SA teams score with strong swaps, signings
• Duane Vermeulen is the standout returnee, but not enough was made of Jake White’s coup in signing Arno Botha
It was a good weekend for sport globally, with the governments of SA and England announcing professional teams can start their first steps to normalisation by returning to training.
Which brings up the point of where the local teams stand ahead of what should be a strong initial focus on domestic rugby.
Though they did their best to subvert their own best interests with that ridiculous 21-day getout clause offered to the players, the answer is actually positive.
Even the one big loss, that of Lions Springbok Malcolm Marx, may not happen if the Lions’ legal people have their way.
While there are players heading for the departure hall to take up deals they signed before the coronavirus became a reality - and here we refer to Dillyn Leyds, André Esterhuizen and Wilco Louw - there has also been an influx of players to make up for it.
The headline returnee is Duane Vermeulen, who could not have been far behind PieterSteph du Toit when the World Rugby Player of the Year Award was decided. His return to the Bulls will make a big difference to that union.
Vermeulen is not alone among the stars moving to the Bulls, and not enough was made of the Jake White coup in signing Arno Botha.
The Springbok struggled with injury before leaving SA to play in Ireland, but playing for Munster under Johann van Graan he has now started fulfilling his immense potential.
Marcel van der Merwe is also set to bolster the Bulls’ forward resources by returning from Toulon. The stint overseas will have improved Van der Merwe in the same way it did Botha.
White is understood to be speaking to several other overseas-based players and the Bulls’ director of rugby is himself a reason we can say the country’s rugby has gained in terms of manpower, and in this case brain power, during the time of Covid-19.
His signings show promise that he will build the Bulls back into the formidable force SA rugby needs them to be.
VERMEULEN IS NOT ALONE AMONG THE STAR TURNS MOVING TO THE BULLS, NOT ENOUGH WAS MADE OF THE JAKE WHITE COUP IN SIGNING ARNO BOTHA
In a country where most of the coaches are young and inexperienced when it comes to coaching at Super Rugby level, having a well-travelled veteran back to add his coaching gravitas to the local rugby scene is a boost for the local game.
It’s not just at the Bulls that things are looking up. The Sharks did not lose any name players during the 21-day window and have retained the large group of young players that have dominated recent age-group competitions and in time could take the Durban franchise back to the top.
While the Stormers have lost Louw, they look set to gain an even better tight head in the form of Vincent Koch, who made the 2019 Rugby World Cup team ahead of Louw. It is understood the Stormers are near to finalising details of Koch’s return to the country from Saracens to play Super Rugby.
The loss of Leyds will be offset by the signing of the Bulls’ Bok fullback Warrick Gelant and it also looks as if Ruhan Nel will stay, as will Seabelo Senatla. Both are expected to be away for a time in 2021 as they want to be part of the Blitzbok Olympic challenge, which probably explains the Stormers’ interest in the talented young Lions centre Wandisile Simelane.
Simelane had his heart set on moving to Cape Town, but the Lions won the day because they were able to match the Western Province offer, which is what they needed to do to satisfy a clause in Simelane’s contract.
I would like to have seen Simelane go to the Sharks, which was the union he first signed an acceptance of offer with (before the Stormers came knocking). The prospect of Bok star and Sharks captain Lukhanyo Am teaming up with Simelane in the Sharks midfield, with Am moving to inside centre, was an appetising one.
Of course Am is a different player to the man he’d be replacing in the No 2 jersey, Esterhuizen, but that is the reason the switch was appealing.
It would be interesting to see what Am could bring to the Sharks’ attacking dynamic as he does not conform to the typical typeset for an SA No 2, meaning the primary role is to use your bulk to crash the ball up.
Esterhuizen’s size was a big reason the Sharks could get away with a lightweight pack in the recent truncated Super Rugby season, but Am, who has astounding creative ability, could have brought a different dynamic. We are less likely to see that happen now that Simelane is being held to his contract with the Lions.
Overall, though money is a problem, as it is everywhere right now, SA rugby has done well to retain the people needed to sell a high-profile domestic competition.