DUANE VERMEULEN was ready to hang up his boots in 2021. The Boks No 8 had targeted the Lions series as his swansong, before an ankle injury crushed a childhood dream to face the famous tourists.
Apart from that one regret, he was ready to say goodbye. Having won the World Cup and Rugby Championship, the then 35-year-old had nothing left to prove. But as he headed for the exit, he found his way blocked by the men who had kick-started his pro career some 15 years earlier.
“Rassie Erasmus