Whiteley’s leap of faith
The Springbok bar appears to be raised and erstwhile captain Warren Whiteley knows to get back in he will have to leap higher than before.
“When I’m deserving of another shot at international level I want to be better than what I was before the injury‚ or even last year when I played for the Springboks‚” Whiteley said on Tuesday.
The last time he played for the Springboks he led the team against France in 2017, before an abdominal and groin injury and back-to-back knee ligament tears rendered him unavailable to the national cause.
In his absence in 2018, Siya Kolisi has taken over the Bok captaincy‚ while Duane Vermeulen has made some forceful contributions from the back of the Bok scrum.
Unless deployed in a different position, Whiteley knows he has to dislodge Vermeulen‚ who is unavailable for the Rugby Championship‚ before he can even consider taking the captaincy reins again.
“I’ve got a good relationship with Duane‚” said Whiteley. “I made my debut in 2014 when I think he was nominated for World Rugby player of the year.
“I have a lot of respect for him and obviously he’s a guy I have looked up to my whole career. There is great competition throughout the group.
“We are completely different players. I stick to what I do best and I try and be myself.”
Watching from a distance as a new wave of optimism swept South African rugby must have left Whiteley with mixed emotions. “It was difficult‚ but also nice to see how your mates like Sous [Franco Mostert] played.
“How a guy like AP [Aphiwe Dyantyi] made his debut and scoring try. When the Boks win we are all happy‚ aren’t we? The whole country is. That is what is special about that team.
“It is difficult to watch. My wife would turn to me after the game and ask: ‘are you okay?’ I’d say ‘I’m fine‚ I’m fine.’
“But I missed it. You want to be part of it and contribute. You want to feel that way. You want to work flippin’ hard to get there. That’s the goal.”
Whiteley predicted he should return to optimum match fitness in about three weeks. “After the Sharks we have that break‚” he said about this weekend’s Super Rugby match in Durban. “Around the time we play the Bulls, I’d say. Obviously I’m going to work as hard as I can to be the best I can be.
“It is step for step and week for week. Last weekend was my first game. Obviously, the Sharks will be more intense. There will be greater physicality. I want to get to that stage where I contribute in the way I can … then it is out of my hands.”
Whiteley is committed to the South African cause and is in negotiations with SA Rugby over a Springbok contract.
“It’s different for everyone‚” he said about players’ decisions to play abroad. “Everyone is in a different stage of their career.
“That we stayed together for four‚ five years [at the Lions] is unheard of in South Africa. That is testament to the culture we have here. The environment we have created. The players want to stay. I would like to stay.
“That is my decision. Some guys are fortunate enough to get Springbok contracts. Those guys are more likely to stay in SA.
“When you get to my age‚ 30‚ other things influence your decisions. I was fortunate to be able to negotiate with SA Rugby. I’m grateful for that.”