Duane Vermeulen is looking forward to the test. Photo / Getty Images
A brief encounter with Duane Vermeulen suggests a rugby player with a real sense of perspective.
The Springbok No 8 does not reach for the remote control or search the papers to check out reviews about his or the team performances. Everyone interested in the sport had their opinions and he was comfortable with his judgment. "I stick to my stuff and if you are good enough the coach will pick you," he said.
He also professed to be someone who did not unpick every aspect of his test loose forward combination with Francois Louw and Willem Alberts. He had no real idea how they complemented each other but their partnership was rocking along all right in the Rugby Championship.
Vermeulen carried the ball, worked on steals at the breakdown and enjoyed defence. His last comment may be an understatement given some of his past comments about his tackling enjoyment.
The 116kg No 8's uncomplicated rugby philosophy is like a cricketer who sees the ball and hits it.
He is relishing his next meeting with All Black No 8 and new captain Kieran Read on Saturday at Eden Park, a man like his team who were top of the global ratings.
The pair collided last year in Dunedin where Read lined up Vermeulen as he collected a kickoff and smashed him into the Dunedin turf.
Vermeulen did not mention that chapter in his young 10 test career but his phlegmatic character seemed to be a neat counterpoint to the rugged persona he takes to the test rugby turf. "You have to go out and see how it goes on the day," he said of his next square-off with Read and the All Blacks.
"You are as good as your last game so I am definitely going to go out and enjoy the challenge out there. As a loose trio we have to be confident, work hard and playing New Zealand at Eden Park is a massive task."
Vermeulen is part of a Springbok side which is unchanged from the one which destroyed the Wallabies last week in Brisbane.
He and his loose forward cronies will duel with Read, Liam Messam and Sam Cane with the All Black selectors picking experience and combinations to offset the injury defection of skipper Richie McCaw.
The All Blacks would miss McCaw, but Cane had shown in Super rugby that he was the next man for the role.
Vermeulen had been given more a ball-carrying role with the Springboks than he had at the Stormers but still preferred making hits in the body count.
"I am not into the linking stuff," he said. "I like to be upfront and do the tackles with them and at the moment it is working for us."
Coach Heyneke Meyer was unsure whether the All Blacks would choose to disrupt the South Africa's ball on the ground or go for an extra ball carrier.
He knew they could change their tactics significantly and also noted how proficient their back three were against a kicking attack so it was difficult to form a plan against them.
"We made a commitment to excellence and wanted to be the best team in the world, especially for our country," he said.
"To be the best team in the world you have to beat the best team in the world and you have to beat them where they are unbeatable. So that's the challenge for us."
Meyer likes to stand on the touchline for the haka as a mark of respect for the occasion. He admits he is embarrassed when he sees replays of himself in the coaches' box.
"I go crazy but I get into the atmosphere and feel the pressure like my players," he said.