Jasper Wiese is relishing the battle for the Springbok No 8 jersey with veteran Duane Vermeulen, who the younger back-row bruiser is thrilled to see “playing very good rugby”.
Wiese started in the win against Argentina on Saturday, while Vermeulen was one of 16 players who did not travel to Buenos Aires and remained in Johannesburg, where they were training under director of rugby Rassie Erasmus.
There had been plenty of speculation over Vermeulen’s role with the world champions in 2023, given that Wiese and Evan Roos had leapfrogged the grizzled campaigner in the pecking order after being rested for the last end-of-year tour.
But, Vermeulen returned to Test rugby with aplomb this year, captaining South Africa to wins over Australia and Argentina, and looks set to be unveiled with Wiese on Tuesday in the 33-man squad for the showpiece in France.
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And, Wiese couldn’t be happier for the 37-year-old hard man, saying: “It’s not about you as an individual player, it’s about the team. Duane is playing very good rugby. I am very happy for him. We try to help each other as much as possible. It’s incredibly nice to see.
“He has a calmness in his game that any player can learn from. He has an aura and you respect him. Plus, he’s a genuinely good guy.
“Something you can learn from him is to always stay calm, no matter what the situation is in the game.
“I will say we are friends. We are in a good team environment. Me, Duane and Evan push each other hard for position. It’s healthy competition.”
On whether he has done enough to clinch a spot in the Bok contingent chosen to defend the World Cup, the 27-year-old loose forward added: “The World Cup is the highlight of any player’s career.
“Any player is desperate to get into that World Cup squad. You will do anything possible to get into the group.”
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