CHRISTCHURCH - Waratahs forward Dan Vickerman is drawing on the disappointment of the Wallabies' World Cup quarterfinal defeat for inspiration ahead of tomorrow's Super 14 rugby final against the Crusaders.
CHRISTCHURCH - Waratahs forward Dan Vickerman is drawing on the disappointment of the Wallabies' World Cup quarterfinal defeat for inspiration ahead of tomorrow's Super 14 rugby final against the Crusaders.
As happy as he is that the Waratahs have reached this season's decider after finishing 13th last year, the 28-year-old second-rower is determined to do everything in his power to ensure NSW don't leave the tournament empty-handed, reports RugbyHeaven website.
"If we can't do it this weekend, it amounts to not much," Vickerman said yesterday. "There are no second chances. There wasn't last week. There definitely isn't this week."
Few are better at keeping things in perspective than the South African-born powerhouse, who will play his last game for NSW on Saturday before moving to England later this year.
He played for the Waratahs side that lost the 2005 Super 12 final to the Crusaders in Christchurch and the Brumbies team that lost the 2002 decider to the same opposition at the same venue.
He says of the challenge at AMI Stadium: "We don't want to die wondering - we have been able to build quite well during the season and we have played some good rugby and some not so good rugby.
"The aim is to play our best game of football for 80 minutes. Hopefully [then] we will be in the best position to win the game."
If the Waratahs win, it will be a far cry from the previous time Vickerman played in such a high-stakes match - against England in Marseilles last year. The pain of that loss still runs deep.
"I just don't want to be in that position again. That was a really hard couple of weeks after," he said. "That is sport." - Sapa
loss fuels vickerman
CHRISTCHURCH - Waratahs forward Dan Vickerman is drawing on the disappointment of the Wallabies' World Cup quarterfinal defeat for inspiration ahead of tomorrow's Super 14 rugby final against the Crusaders.
CHRISTCHURCH - Waratahs forward Dan Vickerman is drawing on the disappointment of the Wallabies' World Cup quarterfinal defeat for inspiration ahead of tomorrow's Super 14 rugby final against the Crusaders.
As happy as he is that the Waratahs have reached this season's decider after finishing 13th last year, the 28-year-old second-rower is determined to do everything in his power to ensure NSW don't leave the tournament empty-handed, reports RugbyHeaven website.
"If we can't do it this weekend, it amounts to not much," Vickerman said yesterday. "There are no second chances. There wasn't last week. There definitely isn't this week."
Few are better at keeping things in perspective than the South African-born powerhouse, who will play his last game for NSW on Saturday before moving to England later this year.
He played for the Waratahs side that lost the 2005 Super 12 final to the Crusaders in Christchurch and the Brumbies team that lost the 2002 decider to the same opposition at the same venue.
He says of the challenge at AMI Stadium: "We don't want to die wondering - we have been able to build quite well during the season and we have played some good rugby and some not so good rugby.
"The aim is to play our best game of football for 80 minutes. Hopefully [then] we will be in the best position to win the game."
If the Waratahs win, it will be a far cry from the previous time Vickerman played in such a high-stakes match - against England in Marseilles last year. The pain of that loss still runs deep.
"I just don't want to be in that position again. That was a really hard couple of weeks after," he said. "That is sport." - Sapa
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