Duane Vermeulen And The Search For The Next Great Springbok 8

There comes a time in every player’s career where they begin to realise that their time in the game is running out. Some realise it years before their retirement and are fortunate to make that decision themselves while others are forced into it without notice.

 

At the age of 35, Duane Vermuelen has been luckier than most in that his body hasn’t given up on him and he has been able to recover from his long term injuries and perform at a world-class level at the highest level of all.

 

Nine years ago, Duane Vermeulen finally got his shot in the Green and Gold jersey and while the bold haired Thor lookalike was widely tipped for Springbok stardom, few would have predicted how pivotal he would be.

Fast forward just three years from 2012 and the abrasive no.8 storms off the back of a scrum and produces a wonderful offload to Fourie du Preez to catapult South Africa into a Rugby World Cup semi-final in England. Heartbreak would follow just a week later but if the world didn’t know that Duane Vermeulen was world-class, they did now.   In the years that followed the 2015 Rugby World Cup, South African fans were starved of the world-class no.8 as he swapped the Blue and White hoops of Western Province for the Red and Black of Toulon. Injuries hampered Vermuelen’s test career as he featured in the famous Green and Gold just three times between 2016 and 2017.

 

Vermeulen’s return to the Springbok jumper coincide with the return of Rassie Erasmus to the Springbok fold and Thor quickly became a pivotal part of Rassie and co. plans to win the Rugby World Cup.  A defensive captain on the pitch, Vermeulen also lead the Springboks during the 2019 Rugby Championship, further adding to the long list of attributes that he brings to the Springboks. An obvious selection in the Rugby World Cup squad and the no.8 saves his best performance for the most crucial game, the final. A man of the match performance as the Springboks bullied and outsmarted Eddie Jones’ England.

 

Had he featured against the British and Irish Lions, Vermuelen will have certainly produced at least one man of the match performance, if not three!

 

Now back and raring to tear the Wallabies and All Blacks to pieces, the 54 test cap veteran realizes that he is in the twilight of his career and when quizzed on the possibility of featuring in another Rugby World Cup, he said: “I’ll keep pushing as long as I can until I can’t keep up anymore.

👀 Look who's back in the Springbok mix
🗣️ “My injury was a bit more severe … but now I’m ready to go”
👉 More here: https://t.co/qbgYW1v8QD#StrongerTogether #StrongerForever pic.twitter.com/S46LQoHc0L

— Springboks (@Springboks) September 1, 2021

“I told Jacques I’ll try my best, but if he sees that I can’t keep up, he must sit down with me and tell me it is time to move on.

 

“For now, I am still pushing hard and trying my best with my teammates, and I’m giving my best for my country, and if that pushes me to another Rugby World Cup, then that’s fine with me.”

 

During the Lions Series, the absence of THORmuelen was truly felt and while the likes of Jasper Wiese and Kwagga Smith filled the void admirably they were not quite as impactful as the incumbent.  From the moment he limped off the pitch for the Bulls ahead of the Lions Tour, the question of who replaces Duane has been one that has been hotly debate in the media and around the fire.

 

However, while many are looking for a like for like replacement for Duane, I don’t believe that is the right way of finding the next incumbent. Part of the reason Duane is such a fantastic player is that he is a one in a generation talent. Few players are as physical as he is, few players are as good at ruck time, few players as good in the lineout and few players read the game as he does and even fewer have all of those attributes wrapped in a 6.3ft frame.  While Ardie Savea is a fantastic round player, he is quite as rounded as Kieran Read, the same can be said of Sam Cane in comparison to Richie McCaw.

 

If the history of Springbok no.8s tells us anything it is that whoever is tasked with replacing Duane will have his own spin on the role and will be a fantastic Springbok no.8 in their own right.  A look back and while Duane was injured after the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Warren Whiteley was superb for a struggling Springbok squad and even shone alongside Duane once he returned. Whiteley was highly underrated as a tackling back-rower but had the flair and attacking skillset of a test centre.

