Why the family of Ulster star Marcell Coetzee drove for eight hours to watch a game of rugby
EIGHT hours of driving may seem like quite the commitment for a game of rugby, but then it’s not every day your son plays his first match on home soil in two and a half years.
The last time Marcell Coetzee took to the field as close to home as he was during Ulster’s win over Southern Kings last weekend was for the Sharks back in 2016, the same night he ruptured his ACL.
The road back has been arduous and required at least three surgeries, a journey full of dark nights and false dawns with just eight games by way of compensation.
In reflective form after his first 80 minutes since that fateful first injury, the 27-yearold said that Sunday meant all the more for having his family there to watch.
“It’s fantastic because you appreciate the little things again,” said the Springbok of his long injury nightmare. “Just being with the squad, having a laugh and things like that.
“And then to have the chance to play in your own country, perfect conditions to play, I’ve been enjoying every second.
“That’s one thing that the injury taught me, to cherish every moment. When you do get an opportunity to take the field, you want to make the most of it.
“I just want to thank my family as well. It’s a long drive from Durban but they decided they wanted to come. My parents, my wife, my sister and my uncle all came so there was a good Ulster fanbase we had there.”
This run of four consecutive games — three in the PRO14 and one preceding friendly — is the most he’s managed since that final injury for the Sharks. His first comeback lasted three and a half games, his second only one.
As such, the building up to Sunday’s 80 minutes was gradual. For a man described by team-mates as being like a caged animal when it came to his desire to get back on the paddock, impatience would have been understandable.
After his previous setbacks, Coetzee was willing to adhere to the long game.
“It was tough that last 20 minutes,” he laughed regarding his wire-to-wire showing. “The lungs were burning a bit but it was good to last the 80 and for the team to win. I just want to help where I can and we’ll build that into the next game.
“There was a plan, the coaches were straight up with me. We were looking at the first game being the warm-up (Wasps) and the plan was always to hit the 80 mark in this game.
“They wanted to ease it up and we always targeted this one. Luckily I got through it without any problems so happy days. I just hope it continues that way.”
That feeling in the lungs likely won’t go away this week though, not with Ulster having travelled yesterday to the altitude of Bloemfontein. They face the Cheetahs on Friday night (6.15pm kick-off UK time) with Coetzee one of the few in the squad with experience of playing that far above sea level.
“The one thing we have to accept is the altitude,” he admitted. “Most of these boys haven’t played in it so that’s a real factor to get over.
“(The altitude) gives you that shortness of breath, getting your first breath. Smarter people than me would know more but once you get a second breath, you’re fine. We’ll get a good blow when we arrive in Bloemfontein and it’s just another animal to face.”
Cheetahs themselves have been a different beast this season. Having made the play-offs from Conference A last season, they have lost their first three games this year amid a huge turnover of players and coaching staff.
While they lost just twice in Bloemfontein during their inaugural PRO14 season, they lost their first home game of the campaign to Glasgow on Saturday, shipping seven tries despite leading at half-time.
Ulster’s showing against Kings wasn’t always pretty but viewed in the wider context of three wins from three, two of them against play-off teams from a year ago, and the province can be confident heading to Free State Stadium.
“When you’re coming out on tour, all the pressure is on that first game to get some
momentum for the next week. The main frustration from the games was the penalties, it just disrupted our momentum,” said Coetzee.
“They were resolute and their defence was strong but we took it on the chin, the leaders were very strong and we still had confidence that we could come back. We just had to keep doing what we were doing. Luckily we got the points in the end, the wall broke. They were resolute, their defence was strong.
“To have three wins now is fantastic, we just want to keep that rolling. We take it week by week and now Kings are done. Cheetahs are a daunting challenge and they’ll want to bounce back. I know the Cheetahs had a bad performance last time out, it didn’t reflect what they’re about. They’re going to be playing twice as hard to prove a point and we have to match that. It’s going to be tough but we have to be professional.”
In the meantime, he is enjoying the trip around his homeland, even if his attempts to pass on some native knowledge has yet to stick with his team-mates.
“I’m trying to help the guys with a bit of Afrikaans but they’re struggling a bit still,” he joked. “It’s nice to see the young guys excited about touring, especially here in South Africa.
“It’s giving everyone a bit of a buzz and means you enjoy it more. It makes you realise how fortunate South Africans are to live in this beautiful country.”