Emmanuel Tshituka says he’s lapping up as much as he can from the Springbok environment. MORNÉ ESBEN reports.
The Sharks loose forward has been handed a start for Mzwandile Stick’s South Africa A side for Saturday’s clash against Zimbabwe in Gqeberha. His brother, Vincent, will captain the team from the second row.
Tshituka is among a group of players pushing for higher honours and sees every day spent alongside Springbok captain Siya Kolisi as an opportunity to grow.
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Tshituka says he has made a point of observing one of South African rugby’s great leaders whenever possible.
“Siya is a legend of South African rugby. Seeing him here in this environment, I’ve just been trying to learn as much as I can.
“I always joke with him that when he made his Springbok debut, I was in Grade 6 and he’s still going strong.
“He’s obviously someone who’s been in this environment for over a decade now, so any opportunity I get to just watch and see how he does things, get some fruits of wisdom or any advice from him as to what I can do to improve my game and get better, I take whenever I can.”
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Saturday’s match represents another significant milestone for Tshituka and his older brother Vincent, who are both part of the wider national set-up after remarkable journeys to the top level of South African rugby.
“It’s an honour and a privilege for me and my brother,” he said. “Eighteen months ago, we didn’t expect that it would be possible to be in this environment, so we’re just super grateful and super excited to be in this environment and to rub shoulders with some of the world’s best players.
“Our families, our wives, friends and everyone around us, are really excited for us.”
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Tshituka revealed that Vincent – who made his first appearance in the green and gold against the Barbarians last year – has also played an important role in helping him adapt to the demands of the national environment.
“He’s tried giving me advice as much as he can. It’s not just for the games but for the training sessions as well. The standards to uphold and how I carry myself in the training sessions – he’s really tried to prep me for that.”
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Despite growing excitement around his future and the perceived inevitability of graduating to the Boks, Tshituka remains grounded about what comes next.
“I believe with the right amount of dedication and hard work, it’s definitely possible. But it’s not something that’s guaranteed.
“I’ll just try to bring the best of me every day and the outcome will be the outcome.”
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
The post Manu soaking up Siya’s wisdom appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Emmanuel Tshituka says he’s lapping up as much as he can from the Springbok environment.
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