 

Before Vermeulen, we had Pierre Spies and while he wasn’t everyone’s cup of tee, few carried the ball into contact as he did. During Spies’ time with the Springboks, Ryan Kankowski proved steady competition with a more flamboyant approach to the game. Even further back, Danie Rossouw was outstanding for the Springboks back in 2007 filling in the no.8 jersey with Wikus van Heerden adding a grunt like alternative.

 

 

Let’s not forget Jacques Cronje who kept the brilliant Joe van Niekerk out of the side for long periods of time and the inside centre like approach to the game Bobby Skinstad brought to the role before him. Stretching even further back and we the classy Gary Teichmann dominating the #8 jumper.  All the above mentioned plus the short cameos in between highlight the conveyor belt of back rowers the Springboks have had and the eras post-Duane era seems to be no different.

 

The available options in the squad highlight the different approaches to the role. Both Jasper Wiese and Kwagga Smith are outstanding ball carriers albeit with opposing styles. Kwagga uses the skills he developed in the sevens game using his footwork and speed while Jasper uses his physicality and subtle shifts in direction to beat defenders. Both players are excellent on defence too. Meanwhile, Dan du Preez brings a more in your face approach looking run through defenders while also providing his supporting players with a neat offload or two.

 

Outside the squad and Marcell Coetzee could hold down the jumper for few years and finally get a well-deserved run in the Springbok squad. Evan Roos has made incredible strides with Western Province and the Stormers (even with Jaden Hendrikse on his back) since making his move from the Sharks. Speaking of the Sharks, Phepsi Buthelezi is another exciting prospect and really showed his quality in the two games against the British and Irish Lions.

 

The gifted ball runner and speedy Francke Horn adds another option to Jacques Nienaber while on the other side of the Jukskei, the Bulls have the abrasive Elrigh Louw in their ranks too who has impressed under Jake White and again all of the players mentioned bring their own twist to the role.

 

Looking abroad and there are even more options. Jaco Coetzee was superb for the Stormers and Western Province before packing his bags to head to Bath while Wiese’s clubmate Hanro Liebenberg has been in outstanding form for Leicester Tigers. A bit more left-field but Hanro’s brother Wiaan has shone for La Rochelle and is also a potential option for the Green and Gold. Juarno Augustus had his ups and downs in Cape Town but a move to England to join the Northampton Saints could be just as beneficial for him as it was for Jasper Wiese.

First Saints outing for Trokkie 🚚

This guy has some serious power 💥 pic.twitter.com/YLtB1ebKc9

— Northampton Saints 😇 (@SaintsRugby) September 4, 2021

Not to forget the likes of Sikhumbuzo Notshe and Hacjivah Dayimani plus the countless talents coming out of the schoolboy rugby factories. A healthy headache for the Springboks coaching team.

 

What bodes well for the men in charge as they search for the next great 8 is that there is just as much talent on the side of the scrum as there is at the back of it. The no.8 is literally the final piece of the pack and one could either build the pack to fit them or pick their man to plug the gaps.

 

If Duane’s time in the Springbok jersey comes to an end before the 2023 Rugby World Cup, the major asset Nienaber has at his disposal is the combination of Siya Kolisi and Pieter-Steph du Toit. The ability of those two players means that Jacques could select any style of no.8 to fit the opposition or enhance the Springboks style of play. Both Kolisi and du Toit are excellent in all departments meaning you could select a no.8 to cover another shortcoming in the pack or add value in another department. Kwagga Smith could come in to add another threat at the breakdown, Jasper Wiese or Marcell Coetzee for a physical ball carrier or Dan du Preez to cover multiple areas.

 

Vermuelen is bound to go down as one of the great Springbok forwards and rightly so. It’s incredibly unlikely that the next in line will have all the attributes that he does but will leave his own mark on the jumper. Best of luck to that man because Duane Vermuelen is an incredibly tough act to follow.