Fouche feels ‘dieplekker' about his Bok future
Having shrugged off his reputation as Frans Malherbe's 'stunt double', tighthead prop Neethling Fouche is excited to carve out his own story with the Springboks.
Fouche made his Bok debut off the bench in the world champions' 54-7 demolition of the Barbarians at Cape Town Stadium last week, and it was everything the 32-year-old dreamt of.
'I know it's a cliche, but you dream of it literally from when you start playing bulletjie [junior] rugby,' he said. 'Yes, it was a Barbarians game, but it felt like a Test match. I know the score was high, but it was still very physical out there.
'Where the Springboks are at the moment, to be able to be part of this story with Coach Rassie [Erasmus] and the team, it's unbelievable.'
'There's a saying in Afrikaans: dieplekker. It's not lekker, it's dieplekker,' Fouche added. 'The whole week was actually just a blur, from the moment I found out I was playing, to the moment you're standing there.
'After that, it's difficult to control your emotions as you're singing the national anthem; literally all of my family was here for the game. As soon as they heard I'm playing, they just booked their tickets all the way from Rustenburg.'
MORE: Rassie told Manie to kick miss
And the occasion wasn't without its lighter moments for the humorous Fouche: 'Firstly, I just didn't want to fall running out on the field like my prop mate, Asa [Asenathi Ntlabakanye]! I don't know if anyone saw that, maybe go and check the highlights. So that was the first focus – not to fall.'
A pivotal roleplayer in the Stormers' Vodacom URC title win in 2021-22, Fouche is a senior figure in their forward pack and a leader. His consistency for the Cape side earned him his first Bok alignment camp call-up last year, followed by a second invitation in March.
However, Fouche's journey to the green and gold hasn't been easy, after injury setbacks and several seasons playing understudy to two-time world cup winner Malherbe at the Stormers.
'I've had a bit of a grondpad [rough road] to get here,' the Grey College alum said. 'The first five, six years out of school, it was a tough time. I was more injured than I wasn't.
'I think the first few years, I was only Frans Malherbe's stunt double! That's how most people knew me, and didn't know my name.
'But with time, you start to carve out your own story. Wilco [Louw] left for overseas and there was a gap, and I decided to put my hand up. Then there's a little voice in your head saying, 'it can happen to you too, just keep working at'.
ALSO: Esterhuizen embraces 'hybrid' role
'So, it makes the lekker feeling I'm experiencing right now just mean so much more.'
The Boks next face Italy on Saturday at Loftus, followed by a second Test against the Azzurri in Gqeberha next week, and a clash with Georgia in Mbombela on July 19.
Fouche faces competition from fellow tightheads Louw, Ntlabakanye and Vincent Koch, but he's embracing the challenge under the tutelage of Bok scrum guru Daan Human.
With Malherbe struggling with a back injury, Erasmus must explore alternatives, and Fouche is now in that conversation as the Bok chief plans for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
'The last two-and-a-half weeks were tough, but it's also good to get through it, it gives you confidence. I'm also a bit older now, and feel like I have something to contribute to the team,' he said.
'I just keep my head down, as Coach Daan says. Every week Coach Daan gives you a challenge, which makes you better, and I'm looking forward to this week's challenge.'
The post Fouche feels 'dieplekker' about his Bok future appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel.
Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
41 minutes ago
- The Citizen
SA vs Italy: Springboks expect tough time in scrum battle
The Springboks have highlighted that Italy's scrum was statistically better than Ireland's and Scotland's in the Six Nations. Italy's scrum coach Andrea Moretti cheers on his players during their 76–3 win over Namibia in Windhoek on the weekend. Picture: Floris van Schouwenburg/Gallo Images The Springboks say they will respect Italy's scrum pack, which was statistically better than Ireland's and Scotland's in the Six Nations. Although the Italians finished fifth in this year's European competition with just one emphatic win against Wales, they ended with an impressive 75.68% scrum win percentage. At the same time, Ireland had 75% and Scotland had 70.37%. Springbok forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels and assistant coach Daan Human reflected on this as they prepared for the first of two Test matches against Italy at Loftus on Saturday. 'They feed off their scrums' Wessels, at 24 and only having three Test caps, is still somewhat wet behind the ears when it comes to international rugby. But he had his share of packing down against Italian sides Benetton and Zebre during the Bulls' United Rugby Championship campaign. Benneton had a decent URC, just missing the playoffs and finishing 10th with nine wins (including victories against Glasgow Warriors, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Ulster and the Sharks). Zebre had a much-improved URC, winning five games (Edinburgh, Ulster and Munster included) to finish one up from the bottom, where they ended last season. Wessels said the Bulls had done much analysis on the two teams which Italy's national squad were drawn from. 'They feed off their scrums. I think they get a lot of energy out of it, and it's a good base for them to play from,' Wessels said. He said Benetton especially wanted to stay in the scrum for as long as possible. 'They scrum for penalties, they don't scrum to get away from it. They are up for the fight in scrum time.' Springboks say Italy have a 'proper scrumming pack' Looking at the national team, Italy are likewise much improved from a few years back. They beat Namibia 73–6 at the weekend. Also, since the beginning of last year, they have beaten Wales (twice), Georgia, Japan, Tonga and Scotland, drawn to France and lost to Ireland by five points and England by three. Human described Italy as a 'proper scrumming pack' and said the Springboks would respect them whoever they picked. Wessels added, 'We respect them, Italy and Georgia have great scrums so we want to improve during the week and make sure we are as ready as possible when the weekend comes.' Wessels added it would not be an easy game against Italy, and the Springboks were hoping to play in front of a sold-out crowd in Pretoria.
