Reliving their experiences against the All Blacks, Breyton Paulse, Gio Aplon and Brent Russell can’t wait for the SA showdowns between the Springboks and New Zealand.
Speaking in a SuperSport special, Rise of the Pocket Rockets, the trio of former Bok backs known for their pace, elusiveness and attacking flair, shared their excitement for the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, which kicks off at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Paulse, who earned 64 Test caps and scored 26 tries between 1999 and 2007, believes the series will live up to the hype.
“The Greatest Rivalry … jeez, I think the whole world is anticipating what could happen. It’s going to be Hollywood, it’s going to be spicy, it’s going to be a blockbuster,” he said.
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“The day you become a Bok, you check the calendar and see when you’re going to be playing the All Blacks. That’s what every Bok looks for. Sadly, a lot of Boks who come in and only have two or three Tests don’t get the privilege of playing against the All Blacks.
“So, it’s a massive honour and a massive privilege. We can’t wait for the fireworks to start because the mighty All Blacks had a bit of a decline over the last couple of years, let’s be honest. But now, with new coaching staff, new belief and new players, there’s an upward trend. It makes it really spicy, and I think that’s going to be so cool.”
Russell, capped 23 times across wing, fullback and flyhalf, recalled the significance of facing the haka.
“When you’re standing in front of that haka, you really know it’s game time. This is why you play rugby: you’re playing against the best,” he added.
“So you cherish that moment and just hope that you don’t make mistakes.”
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Aplon, who won 17 caps between 2010 and 2012, reflected on what facing the haka meant to him personally, representing his hometown of Hawston.
“The haka is still one of the most sacred things in rugby and needs to be protected. For me, standing there was about accepting that challenge,” he shared.
“I had read about it, and it felt as though they were challenging me, someone representing my hometown and every single person in Hawston to come and play.
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“I took that responsibility personally … these All Blacks are challenging you, the team you used to watch at three in the morning after waking up in the middle of the night.
“I could never take that onto the field and beat them though! [Laughter]“
Aplon also looked back on a 29-22 Tri-Nations defeat at FNB Stadium in 2010, the venue for the third Test of this year’s series.
“I remember driving past Soccer City, which is such an iconic stadium. It’s almost in the middle of nowhere, and you think, ‘I’m going to play there today’. We didn’t win it, but it was unreal.
“They had Dan Carter and Ma’a Nonu, but we played out of our skins until the last minute. That experience is going to be special again now.”
Photo: Ross Land/Getty Images
The post Breytie: Greatest Rivalry a Hollywood blockbuster appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Reliving their experiences against the All Blacks, Breyton Paulse, Gio Aplon and Brent Russell can’t wait for the SA showdowns between the Springboks and New Zealand.
The post Breytie: Greatest Rivalry a Hollywood blockbuster appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
