Strong as an Os

By WYNNE GRAY

Some sporting quips remain legendary.

Like Wallaby skipper George Gregan saying to a prone All Black in last year's World Cup semifinal defeat; "four more years", or Steve Waugh telling Herschelle Gibbes he had just dropped the World Cup in 1999 when he grassed a chance off the Australian skipper.

All Black loose forward Peter Jones let rip with the classic "I'm absolutely buggered" when asked about his health in the 1956 series with the Springboks.

And it was Springbok loosehead prop Os du Randt who was said to have uttered he was "gatvol", loosely translated to have given up, when he lay beaten and trampled by the All Blacks at Newlands in 1996.

Os - the Afrikaans word for ox - was the massive young prop from the Free State who had won a winner's medal at the 1995 World Cup but the next year fell with the Boks in their first home series defeat to the All Blacks.

Du Randt quit rugby at the end of the 2000 season because of persistent knee trouble but tomorrow lines up again at loosehead for the Boks against the All Blacks in Christchurch, a decade after his international debut.

His resurgence is one of the feel-good stories as the Springboks look at an unbeaten four-test sequence under new coach Jake White.

It is a tale which started almost 32 years ago when Jacobus Petrus du Randt began his life. The huge prop came to prominence in the Free State where he earned his living as a diesel mechanic. He had the precious sporting commodities of size, power and speed which drew him to Kitch Christie's World Cup-winning squad.

Du Randt quickly became a core component of the Springbok pack and a prop whose tussles with All Black tighthead Olo Brown were fearsome.

The most famous was in the first test in 1996 when the All Blacks overcame a deficit to grind the Springboks and du Randt into the soggy Newlands turf.

Du Randt was hurt and left the field allegedly muttering he was finished.

He feigned any great memory of that incident yesterday but when reminded further said: "Oh that one in Cape Town."

"I don't know what happened there. I was not concussed, frustrated yes, because we were leading the game and lost."

Two years later du Randt did leave the sport for a year when his left knee gave out. But his comeback was brief and he retired at the end of 2000 when he could not shake his troublesome injury.

Du Randt took his money and bought a 1050 acre beef farm in Dheunissen about 100km outside Bloemfontein. Rugby was a no-go zone.

"If there was rugby on TV I switched to another channel which showed I was really mentally tired," he explained.

"I had been battling with my left knee and I thought I would take a break and see what happened after that."

But after more than two years out, du Randt rediscovered his urge to play rugby.

"I felt I had not had a good season since'98 so I thought this is not the way that I want to end this.

"My first thought was to play for Free State again and at least end on a good note with them. Luckily I am now back in for the tests."

That return took shape in February when Springbok coach Jake White headed for du Randt's isolated farm.

"He had mentioned to me," White recalled, "he had been dropped from the Boks and it was not the way he wanted to be remembered in South Africa.

"So I gave him an ultimatum that if he could get to the fitness levels that were the sort of benchmarks we expect, I would give him another chance."

White rated du Randt the greatest loosehead prop in Springbok history and salivated at the thought of the big man's renewed interest.

The prop shed 8kg to reach 124kgs and has become an inspiration to many of the younger Boks.

His experience was of immense value in tutoring the Bok forwards and White has even paid for du Randt to mentor another up and comer in the Free State.

"Os has realised what he has missed, he is fit and very mobile. He might even get to another World Cup and I will manage his appearances now," the coach said.

Du Randt did not think he went particularly well in the Super 12 but with White's backing he has continued to work hard on his fitness and game and will wear the green No 1 jersey tomorrow.

Playing the All Blacks again was something he never thought would recur.

He would not be drawn on the merits of Greg Somerville who he will oppose or Carl Hayman, two props he rated highly.

"They have opted for a shorter frontrow so we will have to concentrate harder and work harder in the scrums," he said.

"I was very fortunate to win a World Cup final in 95 against the All Blacks but after that I don't think I have won against them again, so this is all new for me. What do we need to do the achieve that?

"We have to keep going with what we have done in the last four games, setpiece, ball retention and phase play. We know it will be very physical so it will come down to who wants it the most."