Carr puts his hand up for Italian clash
WHEN SPRINGBOK coach Heyneke Meyer was explaining to Nizaam Carr what he required from him on his Test debut against Italy on Saturday, the Western Province loose forward wasn’t even listening.
And that’s not because he was being cheeky or rude.
“When I got the news yesterday (Tuesday), it was really a dream come true. He (Meyer) spoke about my game and what I must improve on, and I just shut down – I obviously didn’t listen to that as I was so happy that I was going to be on the bench!” Carr said yesterday.
“It’s really an honour and a huge privilege, and I want to do it with lots of pride, and I obviously want to impress the coach when I wear that jersey on Saturday.
“That’s definitely going to be the best day of my career, and something special that I am al- ways going to remember.
“I have contacted my family, and they are over the moon!
“They are just really happy for me and said: ‘Look, things are happening for you, but you are going to have to work harder to stay up there because there are always people wanting to be in your position and in your shoes’.
“But they said (his selection) is unbelievable, as obviously they are also part of my success.”
If the 23-year-old Carr takes to the field on Saturday, he will also become the first Muslim Springbok.
He said that his faith had played a “massive role” in his growth as a rugby player.
“It’s probably why I am playing the way that I am playing. I’m enjoying my rugby because off the field, things are also sorted out. My faith has really picked up massively, and I think that has contributed to the way that I have been playing,” Carr said.
“Probably, if I wasn’t so firm in what I believe in, I wouldn’t have been here at the moment.”
Carr is experiencing his breakthrough season, and his selection is just reward for a stellar year.
But Test rugby is another matter altogether, and Meyer spelled out yesterday what he wants to see from Carr.
“I thought really hard about whether I mustn’t take Duane (Vermeulen) out of it, but you don’t want to go with Oupa (Mohoje at blindside flank), who is still a youngster, and then you would have Nizaam in a big game and he hasn’t played there before against (Italy captain and No 8 Sergio) Parisse, who is one of the