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Joe van Niekerk names the moment he felt he belonged as a Springbok

The scrum cap-wearing Joe van Niekerk gets stuck into the 2002 All Blacks in Durban (Photo by Dave Rogers/Getty Images)

Former Springboks back-rower Joe van Niekerk has named the Test match where he first felt he belonged on the international rugby stage. The retired 44-year-old debuted for his country in 2001 but it wasn’t until the following year that he finally became comfortable in the South Africa jersey.

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Appearing on the Kick Offs and Kick Ons podcast with show regulars Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell and Adam Ashley-Cooper, van Niekerk was asked for his favourite rugby memory, the favourite game for him as a Test player where it made him feel like he finally belonged in the Test arena.

The 52-cap international quickly referenced the 2002 Rugby Championship match that became infamous for a drunken South African fan storming the Kings Park pitch and assaulting Irish referee David McHugh. Explaining his choice, van Niekerk said: “I would probably say when I first came onto the scene, 2001, 2002, I really started to just feel the flow and get into it. I remember a match down in Durban against All Blacks.

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    “We lost that Test match very slightly, it was that Test match where the guy ran on and he connected the referee. Do you remember that one? That was like everything is going and even with that antics of what happened, that was just like I’m in the flow man. You know that is just the best.”

    The South African, who retired from playing in 2014 following a successful stint at Toulon where Giteau and Mitchell were two of his trophy-winning teammates, spoke at length on the show about his ‘Jungle Joe’ adventures living in Costa Rica and his current life now back home as an holistic health mentor and bodywork practitioner.

     

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    The three retired Wallabies were also asked the same question: what was the moment they felt they belonged in the Test-level arena. Giteau reckoned: “Mine was 2004 in Twickenham. Stephen Larkham got injured. Before that I just come on and play 20 minutes here, 10 minutes here, maybe start against an easier opposition so you never really felt like you could impose yourself in the Test arena. But 2004 at Twickenham, the end of our tour, Stephen Larkham got injured the week before but he hung around, he was like our backs coach to help. Elton Flatley was 10, I was 12.

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    “Elton got injured early, I moved into 10 and we ended up winning and I had a hand in helping us, guide us around the field and I felt confident, I felt like I was actually could add the same way I do in Super Rugby. Super Rugby when you can make an impact there and you have make that same impact at the Test arena is when you start to feel like you belong. That was definitely my one.”

    Mitchell followed: “The game where I felt like I could be in this arena and at this level was probably my first start for the Wallabies which was my third Test. I was starting at full-back against the All Blacks here in Sydney. Tana Umaga was captain of the All Blacks and he was naming me in the press saying they were going to pepper this young guy with high balls all night.

    “I went out and it was the first time in a senior level game I faced the haka and the anthems and it was about 20 minutes in, we had a centrefield scrum, we ran to the left and I went through and palmed Dan Carter, stepped the full-back Mils (Muliaina) and then Jerry Collins tackled me from behind which actually helped me because we then both slid over and I scored a try.

    “But then I went back to halfway and it was like almost all those anxieties and nerves just hit me at once and I just vomited on halfway and I just though now I can actually relax in this position.

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    “I had just bottled up and surpressed all these nerves and anxieties around whether I could match it at that level and then I felt having a moment like that in that arena, I just went okay, now you can just calm into your position and be confident that you can do something at this level.”

    Ashley-Cooper said: “Mine was 2007 against the All Blacks. Even though I debuted in ’05, played a series of Australia A games and I started a couple of games prior to this Test at the MCG in Melbourne in front of 80,000, 90,000. So it was the first start against the All Blacks and there was a bit of controversy around my selection.

    “Drew was kind enough to forgo his starting position sit on the pine so I could have a bit of a crack. We ended going on to win that game. I scored a try but just the fact that it was in front of a huge audience, it was against one of the best teams in the world, I got some meat, I guess it was that moment when you go maybe I do belong here and once you start to believe it’s a very powerful tool and things started to progress for me.”

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    Spew_81 3 hours ago
    'He wants players to be able to play four positions': Former All Black critiques Robertson's strategy

    I have the selection opinion of ‘chuck them in the deep end, see if they swim’. Starting Mo’unga in the third test, in a series they had already won, would’ve been a perfect opportunity.


    I also made it clear I would’ve kept Cruden in the mix, up until the end of RWC 2019. As he was a game manager. He isn’t Mo’unga which disproves your statement: “or should I say anyone not Mo’unga”. I would’ve had Mo’unga in the wider training group and in the end of year tours. At 10 I would’ve had: Cruden, B Barrett, and McKenzie (as McKenzie can cover: 9, 10, 14, and 15); but as Cruden was out of favour and departed, I would’ve had Mo’unga, B Barrett, and McKenzie as the 10 hierarchy; as Mo’unga is a game manager.


