Duane Vermeulen picked up some tips sitting in the coaches’ box for the Boks’ World Cup loss to Ireland, but the veteran loose forward is eager to face Tonga on Sunday.
As director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus, along with head coach Jacques Nienaber, actively encourage Springbok players to attend coach meetings and, in this case, make the transition to the tribune.
“It’s good for us as coaches to sometimes have a player there because they give us a different perspective of how our communication is within the team,” said Nienaber.
“They get a sense of the sometimes frustration that coaches are under in a coaches’ box. That grows them as a player.”
Vermeulen, Man of the Match when the Boks beat England to win the 2019 World Cup final, described watching the 13-8 defeat by Ireland from the stands as “crazy”.
“It was nice to be up there, but it’s also daunting to be up there. I actually enjoyed it, it was good fun,” said the 37-year-old.
LISTEN: Why World Rugby is a joke
MORE: Duane provides Boks with fresh ‘Flo’
The robust No 8 said the mingling between coaches and players offered “a nice dynamic”.
“We learn a little bit, but they also see how we might think about the game.”
But Vermeulen, who has played club rugby for Toulon, Kubota Spears and Ulster, outside South Africa, added: “I would definitely love to be on the pitch, that’s the most important thing, that’s what it’s all about.
“The worst thing was just sitting there and you can’t do anything. When you’re on the pitch you’re still part of the game, you can still make a change or change the outcome of the game.
“At the top, you give the players the info and what you want and what you see, then it’s up to the guys on the field.
“I would still prefer to be on the pitch as much as I can!”
KEO: Fourie’s story a ‘rugby romance’
Speaking in a Bok conference on Friday, Nienaber was reticent to comment on a possible move into coaching for Vermeulen, but the grizzled campaigner hints that he would be interested, although stressing that his playing days were not yet up.
“Two years ago, I probably would have said no,” he said. “When you finish, you think like you want to give back to the younger guys.
“If the opportunity arises and there’s a possibility, I would love to stay in the game and help the younger guys. I love this game and it’s difficult to step away once you’ve been in this long: 19 years playing as a professional.
“It’s been a good run and it’s not the end yet. Hopefully there’s more to come.”
Vermeulen will don the No 7 jumper against Tonga on Sunday, but insisted the number was irrelevant. “I’m part of loose trio,” he said. “It’s not a big shift, just a change of number.”
© Agence France-Presse
Photo: Gavin Barker/BackpagePix