Phumzile Maqondwana. (Johan Rynners/Blue Bulls Rugby)
- It’s ironic that new Bulls recruit Phumzile Maqondwana considers himself an “average player” because they’ve become the cornerstone of the franchise’s success.
- Jake White and co have already shown in Gerhard Steenekamp and Mornay Smith that they are hugely effective at turning underrated players into key men.
- Maqondwana is in awe of the knowledge possessed by White and how he organises his playing system.
There’s a fair amount
of irony involved when Phumzile Maqondwana, one of the Bulls’ off-season
acquisitions, labels himself an “average rugby player”.
Because of all the
waves that stars like Marcell Coetzee, Elrigh Louw, Cornal Hendricks, and Ruan
Nortje made in a successful URC campaign; it was players of the former Pumas
captain’s calibre that proved the cornerstone of the run to the final.
Maqondwana is being
harsh on himself.
The 26-year-old
flanker is merely in the “underrated” category, much like his new
teammates Gerhard Steenekamp, Mornay Smith and David Kriel, men with little
pedigree who became key players because of good coaching unearthed their less-than-obvious
talent.
A former Selborne
College stalwart, Maqondwana joined the Lions initially before moving to
Nelspruit, where the steady hand of Pumas mentor Jimmy Stonehouse gave him,
like various others, the opportunity to ratchet up his market value.
“I knew there was
a lot that needed to be invested in me to become a rugby player that could go
far. I grew as a player, I gained confidence, good principles were instilled in
me, I started getting a clearer picture of what I wanted and heightened my
intensity to obtain it,” he said, a nice nod to the Currie Cup champions.
“So, when [Bulls
CEO] Edgar [Rathbone] and Jake White came knocking, I started to appreciate the
path I had taken and became excited for what lies ahead. The call came at an
interesting time when I thought I had had a very average season. There were
some other voices that believed I had had a more than okay season.”
Regardless of
Maqondwana’s output, the former Springbok coach has seen more than enough to
warrant him taking a punt on the man from Elliotdale in the Eastern Cape.
And his mind has been
blown by the insights he’s gained already in pre-season training.
“It’s been really
great getting to know the guys, the environment, the culture. It’s all
world-class, with world-class coaches, and I’m just absorbing it all in,”
said Maqondwana.
“I’m relishing
the opportunity to work under coach Jake. It’s really palpable for me to work
under such a high level of coaching. I’m still in awe at how he approaches his
coaching, and it’s crazy to think I’ve only just experienced the tip of the
iceberg.
“I can’t wait to
learn more from him and the other top-class coaches in our system.”
He’s also immensely
keen to establish himself as a stalwart in a system that’s now going to require
effective rotation, given the dual demands of the URC and the European
Champions Cup.
“The aim is to be
a mainstay not only in the team but in the tournament as well. I do back myself
to work towards becoming one of the best players in future. I’m not a fan of
talking about it; I’m not much of a talker, I believe in the principle of
letting your work do the talking.
“I think I bring grunt. That is one of the
main attributes that I think I have. I love the physicality, and I want to
continue expressing myself as best as I can. I want to be a player that my
teammates can always count on in the darkest of places. I want to gain their
trust; I want them to know what I stand for and to continuously prove them
right.”
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