    McKenzie had to have made his intentions clear that he wanted to transfer to 10 at least as far back as 2018. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have played at 10 for the Chiefs in 2018. The Chiefs had other options at 10. Why play someone out of position in Super Rugby, when they didn’t have to - unless McKenzie wanted to be the All Blacks 10 after B Barrett left? McKenzie played 10 in high school and never hid the fact that he wanted to have a shot at 10 and the highest level (nothing wrong with that). Also, McKenzie played 10 for the Maori All Blacks earlier in 2017:


    [January 18, 2018] “It [10] has been a position I've always played and in the last few years I've played at 15, but now there is the opportunity to play at 10 and its one I'm looking forward too.


    Damian McKenzie targets first-five role for Chiefs ahead of Super Rugby season | Stuff


    Hansen seemed to think that McKenzie was a valid option at 10: “In World Cup squads, versatility is king. McKenzie's Test career has been at fullback; next year at the Chiefs he will be their first-choice fly-half”.


    'When you're afraid you start second guessing yourself' - The Damian McKenzie All Blacks Interview - ESPN


    It makes sense that Hansen and Foster’s logic was that McKenzie would follow the same path as B Barrett did to the 10 jersey for the All Blacks; from 15 to 10.


    Why would McKenzie move positions from 15 to 10 at Super Rugby level, if he didn’t want to play 10 for the All Blacks? Just to be a better ‘dual playmaker’? He clearly wanted the All Blacks 10 jersey (nothing wrong with that). Hansen wanted a dual playmaker system, that’s why he wanted two 10’s that could play 15. It removes the need for a 10 on the bench (Cruden or Mo’unga) that’s why Hansen didn’t give Cruden a real shot at reclaiming the 10 jersey, and why he didn’t develop Mo’unga - until McKenzie got injured out of RWC 2019. This all fits the established narrative. Hansen could’ve had Mo’unga at 10 and B Barrett at 15 and had two pivots with different styles.


    I brought it up as I it shows that Hansen and Foster would rather have a second 10, that played like the incumbent 10, instead of a game manager at 10. That was one of my main points. I’m saying that was the reason why Mo’unga wasn’t given a proper chance to develop into the international 10 he could’ve been.


    All I’ve said is that I don’t think Hansen and Foster made the best choice, in hindsight. One of each type of 10 would’ve offered more options, making the job harder for opposition defense coaches. But without the benefit of parallel universes, where all the alternative ideas could play out, no one will really know.


    I believe what the information shows, and what seems to be plausible, based on that information. There can be many, sometimes contradictory, conclusions that can be drawn from the same information. Without reading the minds of all involved we can just speculate based of the information that we have.


    I brought those facts up to as I believe that both Hansen and Foster didn’t really want Mo’unga at 10 and only used him at 10 when they ran out of other ideas (which they both did). Foster and Hansen would’ve had long term planning discussions while Hansen was the main coach and Foster was the assistant. The next 10, after B Barrett would’ve been discussed during the 2016-2019 cycle as B Barrett (while very good) didn’t have the ability to consistently manage the really tight games (I’m not sure any 10, even Carter, could do it alone against the developed rush defenses that are common now). Also, as with any long term planning, they would’ve been thinking about B Barrett’s eventual replacement. They seemed to want another player who played like B Barrett.


    Hansen and Foster seemed to be grooming McKenzie as the replacement 10. No wonder Mo’unga chose not to die for the team, and made sure he would be set for life by the time RWC 2027 comes around.


    I have shown my reasoning and the information that led to those conclusions. If you have contrary information, post it, I’d be interested to see it. I’m happy to change my mind. I am very interested to discuss this type of thing, especially when someone has different views. It makes the discussion more interesting. I am happy to agree to disagree on this. You make some good comments, I’m sure we will sometimes agree and sometimes disagree in future :)


    [Bonus Comment] Also, here’s an idea that is a bit left field that you can sink your teeth into. McKenzie should’ve made his primary position as a 9, covering: 10, 14, and 15 (McKenzie has been seen as valid 9 cover, he played 9 when Perenara got sin binned in Wellington, vs France in 2018). Start Aaron Smith and have Mo’unga at 10 and Barrett at 15; bring on McKenzie with 20 minutes to go. Three playmakers. That would’ve been a nightmare for defense coaches to defend against. Imagine A Savea taking the ball off the back of a mid-field scrum on the 22, with those three options to offload to. You can’t rush all three players. That is the way to beat a rush defense, create too many options to cover; but you need a 10 who is a game manager that can take advantage of the options.

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