Ken Borland

In an exceptional act of co-operation between his current and former clubs, scrumhalf Ivan van Zyl will not be going to England this week to start his new career with Saracens but will instead enjoy the privilege of playing against the British and Irish Lions on Saturday as he makes one last appearance for the Bulls.

The 26-year-old Springbok’s contract with the Bulls ended on June 30 but Saracens and his former employees came to an agreement that Van Zyl can play on Saturday in what many rugby players consider to be one of the highlights of their careers.

“I’m very fortunate to get the opportunity to still play this game because my contract ended last week but an arrangement was made, which is very nice of the Bulls and Saracens. I’m very thankful for the opportunity, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and then I will be leaving. But playing against the Lions, you just want to play well, playing at that level is where you want to be.

“You want to measure yourself against the best in the world and if you perform you hope all the right people see that. It’s also about the confidence you get if you do play well, but we are all going to have to be at the top of our game against the Lions,” Van Zyl confirmed on Monday.

Chasing the game is never a good thing in rugby, and Van Zyl warned that if the Bulls do not match the Lions physically then that’s exactly what they will be doing.

“The big difference between the international and the provincial game is the physical part, that will be the big thing against the Lions. They also want to play quicker, move the ball around more in preparation for the Springboks so they can move the pack around. It’s why they’ve chosen guys like Hamish Watson and Sam Simmonds with their pace. So we must match their intensity as well.

“But we must match them physically first in order to go forward, we must be physical and direct. But we need the complete game – we can’t just run everything but we also can’t just kick everything away either. It’s about finding the balance and kicking at the right time. So we are going to need the complete performance and making the right decisions at the right time,” Van Zyl said.

Phepsi Buthelezi’s Facebook page has just one Life Event posted on it: “October 30, 2018 – Started a new job at the Sharks”.

In the 32 months since then it is fair to say that the 22-year-old from Hluhluwe has blown away his employers with his dedication, talent, leadership and positive attitude. To such an extent that he was named their Currie Cup captain for this season, although he is currently out of action with a minor concussion. it is hoped he will be back to lead his troops against the British and Irish Lions on July 7.

Buthelezi is just one of those guys who impresses everywhere he goes, knocking over hurdles and making it look easy. But coming from a town that probably has more game reserves than rugby fields in the immediate vicinity, he has had challenges to overcome in order to progress through the rugby pipeline from one of the backwaters.

“It was obviously tough coming from Hluhluwe and where rugby comes short in Zululand is that we don’t play enough there, compared to the Eastern Cape primary schools, which play so much more games and therefore there is a lot more opportunity. There’s a lot of talent in Zululand, I reckon the kids there are just as talented, but they are raw. We know the Eastern Cape is crazy about rugby, but it’s quite big in Zululand too,” Buthelezi told Saturday Citizen.

But a talent such as Buthelezi normally just needs a couple of lucky breaks and he will soar. The eighthman with the slick hands made his breakthrough when he came to Durban.

“I was a loose forward and lock playing in the Zululand U12 trials and my older brother, Blessing, was at Durban High School and he did very well there. So DHS saw me and gave me a scholarship. I played lock there from the U14s through to the U15s, and in fact in the KZN U16 team I played lock alongside JJ van der Mescht [a current Sharks second-rower].

“And then I became Head of School at DHS and beating Glenwood in our big derby in 2017 gives me goosebumps still. We hadn’t beaten them since 2006 and it was one of the best days of my life. It was a big occasion, their Old Boys’ Day at Glenwood, but we just wanted it so much. It’s still one of my favourite games ever,” Buthelezi said.

DHS came from 3-12 down to win 20-17 and Buthelezi scored their final try.

He made the SA Schools side later that year and in 2018 he captained the SA U20s.

It was certainly his – and the Sharks’  – good fortune that he then landed up at Kings Park.

“Being at the Sharks has made the transition from the Junior Boks to senior rugby so much smoother because of the type of coaches we have. Like Sean Everitt, who is a transformational coach that believes in growing and developing players. I am so blessed at the Sharks, it’s not just about what you can do for them now, but about where you can be in five years time. We are all driving towards the future,” Buthelezi said.

Never mind breaking a glass ceiling, the way Buthelezi is going, he’s gong to reach the ozone layer.

But it is typical of the humble young man that he is thankful for the help of family and friends along the way.

“A lot of people have had a positive influence in my career, starting with my family, especially my mother. Through it all, the good days and the bad, she has always been there encouraging me through it all and it was not always pretty.

“At the Sharks, guys like Tera Mtembu and Keegan Daniel helped me a lot. I actually stayed with Tera for the first couple of months at the Sharks and he was so welcoming. You can feel threatened by someone who plays in the same position as you and maybe not give of yourself too much, but he was always helpful, giving me tips and encouragement, and Keegan too.

