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Fitness center Jan Serfontein hopes for a change of luck in preparing for the 2019 World Cup, writes JON CARDINELLI.
Jan Serfontein witnessed the monumental victory of Springboks in New Zealand from his home in Montpellier. One year has pbaded since the Boks, followed by Serfontein, fell 57-0 to the All Blacks in Albany. A year had pbaded since the center – which was the first choice of the Boks in 2017 – had played for the last time in South Africa. Rbadie Erasmus went to Montpellier early in the year to talk to Serfontein and several other South African players about his plans for the season and the 2019 World Cup. When Bok's coach returned , it was announced that Serfontein would not be retained for the Test series against England, then the Rugby Championship, because of its "weak growth on the thigh".
Erasmus refused to provide additional details when he was questioned about the nature and severity of the illness. He added that his medical team would stay in touch with Montpellier and closely monitor Serfontein's progress. As a result, the media and the public were left to speculate on the timing, and even on the return of Serfontein.
The 25-year-old launches a bomb when he provides a more accurate and scary description: a femoral tumor.
"I'm happy to have left everything behind," he said. recounts SA Rugby magazine. "I was lucky that the tumor was benign, but it was a very rare disease that took a lot of doctors to diagnose. In the meantime, I suffered a lot.
"When Rbadie came to Montpellier, I told him about my condition and we agreed that I needed to fix the problem before I could talk about myself playing for the Boks. You must understand that it was the kind of thing that affected every aspect of my life, not just rugby. Rbadie said she understood that I needed time to recover. "
Serfontein returned to South Africa early June to undergo surgery. The femur being particularly likely to pause in the period following the operation, Serfontein was forced to wait before joining his Montpellier teammates in training. Finally, he started running again. At the end of September, he played his first game in four months.
"I could not have done anything to prevent this disease," he says. "It was a monstrous incident. After the operation, the pain was gone. It was a huge relief. All precautions were taken afterwards.
"I rested and found myself stuck in my rehab. I was as fit as possible before making my comeback. Injuries are the worst thing about rugby, "he adds.
Serfontein spent long periods away in 2015 and 2016. He enjoyed a long starting opportunity in the three-test series against France last year and was hailed for his offensive and defensive contributions. At the time, he had entrusted this magazine with his intention of savoring every occasion with the Boks as if it were his last.
"I hate being sidelined. The recent problem, however, was something beyond an injury. I'm happy to be back in the game now, and my only goal for the rest of the year is to do my best. I have to take care of my body and avoid any further recoil. I want to play week after week and create a little momentum. "
Serfontein delivered one of his most influential performances for the Boks when they hosted the All Blacks in Cape Town last year. However, he did not have the opportunity to bet on this performance, as an agreement with Montpellier meant he was not available for the Boks matches against Ireland, France, Italy and the Netherlands. Wales.
"The decision to move to France was made well before I knew I would be involved with the Boks. [in 2017]& # 39; he says. "It was a good decision at the time. It did not seem like I was in the plans of the Bok coach and I thought a stay in Europe could be beneficial for my long-term career. However, my plan was to return to South Africa afterwards. This experience with my leg aside, it's an interesting fit for my wife and me in France. Life in Montpellier is a world apart from the life we were used to in South Africa. Culture, language and even rugby are very different.
"It's great to come here and experience something new. French is a difficult language, and I was lucky that our team has an international flavor and a lot of coaches also speak English. You pick up a lot, however, especially with regard to the French expressions related to rugby that can help you in a match. I was lucky to play alongside guys like Frans Steyn and Aaron Cruden, senior players who won the World Cup for their country. We can only enjoy an experience like this. "
We would like to believe that the South Africans of Montpellier, Serfontein, Steyn and Bismarck and Jannie du Plessis, to name only a few, watched this test between All Blacks and Boks together and celebrated the result as than group. The day of the match, however, Montpellier disputed in Lyon. Serfontein watched the game at home with his family. He was part of the previous Boks team to beat the All Blacks – at Ellis Park in 2014. A distance of 12,000km separated him from the team at the big win in Wellington in September, and yet he shared the excitement of the players. and sense of achievement.
& # 39; c & rsquo; is funny; When you're here in Europe, after games and training sessions, you talk to a lot of your team-mates and your opponents of the tests taking place on the other side of the world, "he says. "I do not like to criticize the Boks, because it was not long ago when I was part of the camp.
"We played good rugby at the beginning of last year, but I was also there when we lost by far against the All Blacks in Albany. The situation that followed … it was as if the whole country and every journalist were against us. So when I saw the Boks bow to Ireland last November, and then to Argentina in Mendoza this year, I had pity on the players. I knew what they were going through.
"But I know how fast things can change, and they've changed. The players were hailed as heroes after this victory against the All Blacks in Wellington, and rightly so. I always talk to the players in the team and I guess I always share the mood, whether the team wins or loses.
"They play rugby, they want to attack, and guys like Willie le Roux and Faf de Klerk have put a lot of speed into their approach, and the defense on the All Blacks in Wellington was incredible. a long time together, she will be strong at the 2019 World Cup. "
Erasmus then acknowledged that the team needed to improve in the perspective of tournament. Indeed, when we consider the For the 2018 season as a whole, the Bok coach may have more questions than answers on some posts.
The search for the right midfielder combination continues. Former coach Allister Coetzee has encouraged Serfontein and Jesse Kriel to debut eight times in 2017. No other combination has benefited from such an opportunity to develop and Erasmus would do well to remember that experience is needed to win a World Cup. Serfontein expects no favors based on past performance. The only way for him to make his way through the team is to perform a series of influential performances in the Top 14.
"Rbadie is trying to deepen the preparations for the World Cup. This is a good plan and, from the outside, I see that it has made a lot of progress in this area.
"It's a pity I had this setback. It will be more difficult for someone from outside to force themselves at this stage. Rbadie has made a lot of changes in the midfield over the last year, but I know fact that it's still his plan to try some combinations against some teams.
"These selections were not instinctive reactions. So, it's not like I could stay here in France and read anything, or believe there could be a void for me. I know I will have to win an opportunity the hard way. But I will not give up, I would like to go to the World Cup. "
– This article was published for the first time in the November 2018 issue of SA Rugby magazine.
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