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In the aftermath of the first round of the Rugby Championship I couldn’t help but notice a lot of talk surrounding the performances of Kieran Read and Wycliff Palu.
Which one of them got the better of the other, which of the two is currently in better form and, of course, their respective influence in the 12-all.
The hype surrounding these two superb No. 8s is warranted and deserving. Both Read and Palu are instrumental to their teams’ cause and while the battle between them unfolds I believe we are forgetting, as we all tend to do, of the other contender; Duane Vermeulen.
Take nothing away from Juan Manuel Leguizamon who had an absolute blinder on the weekend, but Vermeulen especially showed guts and determination in a game where, frankly, the Pumas out-muscled the Springboks.
When looking at his stats it’s easy to see why he is the most highly rated No. 8 in South Africa, but unknown why he is so underrated in an international context.
Surely the majority of the rugby world tend to place him behind players like Kieran Read, Wycliff Palu, Toby Faletau, Sergio Parisse, Louis Picamoles and David Denton.
This is how his stats turn up from last weekend.
Duane Vermeulen (Round One)
Defenders Beaten – 3
Tackle Busts – 8
Loose Balls Collected – 3
Carries – 11
Lineouts Won on Own Throw – 3
Minutes Played – 80
Metres Run – 52
Tackles – 9
Missed Tackles – 1
Passes – 1
Knock-ons – 0
In a game where the conditions were terrible most of these stats are pretty impressive.
The most impressive of these stats for me is the fact that he didn’t knock the ball on once and the fact that he made 52 metres from 11 carries, beating 3 defenders and busting a total of 8 tackles.
Another impressive feat is securing all three of his lineout throws when the Springboks particularly in that area.
When one puts these stats into a tournament format context this is how Vermeulen rates in each attribute.
Defenders Beaten – first
Tackle Busts – first
Loose Balls Collected – fourth
Carries – fourth
Lineouts Won on Own Throw – sixth
Minutes Played – Tied first with 7 other players who played the full 80
Metres Run – 11th
Tackles – 14th
Missed Tackles – second (fewest)
Passes – 56th
Of the metres gained stat mostly backline players exceed him.
Vermeulen knows that this was only the first game of the Championship and that he needs to maintain this type of work rate if he is to be taken seriously by the world.
He made his debut in 2012 for the Springboks after the injury to regular stalwart Pierre Spies and has not looked back.
Last year the 193cm, 120kg colossus admitted that he sees his All Black rival Kieran Read as the premier No. 8 in the world by some distance and that he constantly tries to better his game in attempt to provide a sufficient challenge for him and to one day surpass him.
He does not however, see surpassing Read as the main objective of his career but rather being instrumental to his teams’ cause, never letting them down.
This brings me back to a rather unique origin story of the Stormers soldier.
Before playing for the Stormers, Vermeulen plied his trade at the Pumas in Nelspruit before moving down to the Toyota Free State Cheetahs. During this period of his career Vermeulen weighed in at about a 100kg.
“When Duane was selected for the Steval Pumas team he was a much smaller athlete than he is now.” Vermeulen’s former coach said.
“Back then he only weighed in at about a 103 kilograms. But what surprised me was the fact that before being admitted to the team Duane had never been to a gym in his entire life. He didn’t even know what a bench press was.
That’s when I knew he is an unnaturally strong man. You don’t get to be a fit and imposing 103 kilograms by just jogging up and down the field, most people only get that big by spending countless hours in a gym.”
Former Cheetahs flanker AJ Venter had similar accolades indicating that Vermeulen was the strongest player he had ever played with and against.
What is also interesting is that in those days even Heyneke Meyer at the time rated him highly and most likened his style of play to that of former Springbok Bob Skinstad.
His ability to run intelligent lines and offload in the tackle was exactly why the Stormers franchise saw fit to enlist him in their squad in 2009.
Now, however, Vermeulen has become more physically imposing, weighing in at around 120 kilograms. The result of this sadly has cost him some of his mobility though he still possesses deceptive pace – as seen in Habana’s first try at Ellis Park last year Vermeulen still possesses reasonable acceleration and creativity.
But what makes him so effective is his defensive prowess. At both the Stormers and Springboks he is the recognised defence captain. His organisation has benefited the Stormers on countless occasions as has his jumping ability.
And yet his most underrated attribute I feel is his truly remarkable fitness level. As fellow Roarer, Harry Jones mentioned in a previous article, Vermeulen has played non-stop 80 minutes of rugby since he started against the Pumas in 2013.
Being able to carry 120 kilograms worth of brawn around the field week after week without any rest indicates a highly superior fitness level – this is noticeable when compared to blindside flanker Willem Alberts who tends to fade away in the last 20 or so minutes of a match.
Still he faces two very powerful athletes in the Rugby Championship this year. If the Springboks are to pose a threat to the All Blacks and Wallabies respectively he needs to outplay his adversaries.
He must bring back the all round intelligence and skill to complement his tireless work rate if he is to make an everlasting impression on rugby world.
This would make him an exceptional all round player that will force his way into everyone’s list of current top three Eighthmen in the world.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.