Ralepelle: 'Time for Bok redemption'
Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:44
Suspended Bok hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle.
Chiliboy Ralepelle still has many detractors, those who see him as no more than a quota player and political pawn in the national set-up, but he is happy with his Springbok merits.
The 23-year-old Ralepelle, who will start in only his second Test when the Boks play Italy in Witbank on Saturday, said he has finally shaken off the string of injuries that marked his career. His only other Test start, to go with nine internationals as a replacement, was against the British and Irish Lions in Johannesburg last year.
He knows that to win over the remaining doubters he has to use this opportunity - against one of the world's foremost scrumming units - to silence the critics.
Speaking to rugby365.com in the build-up to the Witbank encounter with the Azzurri, Ralepelle described it as a "fantastic" opportunity and a moment that he has been waiting for for a long time.
"I could not have asked for better timing for it [the Test start]," said the Bok hooker - who will play in the absence of injured Springbok captain John Smit.
Asked how he was feeling after a series of knee, calf and foot injuries that seriously curtailed his career since his Test debut against New Zealand in 2006 - then still 16 days short of his 19th birthday - Ralepelle said this is the best he has felt for years.
"I am slowly getting back to where I could be," he told rugby365.com.
The reason for his improved conditioning is that, in conjunction with Bulls head coach Frans Ludeke, Ralepelle decided to focus on playing in the Vodacom Cup this year - where the additional game time not only allowed him to regain fitness, but also 'reconditioned' his body to the physical demands of the game.
While the cynics will claim there is no comparison in the standards of Vodacom Cup and Super Rugby - or even the Test arena - Ralepelle pointed out he got a number of 80-minute performances into his body and that gave him lot of confidence.
And having replaced Smit at halftime against France at Newlands last week, that confidence in his own ability showed in a 40-minute performance that had some experts talking about the Ralepelle that captained his country at age-group level.
However, now an even more daunting test awaits in the form of an Italian front row that contains one of the world's most destructive scrummagers, Martin Castrogiovanni.
"Yes, the Italians are one of the best scrumming units in the world right now," Ralepelle said, adding: "We are very privileged to be able to test ourselves against such a scrumming outfit."
The Bok hooker will remember Castrogiovanni for all the wrong reasons - having captained a Bok midweek team against Leicester Tigers on the year-end tour in November.
The Tigers front row of Castrogiovanni, Mefin Davies and Boris Stankovich gave the Springboks a real lesson in the art of scrumming. And Ralepelle departed the scene, with yet another injury, after just 19 minutes.
It will be exactly the same Bok front row - consisting of Jannie du Plessis, Ralepelle and Gurthrö Steenkamp - that crumbled under the power of the Tigers pack, that will front up to the Castrogiovanni-led Italian scrum in Witbank on Saturday.
But there is a big difference, as Ralepelle pointed out.
"Yes, it is the same [Bok] front row, but you have to look at the guys we have behind us," he told rugby365.com.
The rest of the Bok pack against Leicester in November was a mishmash - consisting of Ashley Johnson, Dewald Potgieter, Davon Raubenheimer, Andries Bekker and Danie Rossouw - behind the front row.
On Saturday the Bok pack will feature a far more settled combination dominated by the three-time Super 14 champion Bulls pack - Pierre Spies, Dewald Potgieter, Schalk Burger (Stormers), Victor Matfield (captain on the day) and Bakkies Botha.
"We do have to take responsibility for our own games," the Bok hooker said.
"However, those guys behind us will allow us to perform at our best and also assist us in going forward."
Ralepelle was also quick to point out that there is more to the Italians than just their powerful scrum.
"They play with good structures and that also makes them a dangerous side," he said, adding that it is important for the Boks to keep their composure and be very patient in applying pressure on the visitors.
Obviously there expectations of an easy win against the Azzurri - after the World Cup holders and current Tri-Nations champions demolished the Six Nations champions France.
Italy finished last in the Six Nations, their only win against Scotland.
"That is why these are called 'Test matches'," Ralapelle said.
"You go our there to see if you can apply what you learnt during the week at training.
"Hopefully we can take it all forward into Saturday to see what works for us and what doesn't. It is a great opportunity to Test ourselves against a side like the Italians."
The Bok hooker also felt it was "great" that Tests are taken to rural centres like the coal-mining town of Witbank.
"It is great for the community. They don't get see and host Tests often and you could see at training this week, the enthusiasm of the fans how special it is for them and how much it means for the people out there."
By Jan de Koning