Need to hit ground running paramount for Bok duo

The age gap might be huge within the Springbok Rugby World Cup (RWC) context, but the same desire makes Canan Moodie and Deon Fourie tick.

For the youngest and oldest members of the 33-man squad, the need to hit the deck running at their first RWC is paramount. Fourie’s Bok call-up has drawn comparisons with Schalk Brits, who at 38 became the oldest player to be handed a RWC winners’ medal four years ago.

“We are pals, we chat often. I’ll ask for a few tips,” quipped Fourie, who will turn 37 during the tournament. At the other end of the scale Moodie’s young mind took him back to the Boks’ successful campaign in France in 2007.

“You think back to Frans Steyn that laid the platform. It will be special,” said Moodie about the ‘baby’ of that squad. “I’m the new kid on the block so I want to prove myself. I want to show that I’m a world-class player,” said the 20-year-old.

Fourie has had to bide his time. He has been around long enough not to make things personal. He owes his selection partly due to his versatility in covering the back row and hooker.

“Duane [Vermeulen] is also there,” Fourie reminded. “He brings a lot of experience but the group on the whole has grown since 2019. They are four years older. I’ll add what I can,” he said keen to stay in his lane.

Going in as defending champions gives the Boks a competitive edge but it also elevates expectation.

“There is more pressure and focus on us as a team,” said Fourie. “The guys who are here have been through it before, they know how to handle it.”

“The pressure will be more intense at the RWC. You will have situations where you only have one chance to do everything perfectly. In fact, in every game all the way to the final you have to be perfect.”

Both players left a lasting impression last weekend in Buenos Aires in the Boks’ last match before the squad was named. They faced an agonising wait until Monday to find out if they had cracked the nod.

“It was intense because you wondered whether you’d be in or out,” said Moodie. “I made the mind shift that when I get an opportunity I will try and make the most of it.”

“It was emotional,” said Fourie. “I called my wife. It is something you never thought would happen.”

Fourie’s journey to the RWC squad is long and winding. He left the Stormers for Lyon in 2014 before joining Grenoble in 2019. His ability and ambition outstripped what presented itself in the French second division.

“I wasn’t very happy there. I felt I could compete at a higher level. I had the chance to go to the Stormers and see what happens over a year and see if I could keep up with the youngsters. It went well and now I’m standing here two years later.”

Not that his time at the Stormers was plain sailing. He suffered a cheekbone fracture in the first 15 minutes in his first match. He later suffered a cracked eye socket.

“There was a lot of criticism of my age when I came back and then I go and break my cheekbone in the first game. That got a lot of people saying I’m too old. That put pressure on me because I wanted to show I could still play good rugby. Luckily it worked out at the Stormers, we won the URC [United Rugby Championship] and the rest is history.”