Elrigh Louw has recalled how Duane Vermeulen taught him a harsh lesson during a Vodacom Bulls training session.
Louw arrived at the Bulls in 2020 as a fresh-faced 21-year-old after the collapse of the Southern Kings.
During his early years at Loftus Versfeld, Louw was taken under Vermeulen’s wing, as the Springbok No 8 had joined the Bulls after a stint in Japan.
In a wide-ranging interview with the Vodacom Bulls YouTube channel, Louw recalled how, during a contact training session shortly after he arrived in Pretoria, Vermeulen sat him down.
“It was one of my first training sessions at the Bulls. You want to make a mark and at least show everyone what you’re made of,” Louw started.
“Duane was on defence. I was actually not in the training squad. I was running on the sideline and they said I must come on and train.
“I was quite charged up in the moment. I didn’t know how it works, how the contact level works, but it was actually just meant to be a shoulder check. I got the ball from the No 9 and saw Duane and I just put my shoulder down and ran. I don’t think he would’ve missed the tackle if he was ready for it, but I did run through his shoulder.
“Jake said that Duane should go off and go rest. Duane thought, ‘I’m not going off. Watch me.’ Two plays later I was tackling. It was on the five-metre line, near the tryline. I came around the corner and Duane was there, waiting. It was not a shoulder check anymore. He smashed me. I think he smashed me twice.”
Elrigh Louw explains his first contact session with Duane Vermeulen 😂💪
🎙️ Catch the full episode here: https://t.co/WZdV6IYEwm pic.twitter.com/iXODPlcYrN
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) February 28, 2024
Photo: Lee Warren/Gallo Images