Warrick Gelant will come up against Springbok teammates in Gqeberha on Saturday having received an invitation to represent the Barbarians.
The Stormers fullback, who has 11 Test caps but has not featured for the Boks since 2022, is the only South African in the Barbarians squad for the non-cap clash at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
Gelant said the opportunity to wear the famous black-and-white jersey was one he could not pass up.
“It’s special. It’s every player’s dream to play in a Barbarians team, playing with guys you play against or see on TV,” he said.
“The Barbarians is about implementing the fundamentals of the game, getting that enjoyment back and doing all the things that made you fall in love with the game.
“It’s about having fun and getting to know world-class players from all over the world.”
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One of those players is Scotland wing Duhan van der Merwe, who attended Hoërskool Outeniqua with Gelant before both joined the Bulls’ system.
“I played with Duhan in school and to come here together more than 10 years later is amazing,” Gelant said.
“We went to the Bulls from school but he was in the sevens for a stint. I thought maybe we would get a chance to play together but we never got it.
“He’s obviously playing for Scotland now so the dream was down the drain but then I saw he was also coming here. It’s special.”
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Gelant expects a stern test against the world champions.
“It’s going to be a nice occasion. It’s against my teammates and guys who I know well,” he said.
“They are the best in the world so going up against them is going to be a big challenge for all of us. It’s not often that you can play against the world champs if you are South African.
“But they have special players with great coaches who are taking them to the next level. There is no average player at the Springboks.”
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The 31-year-old said the Barbarians are determined to make the contest competitive despite their limited preparation time.
“We want to give our best punches that we put together and test them just as much as they are going to test us,” he said.
“We have guys who have pride in themselves, who have played at the highest level for a long time. Guys like Duhan, [former All Blacks scrumhalf] TJ Perenara, [Wallabies wing] Andrew Kellaway.
“These are top professionals, they want to perform and with the respect we have for the Springboks, we want to go out and give them a good challenge.”
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Gelant is also relishing the chance to work under coaches Scott Robertson and Felipe Contepomi.
“Filipe is a player who I used to watch,” he said. “He’s one of a few Argentinians that you could relate to in the way he played the game at 10 and 12.
“Razor also, he is open, he is so down to earth and makes himself so accessible.
“You learn open-fire ideas when you are on the road. You share ideas and that’s something I can take back myself but also to the Stormers and the younger guys.
“It’s IP you can share with the world. It’s so special.”
“We just focus on the way we want to play rugby and we want to express ourselves in a way that’s aligned with the Barbarians.
“It’s my first time, so I want to make it memorable.”
Photo: @Barbarian_FC/X
The post Barbarians call on Bok fullback appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Warrick Gelant will come up against Springbok teammates in Gqeberha on Saturday having received an invitation to represent the Barbarians.
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