Petersen fulfills childhood dream by becoming Sharks team manager

Henry Pollock's recent clash with disappointed opponents from Leicester during halftime reminded the author of Duane Vermeilain's playful suggestion earlier this year to return from retirement for five minutes to play against a young England player in July.

This incident also brought back memories of an interview with Vermeilain conducted several years ago, which confirmed that these two men are fundamentally different. Vermeilain obviously did not have privileges at birth.

Vermeilain started playing rugby at the age of seven. He did so barefoot in the middle of winter snow in De-Duursend, in the heart of the Western Cape's wine region. At the time, Duane had recently moved to the cold Cape from his hometown of Nelspruit, one of the warmest regions in the country. Being significantly younger than the other players, his small feet trembled during the break. He wanted to come out, but instead, he rubbed his soles with 'Deep Heat' and continued playing.

This was just the beginning for a player who grew into a powerful South African national team fighter. He was nicknamed Thor, The Rock, and Great Duane. It was also at the age of seven that he lost his father to illness and was forced to take responsibility for his family.

Vermeilain recalls: 'When my father died, my mother had a hard time. She worked two jobs to support us. She left early in the morning, and I had to help my sister. I did her hair. She went to school with strange buns, but we managed.' He continues: 'My father played club rugby and played for Boland. I remember how much he loved rugby, and when he died, I decided to go as far as possible in this sport to please him. I knew he was watching from above. I also wanted to make my mother proud.'

This little boy from De-Duursend eventually became one of the most formidable players for the South African national team. However, even by his standards, his return to international rugby at the 2015 World Cup was outstanding. The famous match where Japan beat the 'Boks' in their first game led coach Heineke Meier to say that if there was anything he would change, it would be Vermeilain's selection for that game.

The recipient of the 2014 'South African Player of the Year' award did not play that year after a serious neck injury while playing for the Stormers in Super Rugby. His cervical vertebrae were connected in a hospital in Durban, followed by three months of careful recovery before the World Cup. Despite expectations of an easy victory over the 'Brave Blossoms', he was not included in the squad. To give him another week of recovery, Meier selected Peter-Steph du Toit at flanker on the blind side, Shalqe Burger was moved to number 8, and Francois Roux completed the trio of reserves. Japan's fast play exposed the imbalance in this trio.

Meier condemned his mistake and fielded Vermeilain the following week against tough men at Villa Park in Birmingham. He played all 84 minutes in a 46-6 defeat to the physically strongest team in the world. It was a match worthy of the 'Man of the Match' award in his first rugby after almost a broken neck. The 'Boks' also presented a private award—a hunting knife—to the player who, in their opinion, demonstrated the greatest presence in defense. Vermeilain won this award too.

During Meier's coaching tenure, Vermeilain won so many such knives that Shalqe Burger once joked that Vermeilain could open a gun shop.

After the match against Samoa, Vermeilain noted: 'I wanted to be thrown into deep water. I told the coach about it. I don't want to do trifles on the bench. I knew Samoa would bring out the best in me because I thrive in confrontation. There is an Afrikaans word I like, it's called 'vasbyt'—I can't translate it, but it's something like 'perseverance'. '

Vermeilain possesses an infectious fighting spirit. He becomes the rallying point when things get tough, and his way of breaking through the gain line with the ball in hand and diving into tackles with reckless courage is incredibly inspiring.

When the 'Boks' beat England in the 2019 World Cup final, Vermeilain received the 'Man of the Match' award. In the weeks following the 32-12 victory, Vermeilain shared wonderful thoughts on how the World Cup was won. In his book 'Stronger Together,' he wrote: 'In our squad of 33 players, perhaps four grew up in a 'normal' family environment, without experiencing daily hardships. For the vast majority, this was not reality. Whether in childhood or adulthood, we experienced the kind of trauma that distorts and shapes every cell of ours. Some lost a parent or sibling. Some had no one. Many were forced to become a father figure in a family that depended on them, even if they weren't ready for it.' He added: 'And yet, despite their difficulties, they had the discipline and dedication to succeed in a team environment that rewarded them with the Webb Ellis Cup.'

Vermeilain noted that the players understood that they were united by factors beyond rugby skills. 'I will only confidently go into battle with people who have nothing to lose,' Vermeilain stated. 'These are people who pour their soul into the fight, who tell fate to hell—I am the master of my destiny. When Rasile selects the team, he selects character, or what he calls the 'warrior gene'.' He explained that 'he selects players with a 'never give up' attitude, for whom the struggle for survival and redemption was the default setting from an early age. A coach can teach you to pass and kick the ball, but the warrior gene cannot be instilled in someone who doesn't have it. And this character, this golden thread, ran through our entire squad.'

Vermeilain explains that when Rasile took over as coach in 2018, he was dissatisfied that the players spoke too easily about playing to inspire struggling South Africans. Rasile told the players that they had to earn the right to do so by becoming a winning team. 'South Africa won the World Cup thanks to a squad of men who understood what it meant to fight for something they believed in. This fight was to become the best team in the world. Only then would we have the right to inspire others. We were asked to step out of the spotlight and into the shadow, where champions are separated from mere contenders. And we did it.'