“The Du Preez brothers were also great and Siya Kolisi and Sikhumbuzo Notshe are the players I learn from now, I’m just absorbing knowledge. It’s great to see the type of person Siya is, yes he’s a wonderful rugby player who has done amazing things, but what stands out is what sort of person he is, he never treats anyone differently and is such a good example to us younger guys. He’s just a good human being.”

For the man whose real name is Phendulani, but who was called Phepsi because his teachers at the predominantly Hluhluwe Primary School struggled, it’s now all about the Currie Cup, which the Sharks came agonisingly close to winning last season, only losing in extra time to the Bulls.

“As a squad we are really targeting the Currie Cup, we feel ready now to actually win some trophies, although we understand it’s going to be tough.

“As a captain I value people, I never go in thinking I have to be in charge. Leadership is influence and I try to get to know the players on and off the field so I can get the best reaction out of them, and of course I try to lead by example.

“As a player I don’t think I’m a typical South African eighthman, which I see as an advantage because it makes me different. I never want to play like someone else and hopefully one day I can play eighthman for the Springboks that way,” Buthelezi, a classic-style No.8 whose linking, ball-playing game suits the Sharks’ perfectly, said.

New Proteas Test captain Dean Elgar certainly seems to have made the sale in terms of getting buy-in from the team for his new approach and he said on Wednesday that the 2-0 series win in the West Indies was a result of the environment in the squad.

The opening batsman’s first outing as the full-time captain ended with South Africa hammering the West Indies, who were one place above them on the ICC rankings, by an innings-and-63-runs and then by 158 runs in the two Tests at St Lucia. It was the Proteas first Test series win away from home since beating newly-crowned world champions New Zealand in March 2017.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve won away from home, so it was a much-needed result and this performance speaks volumes for the environment around the team and the brand of cricket we played. It’s not about me, the players are my biggest asset as captain and I’m here to motivate the squad and the environment. It’s a massive honour to captain this team.

“You can either take the captaincy to your head or to your heart, and I like to think I’ve taken it to my heart. I’ve always been a leader, through school and franchise cricket, and I think I lead from the front. I may be small in stature, but I’m a big guy in terms of standing up. I don’t shy away from that,” Elgar said.

While the fast bowlers were front and centre in setting up the victory, Elgar also had plenty of praise for spinner Keshav Maharaj and the batsmen.

“Rabada, Nortje and Ngidi are a fearsome threesome, they put the fear of God in the batsmen, and they are a machine attack. Each of them is unique, but they complement each other so well, they know their games and they understand different game-plans.

“But Keshav is a massive player for the Proteas, the way he has changed his game and is always willing to learn. He’s huge for the environment and deserves more respect. To take a five-for on a pitch that wasn’t turning is brilliant. The batsmen have struggled of late but in really tough, challenging conditions, it was great to see everyone come in and make a contribution,” Elgar said.

Loosehead prop Simphiwe Matanzima has always been considered a top-class prospect by the Bulls, ever since their scouts lured him from Queens College in the Eastern Cape to Pretoria, but a devastating double injury blow has prevented him from making a mark in the new Jake White era.

Now 23 years old, Matanzima made his Bulls senior debut in a Super Rugby derby against the Stormers in 2019. But in the opening round of the 2020 southern hemisphere competition he suffered a dislocated shoulder and then, when he made his return to training, he tore his achilles tendon last July.

So it has been a long way back for Matanzima and he finally got back on the field for the Bulls in their Currie Cup match against Western Province last weekend, putting in a lively display.

“I was out for 15 months and I’m just glad I’m done with rehab. I played one club game for Naka Bulle and I’m pleased that my first game back for the Bulls is now out the way. I was a bit rusty although I’ve been scrumming for the last couple of months, but I felt like myself and now I’m just looking forward to the rest of the season.

“Coming back was more of a mental challenge than physical because there’s a lot you can’t do and you’re alone a lot of the time. And it was a very serious injury so you worry that things might go wrong. You’ve just got to allow yourself to work through those emotions.

“It’s just a different level playing for the Bulls and it was against a good Western Province pack. With one squad in Italy and us only training together for a week, it was always going to be tough for us but we fought well. Jake White and Russell Winter have had a massive impact and it’s great learning from them. It’s never nice watching from the outside and it’s awesome to be back in the team now,” Matanzima said on Wednesday.

Since he suffered those injuries, the Bulls have signed Jacques van Rooyen, an old bull who has done really well on both sides of the scrum, and Gerhard Steenekamp has also made a big impact. Plus there is Lizo Gqoboka, snapping on the heels of the Springbok looseheads and clearly a force to be reckoned with.

“The more competition the better, that’s how you build squad depth, it’s healthy. It’s nice to challenge yourself and to scrum against strong packs, I relish the opportunity and the Pumas on Friday night will have a good pack. They are a strong side, they always play a physical game, they bring it, and they love to maul. So we know what to expect.

“But we also know what we can do if we play as a team. It’s going to be a tough battle,” Matanzima said.