – based on the team’s needs for the forthcoming Test against New Zealand and player performances against Australia.

The players that will travel to New Zealand on Tuesday are Steven Kitshoff (prop), Malcolm Marx (hooker), Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager (both locks), Franco Mostert and Jean-Luc du Preez (both utility forwards), Kwagga Smith (loose forward), Faf de Klerk (scrumhalf), Cheslin Kolbe and Makazole Mapimpi (both wings), Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel (both centres), and Kolisi.

Jasper Wiese (loose forward) will join those players in New Zealand later in the week following the birth of his child on Monday.

Springbok team to face Australia in Pretoria:
15 – Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz) – 83 caps, 65 pts (13t)
14 – Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – 4 caps, 5 pts (1t)
13 – Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks) – 31 caps, 30 pts (6t)
12 – Andre Esterhuizen (Harlequins) – 11 caps, 0 pts
11 – Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) – 7 caps, 35 pts (7t)
10 – Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers) – 3 caps, 10 pts (5c)
9 – Cobus Reinach (Montpellier) – 24 caps, 45 pts (9t)
8 – Duane Vermeulen (captain, Ulster) – 65 caps, 15 pts (3t)
7 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 66 caps, 25 pts (5t)
6 – Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 10 caps, 0 pts
5 – Marvin Orie (DHL Stormers) – 11 caps, 0 pts
4 – Jean Kleyn (Munster) – uncapped for SA (Ireland 5 caps)
3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 58 caps, 5 pts (1t)
2 – Bongi Mbonambi (Cell C Sharks) – 56 caps, 60 pts (12t)
1 – Ox Nche (Cell C Sharks) – 19 caps, 0 pts

Replacements:
16 – Joseph Dweba (DHL Stormers) – 4 caps, 0 pts
17 – Thomas du Toit (Cell C Sharks) – 15 caps, 0 pts
18 – Vincent Koch (Stade Francais) – 41 caps, 0 pts
19 – RG Snyman (Munster) – 23 caps, 5 pts (1t)
20 – Evan Roos (DHL Stormers) – 3 caps, 0 pts
21 – Deon Fourie (DHL Stormers) – 5 caps, 0 pts
22 – Grant Williams (Cell C Sharks) – 1 cap, 0 pts
23 – Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 27 caps, 36 pts (2t, 4c, 4p, 2d)

Springbok records against Australia
Played 92; Won 49; Lost 40; Drawn 3; Points for: 1 817, Points against: 1 641; Tries scored 212, Tries conceded 168; Highest score 61-22; Biggest win 45 points. Win % 53%.

Milestones:
The Springboks have won all seven Test matches between the teams at Loftus Versfeld since 1963.
The Springboks need two penalty goals to score 200 penalty goals against the Wallabies.
Duane Vermeulen will lead the Springboks for the third time in Saturday’s Test – he led the team on two occasions in 2019 against Argentina and New Zealand.

Miscellaneous:
The total Test caps for the Springbok starting line-up is 448.
There are 163 caps in the backline, with 285 caps among the forwards. On the bench there are a further 119 caps.
The average caps per player in the backline is 23, the forwards 35, while the players on the bench average 14.

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“I haven’t played rugby in South Africa for two years while I was with Ulster in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, and the last time I was in the Cape playing rugby was in 2015. But the minute I walked into the rental shop these two guys immediately recognised me and started talking rugby. I truly believe Nelson Mandela’s quote that sport has the power to change the world, and I believe the Springboks play a massive role in this in South Africa,” says Vermeulen.

And it’s exactly why one of South Africa’s most decorated rugby players is putting everything into making the squad for what will be his final Rugby World Cup before he retires from a game that has been part of his life since the young boy raised by a single mom who dreamt of Springbok glory.

“I’m focused on this Rugby World Cup. If I play, I’ll give it my everything. If I carry a bag or I’m on the bench, I’ll give it my everything. If I’m on the sidelines helping younger players or working like a coach, I’ll give it my everything. I would love to be a part of it and end my career on a proper high.

“Winning the Rugby World Cup is the pinnacle of a player’s career. If I could be part of that again and defend that title with this team, that would be incredible. But I’d also like the opportunity to sign off on my own terms. There are a lot of players that don’t get to sign off on their own terms. For me, I’d like to say farewell to the game in my own significant way. I want to pay homage to the game which has given me so much in my life, and this would be a good way for me to say thank you to rugby. If I’m not selected, it will be tough. But I know that at the end of this year I’m done, and I’ve got a few months to give it my everything, and I won’t hold back. I’m going to push as hard as I can. There is still some fight in me, and I won’t take it easy on the guys challenging in my position.”

Such is Vermeulen’s desire to make this Springbok squad that the man without a top-level team at the moment is considering joining the local Durbell Rugby Club in the Durbanville and Belville region to qualify him for Rugby World Cup selection.

“I believe you need to be affiliated with a club to play in the Rugby World Cup, and I’ve asked the Springbok management if I could be affiliated with Durbell, the rugby club that is a block away from my home. I was offered an extension on my contract with Ulster, but I had a good chat with my wife and said I can only play rugby for so long. There comes a stage in your life when you need to take a step back. I’ve got two boys growing up and I’ve missed out on a lot of family things. So I wanted to come home and be with my family.”

And much like missing his family in the time he has been overseas, Vermeulen says he’s also missed his Springbok family.

“When you’re away from the Springboks and you’re not in the mix anymore you miss that feeling. It’s very special and you can’t really explain it to anybody. It’s something you always want to be a part of. And I like to think I’m always learning more and becoming a better player every day. There are always new tricks of the trade that you pick up in your career. That’s why I’ve really enjoyed playing rugby abroad because you pick up on different styles and you can bring it back.

“I truly believe I can still make a difference on and off the field for the Springboks.”

Photo by Gerhard Duraan/BackpagePix

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