Duane Vermeulen
Springbok No 8 Duane Vermeulen will be hoping for a special performance against Wales when he makes his homecoming appearance in Mbombela on Saturday.
Playing in his 18th Test in the green and gold, Vermeulen missed out on the first ever Springbok match played in the Mpumalanga capital, against Scotland last year, because of injury.
The 28-year-old would return to the place where he took his first steps on the rugby field as a barefoot young boy.
Sport24
“I missed out last year, so hopefully I can get a good start this weekend. I grew up here and I know most of the people and it’s nice to hear and see that the people are coming out in their numbers to watch this Test and I’m just looking forward to it,” Vermeulen said on Tuesday.
“It’s a massive occasion but hopefully it turns out to be a good one.”
On the team’s arrival at the airport in the Lowveld on Sunday, Vermeulen was surprised to receive a warm welcome from his grandparents Daan and Lourencia Robbertse. Driving into the city, posters on lamp posts proclaimed the people of Mbombela – formerly known as Nelspruit – were Vermeulen’s greatest fans.
He would count on some special support from the main stand at the Mbombela Stadium where mother Estelien was assembling a brigade of 109 friends and family members to cheer on her son.
While facing some of the toughest opponents in world rugby was no longer new to Vermeulen, it remained a nerve-racking experience for his mother.
“The stress started from a young age – at Bulletjie rugby level – and it never ends,” Estelien said.
“It is getting better, because when he first toured overseas and he got injured, I just wanted to get onto a plane and go to him.”
Estelien said on Tuesday she knew Duane had had the potential to play rugby at the highest level and she was proud to watch him appearing in the city where it all began.
“He’s been playing from Bulletjie rugby level where he was playing bare feet. He went from Laerskool Nelspruit and Hoerskool Nelspruit to the Pumas, the Cheetahs and onto the Stormers,” she said.
Vermeulen suffered a serious knee injury three years ago which kept him out of contention for the Springbok squad at the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.
However, he did not have to wait much longer before making his Test debut against Australia in Perth on 8 September 2012.
The influential loose forward again suffered a knee injury on the Stormers’ tour of Australasia in 2013 which ruled him out for the June internationals.
Vermeulen made a powerful return during last year’s Rugby Championship and had since taken ownership of the No 8 jersey.
While it seemed unlikely any other player would wrest his starting position away from him any time soon, Vermeulen remained humble in his assessment of his performances at No 8.
“It’s easy to get here, it’s difficult to stay here – you’re never safe,” he said.
“You’ve got to pitch up with that mindset – that you want to be the best and stay in this spot – and not think about losing your place.”
Lekker plek daai, my ou hometown
Nice stadium.
Watched Pirates v Totenham Hotspurs there while on work in Nelspruit couple of years ago.
Wouldn’t mind being there on Saturday
@ Gena_ZA:
hoe was die Rugby gewees?
MacroBok wrote:
Rugby was great thanks, nice (and very steep stadium) will notadonner sit on top after a few too many…
Had terrible seats, right hand bottom corner behind the posts. Seems the was a f-up with Computicket as everyone around us also had tickets on the middle line. Hello Peter should be full of it I think. On the bright side I saw Habana scoring 15 meters in front of me.
Have to admit saw way less intoxicated people there than at other stadiums and the after party lived up to expectations, true Natalians, the people just seemed happy.
BTW no one there thinks Jake White is bad, they actually admires him but do mis running rugby.
Turnout was bad with only 38000 people attending, no idea why as the weather and rugby was brilliant.
Glad I got the opportunity, one of my Bucket List
@ Gena_ZA:
I was in durban when I was 14, 14 years ago to watch wp vs the sharks in the currie cup final was good to watch and for a day I supported wp 😀
Must have been a real fun road trip! and im glad we won.
Im glad the people there got to see some running rugby by the home team for a change.
@ MacroBok:
Weren’t the Sharks still playing Sport Pienaar in those days, until SARU decided to help the poor buggers out, similar to what they are doing with the Kings lately
😀
How good was this opening try in the 2001 Currie Cup final
5 @ MacroBok:
Flok, jy sal my maar OOM MOET begin noem, seuna!
14 Jaar gelede plus nog halfte van 14 jaar gelede, was ek steeds ouer as wat jy nou is!
@ MacroBok:7
At least the better and more deserved team won 😀
And that first try, I would have disallowed it of course on the grounds of a double movement
@ nortierd:
Momeeentum
In other news, the English football team visited a Brazilian orphanage today. “It’s heartbreaking to see their sad and hopeless faces” said little Jose, aged 6
11 @ nortierd:
Bwahahahaha
@ MacroBok:
@7 Hello Nortie, thx for the clip.
How good was John Smit, what a player!
I don’t see any double movement for his try, the first try you referred to, but the final pass to him may well have been forward.
But a great WP win that, Bobby Skinstead at his best!
@ grootblousmile:
Welcome back GrootBlouCrusader!
@ Pietman:
Pietman, if you look at that try through my blue and white glasses, you will even agree that it was a triple movement
😀
@ Pietman:
Vergeet om te se, hello daar
Daai haaimeisies met die borste in Nortie se video het seker al almal teen hierdie tyd al n paar keer geborsvoed en elkeen van hulle sit seker met n tros kleingoed…ek glo nie hulle ‘flash ‘meer so lekker by die rugby deesdae nie…..
14 @ Pietman:
Hellloooooooo Sandsultan,
Jaaaa jong, vryf dit maar in dat ek na ju moes geluister het!
@ nortierd:
Maar dit was n mooi wedstryd daai, Cobus Visagie was een moerse sterk mens….daai Klipwerfmanne van die Hantam is ysters…..WP Nel, Cobus ‘4man’, Gert Kotze, James O’Kennedy en daai ander WP-klong van Calvinia, sy naam vergeet, Wessel iemand?
grootblousmile wrote:
En hierdie Saterdag kuk die All blacks ok, hoor my lied…
Pietman wrote:
Weet nie so mooi van daai een nie, jy kan tog nie 2 keer in week die lotto wen nie, kan jy?
21 @ nortierd:
Janee, nou druk Pietman dit bietjie TE vêr!
@ nortierd:
@ grootblousmile:
Ek se julle!
Kyk weer na daai eerste twee toetse, ABs het dit net-net gemaak…Engelse voorspelers is te goed.
Pietman wrote:
Nie Wessel nie….Attie Strauss wat ek aan gedink het.
@ Pietman:
Ou gesegde ” moenie met Calvinia kak soek soek nie” 😀
Daai jaarlikse vleisfees is vir daai manne net n starter.
@ nortierd:
Praat jy!
Die Jacobi broers kom ook uit daai wereld, nie ver van Calvinia af nie, net onder die berg by Trawal. Net sulke sterk moere daai. Ek sien hulle trokke dikwels op die pad, Jacobi’s Transport.
@ Pietman:
Het al daai trekke gesien
Daai vleisfees is darem maar lekker, ons moet een jaar vir Skoppie soontoe nooi
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