Vermeulen ‘pumped’ to play his part for Boks
DUANE Vermeulen’s waterboy duties during the Springboks’ recent victories over Argentina have got him pumping with enthusiasm to get back on the field for the Rugby Championship fixtures against Australia and New Zealand.
Vermeulen suffered a serious ankle injury playing for the Bulls in June and it is only now that he’s with the Boks in Brisbane that he is ready to pull on the No 8 jersey.
And he is so revved up that he says he has no plans of retiring any time soon, and that the 2023 World Cup is not an impossibility.
Speaking from the Boks’ base near Brisbane, where they are in quarantine ahead of their match against the Wallabies next Sunday, the 35-year-old said he had overcome the disappointment of missing out on playing against the British & Irish Lions.
“It was a very tough one as playing them was one last tick on my bucket list that I wanted,” Vermeulen said.
“But at least I was with the squad for the last Test, and that gave me a taste of how tough the series was. The transition from waterboy (to being fit to play) has got me pumped to get on the field and play my part.”
Vermeulen said his ankle injury was more severe than anyone, including himself, realised.
“I had hoped to make the first Test against the Lions, I gave it my all, but I could feel I was not ready, and I told Jacques (Nienaber, Bok coach) I would drop the guys if I tried to play,” Vermeulen said.
“It was the right decision. I had to heal completely to be fully ready for the Rugby Championship.
“It was very difficult to sit on the side, but when I started running water I felt more involved. You can get into the coach’s head and be an extra voice. You can give the guys some advice from what you have seen from the outside. It was a nice way to get closer to the action.”
He said he also spent time mentoring his replacement Jasper Wiese.
“I played one game against Jasper when he was with the Cheetahs and he gave me a tough time, and then he went abroad and has played exceptionally well for Leicester, and he fully deserved to be called up to the Boks,” he said.
“It has been nice to have him fill my boots; he stepped up, and hopefully now he can also share some tips with me!”
Vermeulen was asked how much longer he wanted to play.
“You keep pushing for as long as you can, until you can’t keep up anymore,” he said.
“I told Jacques I will keep giving my best, but that if he sees I am falling behind the pace of the game, then they have to let me know and tell me my time is up.
“Until then, I am still pushing to stay with my teammates and represent my country as best I can.
“So I am looking at what is in front of me now, and who knows if that ends up taking me to another World Cup.”