Nortje reaps the rewards of hard work

SPOTLIGHT: Ruan Nortje is ready for a new adventure in his playing career.

Nortje, who played his only Test for the Springboks against Wales in 2022, was included in Rassie Erasmus’ Rugby Championship squad last week after Franco Mostert was ruled out with a leg fracture.

The squad assembled in Johannesburg over the weekend for a short camp before their departure to Australia and it gave Nortje a chance to work with new coaches Tony Brown (backline) and Jerry Flannery (defence) for the first time.

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“It has always been a dream to play for the Springboks and after getting the chance to make my debut in 2022, I’ve been working hard to try to make my way back into the squad,” said Nortje.

“I played with quite a few of the guys in 2022 and being able to play and train with them again is an absolute honour and privilege.

“Obviously the systems have changed quite a lot since the last time I was part of the team, but that excites me even more because I love learning new things and I’ve been enjoying the new aspects of the game the coaches have introduced to the set-up.”

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Nortje added: “It will take time to familiarise myself with the new way of doing things, but the coaches and players have been very helpful and have taken me under their wing.

“I’m certain it will be an easy transition back into the squad.

“Although it is only day one, I am excited about this adventure and getting another chance in the Bok squad.”

Erasmus said the focus at the Johannesburg camp was to get the players back into the swing of things after many of them had a well-deserved 10-day break after being released from camp before the Test against Portugal in Bloemfontein.

He stressed the importance of setting the tone for what he anticipates will be a vastly different challenge in the Southern Hemisphere spectacle.

“The vibe in the camp is fantastic and one can sense the enthusiasm among the players, so the break was beneficial for both the players and coaches,” said Erasmus.

“We worked out our programme in such a way that we could fit in a few gym and training sessions on Monday and Tuesday before we travel on Wednesday.

“Our intention is to acclimatise as quickly as possible in Australia to ensure that we are prepared by the time we slot back into full Test-match mode next week before our opening game of the competition in Brisbane next week Saturday.”

The Springboks will face Australia in Brisbane and Perth on August 10 and 17 respectively, before returning to South Africa to play back-to-back matches against New Zealand on Saturday, August 31 in Johannesburg, and September 7 in Cape Town.

They will then take a short trip to Argentina to face Los Pumas in Santiago on Saturday, September 21, before wrapping up the tournament in Nelspruit against Argentina on Saturday, September 28.

Springbok squad for the Rugby Championship (in alphabetical order):

Forwards: Ben-Jason Dixon (Stormers), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Verblitz), Thomas du Toit (Bath), Eben Etzebeth (Sharks), Johan Grobbelaar (Bulls), Vincent Koch (Sharks), Siya Kolisi (captain – Racing 92), Elrigh Louw (Bulls), Frans Malherbe (Stormers), Malcolm Marx (Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Sharks), Salmaan Moerat (Stormers), Ox Nche (Sharks), Ruan Nortje (Bulls), Kwagga Smith (Blue Revs), RG Snyman (Leinster), Gerhard Steenekamp (Bulls), Marco van Staden (Bulls), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Bulls).

Backs: Lukhanyo Am (Sharks), Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Aphelele Fassi (Sharks), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers), Cheslin Kolbe (Sungoliath), Jesse Kriel (Eagles), Willie le Roux (Bulls), Makazole Mapimpi (Sharks), Manie Libbok (Stormers), Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier), Morne van den Berg (Lions), Grant Williams (Sharks).