IT is over a year since Lood de Jager last played a Test for the Springboks, but he has vowed to return to the green and gold as soon as injury permits because he can’t recall the world champions being in a healthier state.
Rassie Erasmus’ Boks have returned from Australia with a full house of 10 Rugby Championship points, and now host the All Blacks on August 31 and September 7 in Johannesburg and Cape Town respectively.
De Jager suffered a serious shoulder rotator cuff injury a year ago and missed out on the last World Cup, but he is hoping to return to action in January.
He says he has been a frustrated bystander as the Boks grew another arm and a leg under a coaching staff boosted by New Zealander Tony Brown and Irishman Jerry Flannery.
“It is simply wonderful to watch the Boks go from strength to strength,” the 31-year-old said yesterday at a Rugby Championship event in Johannesburg.
“They are in a very good place, and I can’t remember when they were last this healthy.
“The Boks went to Australia with quite a few newcomers and Rassie gave everybody a chance,” De Jager observed.
“I think RG (Snyman) is the only guy who didn’t play and they still beat Australia comfortably away from home, while bringing in youngsters to gain experience.
“But the big thing is this instils competitiveness in the group, and that makes the Boks so much stronger.
“I’m excited for the future of SA rugby, and what the boys are doing at the moment is special.”
For many Springbok matches, De Jager and Eben Etzebeth were the first-choice second row, but while De Jager is stranded on 66 Tests, the resilient Etzebeth is now tied with Bryan Habana on 124 Test caps – and it is only a question of time before he overtakes Victor Matfield (127) as the most capped Bok.
“I truly hope Eben breaks the record because I can’t think of anybody who works harder than he does,” De Jager said.
“I look at Eben’s work ethic, on and off the field. I see a man who works the hardest in the gym and takes his post-match rehab very seriously.
“He looks after himself, and youngsters coming into the squad could not have a better example of what it takes to be a great Springbok.”
De Jager says his injury saw a tendon removed from his shoulder joint.
“The tendon has to heal and reattach to the bone,” he said.
“Timeline-wise, the doctors are saying six to eight months… that would put us between December and February, earliest December, so I will miss all the Test matches for the Springboks this year.
“Hopefully I will have another crack next year. I prefer doing my talking on the field, but injury is part of life – you can only work with what you have in front of you, and my desire and excitement to get back is as real as it ever was.
“I’m hoping that if Rassie picks me again, I can repay him. My luck over the last two years has not been good, but my desire to play for the Boks has only increased.”