For Vermeilain, the warrior gene did not appear automatically upon putting on the South African national team jersey; he forged it long before he put it on.

This column is based on a chapter from Mike Greenaway's bestseller 'The Fireside Springbok.'

Ten years ago, Gianni Lombard was considered one of the most promising young talents in South African rugby, expected to feature for the Springboks. However, a series of injuries significantly slowed his career progression.

Currently, at the age of 28, the talented playmaker has a new opportunity to establish himself. Sharks coach Jay P Petersen supports him, believing he can change the trajectory of his career starting with the United Rugby Championship match against Cardiff on Friday at Arms Park stadium.

Lombard joined the Sharks after failing to secure a permanent starting position in the Lions. However, injuries to playmakers like Wusi Moyo and Jordan Hendricks have opened up an opportunity for him to make his mark at number 10.

He made a good impression replacing Moyo in the game against the Stormers, and since Hendricks is injured again, Lombard will get another chance to demonstrate his abilities.

Coach's comments on Lombard's chances

Petersen noted: 'It's a big change at number 10, but we hope we can settle into the playmaker role.' He continued, listing previous situations: 'We had Wusi playing at number 10 against the Stormers, and Jordan playing against the Lions, and now we have Gianni.'

The coach added that Moyo's injury against the Stormers and Jordan's against the Lions truly provided Gianni with an opportunity. Petersen highly praised Lombard's preparation: 'He trains well, he tries hard, he behaves well in the group and speaks well, and he has huge experience. He is a gifted player, his fundamentals are good, and I hope the team can help him.'

Lombard possesses the necessary experience. He is a graduate of the Worcester team in the Western Cape, represented SA Schools in three matches in 2016, and later played 10 games for the junior Springboks between 2017 and 2018.

Petersen believes that this playmaker's experience and game understanding could be invaluable as he tries to regain his best form. He also mentioned that despite numerous injuries in the Lions, Lombard possesses great skill and game knowledge.

When the Lions signed Chris Smith from the Bulls, Lombard realized it was time to move on. Petersen concluded: 'I hope the team helps him become himself and play in his style, and gives him something positive to take from the match.'

Lombard will be surrounded by strong players: the Sharks' starting fifteen will include players such as Jayden Hendricks, Andre Esterhuizen, Ethan Hooker, and Edwin van der Merwe, who are part of the Springboks.

Sharks squad

The Sharks starting lineup includes: 15 Zekhetele Siyaya, 14 Edwin van der Merwe, 13 Jurenzo Julius, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Gianni Lombard, 9 Jayden Hendricks, 8 Nick Hatton (captain), 7 Manu Tsituka, 6 Matt Romao, 5 Emile van Heerden, 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Hanro Jacobs, 2 Eduan Swart, 1 Patu Ganyane. Reserves: 16 Ethan Bester, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Stefan Lewis, 20 Vincent Tsituka, 21 Ivan van Zyl, 22 Siyas Masuku, 23 Jaco Williams.

Sharks veteran forward Stefan Lewis stated that the team is on a wave of confidence following a hard-fought victory over Lyon, and they are now preparing for the United Rugby Championship match against Cardiff this Friday.

Speaking to the press ahead of Friday's clash, Lewis shared his impressions of the young Sharks team's character during last week's game in France. The team secured a memorable win by scoring after the final whistle, despite being composed of young players.

Lewis noted: 'To travel to France, into a hostile environment, far from home, and achieve a victory is something special.' He added that sometimes young players do not realize what they have achieved, but for many of them, this will likely be the case. 'But what makes us happy is how we continued to fight despite the score, we led and trailed, and to play a full match in 80 or 82 minutes to score and win with such a young group, I think we can be proud of that and build on it in the future.'

The experienced defensive player emphasized that overcoming difficulties in intense games builds invaluable resilience within the squad: 'When it gets a little tougher, you can remember those victories when you were relentless and fought until the end... and you gain the confidence that you can do it again.'

Summarizing the upcoming game at Cardiff Arms Park on Friday evening, assistant coach Warren Whiteley confirmed that the returning Springboks players have fully integrated into the squad since their arrival on Sunday during the tour.

Addressing the tactical challenges posed by the Welsh team under former Cheetahs defender Cornéel van Zyl, Whiteley highlighted the set-piece battle as a key moment. Whiteley observed: 'This is a quality, strong team, and we know that Cornéel has extensive experience regarding the set-piece, especially in out-of-side play. He is a very insightful out-side coach and very smart. It will be a huge battle, and it will be one of the most important areas of the game.'

The team will also have to cope with Cardiff's 4G artificial turf, a characteristic Lewis admitted players rarely like. Lewis said with a smile: 'I prefer grass. I think there are small nuances regarding the ball bounce being slightly higher... so when there is contact, you need to be more vigilant about placing the ball on the turf, it stays there a bit longer. But ultimately, it is rugby between four lines. You cannot change that; both teams play on the same surface.'

With momentum, growing belief among the young squad, and backing from the national team, Sharks intend to maintain their fast, physical, and tireless style of play under the floodlights in the Welsh capital on Friday evening.