Lood: I felt just flat – nothing

Springbok lock Lood de Jager has opened up on the heart condition that ruled him out of the 2023 World Cup. CLINTON VAN DER BERG reports.

Some rugby stories are about tries and turnovers. De Jager’s is about learning to walk up a flight of stairs again.

Back in 2023, in the middle of a World Cup buildup, the Bok lock was floored by pericarditis, inflammation around the heart, triggered by a viral infection he’d unknowingly played through. xsportfeed.quest

“Your heart has to work so hard every day, because you’re not quite healthy, that it builds up inflammation around the heart,” he explained. “Then you get the symptoms I got in Argentina.”

What followed was four months of nothing. No training, no running, barely any energy.

“I felt just flat – nothing,” he said.

Recovery came in small, monitored steps: walks, then jogs, heart rate capped, patience enforced.

“Initially I’d walk up a flight of stairs and be out of breath. Two months later, it feels better. And eventually you’re back on the field.”

MORE: Boks, All Blacks suffer big injury blows

It reshaped how he sees the game he plays for a living.

“It’s very important to us, but it is just a game,” he said ahead of his 76th Test cap, against the All Blacks at FNB Stadium on Saturday. “When you get heart issues, it really puts things in perspective.”

He came back, he says, enjoying rugby more than before.

That perspective now sits alongside a rare kind of longevity. De Jager was the baby of the 2015 World Cup squad. He’s 33 now, two World Cups deep, still going.

“I always used to look at the old guys and think, why is that guy still playing rugby at 33,” he said with a laugh. “Now I understand why. You still feel like you can do it.”

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He’s also thinking about who comes next. Emile van Heerden gets a firm nod of approval: “Very good work rate, tough, good lineout call.”

So does promising Bulls lock JF van Heerden.

“Those two really stand out for me, if I think about locks who can represent South Africa in the future.”

As for this rivalry, the one he just helped settle again on the field, De Jager doesn’t hide how much it means.

“It’s always big playing the All Blacks,” he said. “But add the history, the stakes, the atmosphere and the fans on top of that, and it’s huge. I’m just grateful to be part of such a big rugby event.”

ALSO: Concern grows over Bok’s career

A heart scare that could have ended a career instead reshaped one. Two World Cups, one of the fiercest rivalries in sport, and a player who never stopped being grateful just to run again.

It’s some story.

Photo: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images

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Wallabies coach Les Kiss lamented Saturday his side letting Argentina “off the hook” in Mendoza on Saturday.

Kiss’ four-match win streak came to an end with Australia failing to exploit a late two-man advantage in a 28-28 draw.

Since Kiss took the reins from Joe Schmidt, Australia secured a 27-21 victory last week against the Pumas and had two successes against Japan before failing to capitalise on 14-0 lead in Mendoza.

Even so, the result gave the Wallabies a 1-0 series win, their first in Argentina.

“It’s difficult to come here and do what we did. But we let them off the hook a couple of times,” said Kiss.

“We were up two tries to nil in that first half, and just gave them field position, gave them opportunity, and that brought the crowd back in, that brought the energy back into their game.

“It was always going to become a dogfight from there on in,” he added.

“But the boys had a lot of defence to do in their own line, and I thought there was some really good stuff that came from that area.

“A series win, a trophy. There’s some good stuff in there as well. But we know we have things to work on.”

ALSO: Boks, All Blacks suffer big injury blows

It was a bruising affair, dominated by eager forwards, with Australian playmaker Carter Gordon a key casualty, limping off late in the second half.

Argentina did at least halt a run of three straight defeats, although they remain on just the single victory this year, against Wales in July.

Australia opened the scoring halfway through the first half courtesy of captain Harry Wilson in a move stemming from a lineout.

After Los Pumas lock Franco Molina was sent to the bin, wing Max Jorgensen extended Australia’s advantage.

The game then turned on a yellow card for Wallabies lock Jeremy Williams, with Argentina responding through captain Pablo Matera despite being a man down themselves.

Back to full strength, the hosts levelled things up after Ignacio Mendy burst through a gap to score as the teams went into the sheds at 14-14.

The forward battle continued after the break as flanker Fraser McReight restored Australia’s lead, only for hooker Ignazio Ruiz to level up again.

Flanker Matera barged over for his second after Argentina went through 23 phases against a desperate defence.

The Pumas then imploded, receiving two yellow cards in quick succession for deliberate knock-ons by their two most experienced backs.

Lucio Cinti went first and flyhalf Santiago Carreras followed, giving away a penalty try in the process to level the scores at 28-28.

Despite playing the last 10 minutes with a significant advantage, Australia did not come close to snatching a winning score.

