Cape Town - It might have been a while, but Deon Fourie has still got it.
The Stormers breakdown ace has been named on the Springboks’ bench for their Rugby Championship Test against the Wallabies on Saturday.
Fourie, 35, was a standout for the United Rugby Championship winning Stormers side and thoroughly earned his Bok call-up.
While he played at flank for John Dobson’s team, he has quite a bit of experience at hooker. Therefore, the workhorse has no issues with offering reinforcement in the No 16 jersey.
There have been quite a few throw-in issues at the lineout for the Boks recently and, naturally, Fourie was asked if he is up for the task should he take the field in Sydney.
“I think that’s only a small part of being hooker, there are many more responsibilities to doing that,” Fourie said.
“I have been doing it with the Stormers for quite a while and with the Boks as well (training at hooker). A few years ago in France I played hooker as well.
“I think in my 16 years of playing professionally I have played at hooker more than I have at flank. Like I said, there is more to playing hooker than throw-ins. I have been training at hooker and it has been going well.
“You have to keep your game up and keep doing what you are doing.”
While Fourie is not new to his role this weekend, there is one person who is new to the set-up is exciting utility back Canan Moodie.
The Bulls youngster will make his debut out wide for the Boks on Saturday, and it’s a performance replacement scrumhalf Cobus Reinach, who is back after recovering from a shoulder injury, is excited about.
“With Canan ... what a champ,” Reinach said.
“I think he will be full of confidence, he will know that there are 22 other guys in the team who have his back. It’s going to be a big
one for him.
“He is a young boy, he’s excited. I think we all are exited to see what he can do, so I think he is going to go out there and put in a massive shift.”
Reinach himself is over the moon to return to the fold.
“I am really excited, I can’t sleep at night.I cannot wait to get onto the field. It’s nice to be back, I have been a part of the squad since the beginning, but I can only really jol now,” Reinach said.
With both Handre Pollard and Elton Jantjies out injured, talent packed Damian Willemse will start at No 10.
While he has been a beast at No 15 and when he has come in at 12 this season, Willemse will find himself in the rather unfamiliar role of the Bok general. The Stormers man has shown maturity whenever he has been asked to shift to a different role and is expected to do the same on Saturday.
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