ADVERSITY TYED US CLOSER
Axel set this journey in motion... now we will finish the job for him
TRAGEDY has stalked Tyler Bleyendaal so far in his career but he believes that out of adversity can be forged strength.
Before moving to Ireland, he was a youngster in the Crusaders squad when the 2011 earthquake hit the club’s native Christchurch. When he subsequently landed in Limerick at the start of 2015, it took 18 months for the Kiwi out-half ’s Munster career to take off after neck and quad injuries. And then of course he was in the Munster squad in Paris in mid-october last year when the players learned that their coach Anthony Foley, above, had passed away. Ahead of Saturday’s PRO12 final against the Scarlets, Bleyendaal is thankful for the structures the province has established. Those structures helped all involved to deal with the shock of losing such a totemic figure. “From pre-season when Axel was here, the coaching group were very much aligned and we were building towards what we have now,” said Bleyendaal. “So when that tragedy occurred and Axel passed we were already together, already a tight group. “The way Rassie (Erasmus) led us and took all the heat off us with the media, the way he handled things, it allowed us to go about our business. “We didn’t know how we were going to react. I don’t think anyone knows how you’re going to respond to a tragedy like that. “But as we got through the first game and all the emotion, we had a stretch where we just gave it everything. “That’s just reaffirmed what we’re built on – that hard work and the no-nonsense stuff. “That helped us get through that period, which I hope no-one ever has to go through.” The 26-year-old had already been forced to deal with the trauma that enveloped Christchurch when the earth shook, buildings fell and 185 people were killed, inset. “It was more a case of the whole city was affected,” Bleyendaal said. “We lost our home ground, we lost material things and there were families affected that had personal loss as well. “As a rugby team we then had the responsibly and the privilege to galvanise the town. “We were what they could get some joy out of in a pretty tough time. You’ve just got to find that focus within your group. “Sometimes you just get on with that job and it’s almost a distraction, a good one at that. “It was a club built on pretty solid foundations, similar to Munster. That’s why those clubs have been strong.” Bleyendaal returns to Christchurch immediately after the PRO12 decider at the Aviva Stadium to get married. But his immediate focus is on Scarlets. “We’re in a 50-50 battle, obviously we’re going to do our best to win,” Bleyendaal said. “But weeks down the track we can say we had a decent season, top four in Europe and the last two in the PRO12. “Rassie took his time in learning about everyone here and then implemented a plan we could build on for years, not just now. It’s not just a one hit wonder. “I’d be confident we can develop certain aspects and improve. We’ve come through adversity and there’s been a lot of emotion. Definitely something to build on.”