IOL News
an hour ago
- IOL News
Esterhuizen's role at flank means anything is possible for the Springbok Bomb Squad
Andre Esterhuizen is learning scrum-craft from Springboks assistant coach Daan Human. Photo: Backpagepix Image: Backpagepix Springbok scrum coach Daan Human looked nervous when asked if the invention of Andre Esterhuizen as a centre-cum-flank has opened up the door for an 8-0 Bomb Squad, but he did not discount the possibility. Esterhuizen was a flank at school before moving to the backline and now the leftfield thinking of Rassie Erasmus has him going full circle. He is a prime slab of Klerksdorp beef at 113kg and 1.92m, and at age 31, he still has plenty of miles on the clock, especially if he makes a success of his transition to a 'hybrid' role of the ultimate utility-player. There are very few, if any, other international backs who are comfortable roving between the forwards and the backline. Former Lions centre Marius Louw moved from flank at Grey College to centre at the Sharks, but it seldom happens the other way around. Erasmus probably got the idea from seeing Esterhuizen moving to flank for the Sharks during a few crisis matches this season when their pack was suddenly depleted by yellow cards or injuries. 'Andre is potentially becoming vital for us. He is as big, if not bigger than some of our flanks,' Human said, at a press conference ahead of Saturday's first Test against Italy in Pretoria. 'He is definitely bigger than Kwagga (Smith). I'm very happy with his bulk. He went well for the first time at this level (against the Barbarians last week). 'We are teaching him to get better, especially at scrum-time. I really hope he makes it his own position. There are technical areas that need work, especially in terms of his role in the mauling.' Springboks assistant coach Daan Human. Photo: Backpagepix Image: Backpagepix Human, who is known for his quick wit, was asked of Esterhuizen had cracked the nod to his scrum farm, which is rapidly growing in fame, notably after he helped Asenathi Ntlabakanye shed 18kg ahead of his Bok debut last week. Human lives on his farm near Bloemfontein. 'Andre hasn't gone to the farm, he hasn't got the invite yet, but maybe I will make a plan soon,' Human smiled.' With Esterhuizen on the Bok bench covering centre and flank, a new world of possibilities is opening up for the innovative South Africans. Is there a chance of a Bok bench with eight forwards? 'When those questions come my way, I try to make it sweet and short, and pass it on to Rassie,' Human grinned. 'Look, I think Andre can contribute as a back or forward, whether it is 8-0, 7-1, 6-2, or even 4-4, which is also doable. At the moment, if it is helping the Boks make the country better, then we are happy with the decision.' Human was asked to explain what goes on at his farm when certain players are invited. 'If you want to scrum, you must be conditioned to scrum, so there is a bit of conditioning,' he said. 'It is not actually about weight loss (in the case of Ntlabakanye), it is mostly about getting better come scrum time. 'We focus on the fundamentals of the scrum. You can't work on scrumming by yourself and I don't believe you can improve on a scrum machine.' Human revelaed he invites players who are on the periphery of the Springboks and improves them so that if and when they get the call-up, they are not far off the pace. 'We want to keep growing our player base. The bigger the base, the more choices you have. "We want to improve as many players as possible to the point where they are not far off your first and second choices. Then, when they come into the system, there is not too much of a gap.'
The South African
11 hours ago
- The South African
Jesse Kriel - Is Springbok star single or married?
Jesse Kriel is the man of the moment after successfully captaining the Springboks to a 54-7 victory over the Barbarians over the weekend. The question for many female fans remains – is he single or does he have a wife? The 31-year-old is known for his fit physique, multilingual talents, and his 'nice guy' personality. With many of the Springbok players being husbands and fathers, female admirers want to know if good-looking Jess Kriel is single or married. Jesse – whose twin is fellow rugby player, Dan – is not married but has been in a long-term relationship with his partner, Hope Mortimer. Hope – a chartered accountant – started dating the Bok in 2018. Their first Instagram picture together was posted at an official Springbo event that year. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hope Mortimer (@hopemort) In 2020, a loved-up Jesse posted about his partner: 'A million times over. I will always choose you'. Jesse Kriel and his long-term partner, Hope Mortimer. Image via Instagram: @jessekriel15 Jess Kriel's leadership skills last week are unlikely to continue this weekend, as captain Siya Kolisi is set to return to the Springboks' game against Italy in Loftus. However, according to Rugby365, Jesse's performance could 'catapult him into long‑term leadership discussions'. According to coach Rassie Erasmus, Jesse – who is vice captain – will step in for Siya during non-selection. Speaking at the Boks' first alignment camp this year, Rassie confirmed that Siya would 'not play all the matches this year.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