“We put ourselves in the position to win … we’re hurting, we really wanted to win that.” said Wilson.

“But to bring back the trophy’s great … it brings some momentum and confidence into the group.”

– AFP

Photo: Alejandro Pagni/Getty Images

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Springbok captain Siya Kolisi thanked South Africans for their support after the Boks beat the All Blacks 29-24 in Soweto on Saturday to earn an unassailable 2-1 lead in the four-match Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Series.

The Boks turned in a much better second-half performance to turn a 12-all score at half-time into a 29-17 for the final 10 minutes, before the visitors scored a consolation try.

Kolisi said the performance at FNB Stadium on Saturday was much improved after the All Blacks won the first Test 33-16 at Ellis Park and the Springboks bounced back with a 33-26 victory in Cape Town.

This was the final Test the Springboks will play in South Africa this year, heading to Baltimore, USA, for the final game in the series before a one-off Test in Australia and then the Nations Championship in Europe.

‘A lot better’

“We wanted to say thank you for supporting us the whole year. It hasn’t always gone our way,” Kolisi said.

“The first couple of minutes were really tough but we could hear you and feel you behind us. Thank you for inspiring us every day.

“A great game from the All Blacks, they pushed us to the limits today. They came at us in the first 25 minutes. Our lungs were pumping hard.

“We did so well to score more points and we fought back. The way we finished at the end was a lot better than we did the last two weeks.”

The Springbok captain said coach Rassie Erasmus regularly reminds the team that they represent the whole country. So it was good to be able to lift the mood of the public with that win.

Player of the match, wing Ethan Hooker spoke in the same vein: “New Zealand are such a quality team you have to give it everything for 80 minutes. We have so much respect for them as a nation, and we know when we come onto this pitch we have to give it our all.

“It was one of those games where I was fortunate, and the ball came my way. The flow of the game happens that way sometimes.

“As a team, we talk about giving it all for South Africa, our people and our families. At the end of the game, if I feel like I do now I know I have done my job.”

All Blacks thank Springboks and SA public

Luke Jacobson stood in as captain after Ardie Savea was injured in first half, but not before he scored two tries.

He said the All Blacks started well through those tries to take a 12-5 lead.

“But scrum-wise they got to play their game. We probably allowed them to play their game a little bit,” Jacobson said, ruing a maul try that the Boks took from the lineout all the way to under the All Blacks posts.

“It’s been awesome to play over here, in a country that really loves rugby…. The tension in the crowd, the footie itself, going against the best in the world. It’s awesome to be a part of.”

À 37 ans, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang continue de faire parler de lui. L’ancien Marseillais a été le grand artisan de la victoire du Deportivo La Corogne à Villarreal (3-2), samedi, en étant impliqué sur les trois buts de son équipe. Avec un but et deux passes décisives, l’attaquant gabonais a une nouvelle fois démontré qu’il n’avait rien perdu de son efficacité.

Le Deportivo a pourtant longtemps couru après le score. Nicolas Pépé a donné l’avantage à Villarreal dès la 19e minute, mais les Galiciens ont réagi avant la pause. À la 43e minute, Aubameyang a trouvé Cruz Luismi d’un superbe extérieur du pied, permettant à son équipe de revenir à hauteur.

Villarreal a ensuite repris les commandes sur un but contre son camp d’Adama Traoré. Mais le Deportivo n’a pas abdiqué. À la 79e minute, Aubameyang a cette fois servi Zakaria Eddahchouri, qui a remis les deux équipes à égalité (2-2).

Aubameyang frappe encore au meilleur moment

Alors que le match semblait se diriger vers un partage des points, Aubameyang a encore fait la différence. À moins de deux minutes de la fin du temps réglementaire, il a profité d’une mauvaise transmission près de la ligne médiane pour récupérer le ballon, prendre de vitesse la défense et conclure avec sang-froid.

Le Gabonais a ensuite célébré son but avec son traditionnel salto. Cette réalisation lui permet de porter son total à quatre buts cette saison et surtout de marquer lors de quatre journées consécutives. Une série qu’il n’avait plus réalisée depuis septembre 2019, lorsqu’il évoluait encore à Arsenal.

Grâce à ce succès, le Deportivo confirme son excellent début de saison. Toujours invaincu, le club galicien occupe désormais la quatrième place de la Liga avec huit points. Avec quatre réalisations, Aubameyang figure lui aussi parmi les meilleurs buteurs du championnat, à égalité avec Kylian Mbappé et derrière Raphinha et Sergio Camello, auteurs de cinq buts.

À 37 ans, l’attaquant gabonais continue donc de répondre sur le terrain. Et pour l’instant, son rendement avec le Deportivo ne laisse guère de place aux doutes sur sa capacité à rester décisif.

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