Whiteley no Vermeulen clone

Warren Whiteley has no intention of trying to replicate the bruising, brutal style of Duane Vermeulen. He would much rather just play his own free-running game.

Whiteley, speaking ahead of South Africa's season international against a World XV at Newlands, said you don't just "replace" Vermeulen.

Whiteley was named at No.8 for the Springboks' encounter in Cape Town, after Vermeulen underwent neck surgery earlier this week – with the latter now in a race against time to be fit for the World Cup.

Whiteley, whose two previous appearances for the Boks were a combine 33 minutes as a blindside flank, described as a "fantastic opportunity" his first start in the Green and Gold.

"It is a massive honour to be part of the [Bok] group again," he told a media briefing at the team hotel, adding that the last two years at the Lions have been fantastic and contributed largely to his growth.

However, it is when talk turns to filling the position vacated by Vermeulen that Whiteley steps outside the box of cliches so often associated with these pore-match briefings.

"I'm not going to try to fill his boots," he said of starting at No.8 on Saturday.

"It is nearly impossible, he is a unique player. Over the last two years he's probably been the best No.8 in the world.

"It is important to me to play my natural game, the one I'm comfortable with.

"I just want to do my job and contribute. It is so difficult to compare the two of us – we are completely different players."

Whiteley spoke of his workrate as a strength, both on attack and defence .

Where Vermeulen is a very direct player, who will look to bust down the brick wall in front of him, Whiteley brings a very different skillset.

"On attack I will try and link a lot more, maybe [play] a bit more in the outside channels," Whiteley told the media scrum, adding: "I want to continue to improve, not just establish myself.

"Line-outs have always been important for me as a player. I've always enjoyed the line-out and competing so I'd definitely like to contribute there. That'll be a big part of my game this weekend. Hopefully I can disrupt a few balls."

* Meanwhile rookie prop Vincent Koch is itching to go ahead of his first international, even though he will not earn a Test cap.

As the game is not a capped Test, Koch will have to wait for the Rugby Championship for his first taste of real Test rugby.

However, Koch – who was named on the Bok bench for the World XV encounter – said he was "dumbfounded" when first told he was in the squad.

"It [making the Bok squad] was not part of my goals when I arrived at the Stormers [back in January]," he told the same media scrum.

He also spoke of how much he has learned already, with the help of senior players in the squad.

"If you don't know anything they'll correct you, or if you out of line they will also correct you," he said, adding: "They always share their experiences with us."

The Pumas loosehead prop, who was loaned to the Stormers for this year's Super Rugby competition and impressed to such an extent that he got a Springbok call-up, said he still sees Saturday as a 'Test'.

"Coach Heyneke [Meyer] sees this as a Test. He doesn't see it as a friendly.

"No game for the Boks is a friendly. I know I won't be capped this weekend, but I'm just as excited as I would have been had I received my cap."

Koch said he would not be doing much different as to what worked for him during a successful season at the Stormers.

"The coach said I shouldn't try to do anything different," he said, adding: "I just have to play my game like I did with the Stormers. He said I should just stick to that.

"I was good enough there, and he just wants me to carry that form into the Springboks. So I won't change much, it will be exactly the same as I did at the Stormers."

Koch also admitted that he has his sights set on making the final World Cup squad later this year.

"I think I should just focus on my own stuff, and focus on playing my best everyday like it's the last and just give my all and give him [Meyer] another top player to choose from.

"We are a lot of props at the moment, but we all have a chance and we're all good players and for me to become better I'm going to boost the other props as well.

"So yes, just to be the best I can possibly be for the Boks and for selection."

By Jan de Koning, from the Bok camp

@King365ed

@rugby365com