When Gerhard Steenekamp left the Bulls for a well-deserved holiday after a tough United Rugby Championship campaign, the last thing he expected was a call-up to the Springboks during his July holiday.
The prop was fishing in Dullstroom, where he went on his break, but soon found himself reeled in by a phone call from the Bok camp, and gladly left any idea of a long rest behind to join the national team.
He had an excellent season for the Bulls in their various competitions, and being a former Junior Bok, his call-up to the senior team comes as no surprise.
The 26-year-old will debut against Argentina on Saturday (9.10pm kickoff) should he get a run off the bench, and has been travelling and preparing with the side since joining the camp after the injury to loosehead prop Ox Nche.
“I was surprised by the phone call,” Steenekamp said ahead of his potential debut in Buenos Aires.
“In my mind, I always thought maybe next year. When the call came, I was on holiday in Dullstroom, busy fishing. I mean, your opportunities come at different times.
“It’s not a perfect world where you can say I will wait for the right time. You have to use those opportunities.
“When you get the call, you don’t really worry anymore if the fish are biting or not. But I managed to catch a few before I had to join the camp.”
According to Bok coach Jacques Nienaber, they have been monitoring Steenekamp for some time, and the decision to cast their line in his direction was easy.
After the November tour last year, the Bok coaches had him on their radar, and they have a pecking order on how the various guys perform before making decisions.
“Gerhard did not even know about it (that the Boks were keeping tabs on him). Every week that they play matches, we look at their actions. It is easy if we have road-maps on Gerhard playing (at the Bulls),” Nienaber said.
“We know what is happening with him and the other guys we follow. I met him when he joined us and do not know him personally.
“But the character that was described is a guy that will fit in perfectly. He is not afraid of making a good tackle, is a hard worker, and is an athletic prop. That is the bit I see from him looking at my department.”
And Steenekamp is ready for the physical challenge, especially in the scrums from the Pumas, should he get a chance to run onto the park.
“I will do what I must do. There’s nothing else. The Bok scrum is for sure the best in the world, and I want to make sure that I bring my part in it,” Steenekamp said.
“My inclusion hasn’t really sunk in yet, but this is a feeling you can’t describe. I am excited about this opportunity, and hope to grab it with both hands.”
@LeightonK
