Bok brothers nearly reunited

It was a case of “touch and go” late last year, with veteran Springbok hooker Bismarck du Plessis nearly having joined the Lions, his brother and former Bok prop Jannie du Plessis has revealed.

The two siblings’ careers had been intertwined ever since Jannie followed Bismarck to the Sharks in 2008, shortly after he won the Currie Cup with the Cheetahs in 2007.

Jannie went on to earn 119 Super Rugby caps and Bismarck 131, while 37-year-old Jannie earned 70 Bok caps and 36-year-old Bismarck secured 79 caps, with both playing their last Test matches at the 2015 World Cup.

They played for years together at the Sharks and the Boks, and then both decided to further their careers at Montpellier in France where they competed under new Bulls coach Jake White.

“When I decided to move to the Lions late last year I was positive that Bismarck would also join me there,” Jannie said.

“I was confident I would have been able to convince him to make the move.”

Jannie, however, was away in Nooitgedacht when he heard that Bismarck had signed a two-year extension to his contract at Montpellier.

“I was really disappointed at the time when I heard he extended his contract, as I know he went ahead to sign because he knew I would have convinced him to come to the Lions,” he said.

“But I think eventually he sought job security because of the uncertainty of the future of Super Rugby in the country, and he needed that sort of certainty in his life.”

While the Lions have two talented hookers in Pieter Jansen and Jan-Henning Campher, Jannie said he had always enjoyed playing next to his brother.

“I do believe he would have loved what I’m experiencing at the Lions.”

Meanwhile, Jannie admitted there was a feeling of uncertainty around the domestic game, which was not expected to restart before August, while a move away from Super Rugby remained a hot talking point.

He was nonetheless trying to keep busy while using his medical qualifications to assist during the national lockdown.

“While I am a medical doctor I don’t have a medical practice at the moment, but I try to be of assistance to anybody who requires medical care. I want to help,” Jannie said.

“When the lockdown was first announced, I don’t think anybody could have predicted it would last this long.”