Shimlas provide true Bok muscle

The Springboks will play their final Tri-Nations match of the year in Bloemfontein - a rather appropriate venue given the huge Shimlas representation in the Bok side.

Five Shimlas players - some past, some present - are in the Bok 22 for Saturday's clash with the Wallabies at Bloemfontein's Vodacom Park, an impressive number for any school, university or province.

Former Free State prop Dougie Heymans - Shimlas' Rugby Director - was understandably beaming with pride when contacted by varsitycup.co.za this week.

"It's a huge honour for us to have so many Shimlas players in the Bok side," he said.

"It's obviously even more exciting, because the match is taking place here in Bloemfontein, but it's also been brilliant having the Boks training here at Shimla Park."

The five Shimlas players in the Bok mix are props Gurthrö Steenkamp, Jannie du Plessis and CJ van der Linde and lock Flip van der Merwe and flanker Juan Smith - with three of those players (Steenkamp, Du Plessis and Smith) all starting and Van der Linde and Van der Merwe on the bench.

Of course, that number could have been even higher had hooker Bismarck du Plessis (neck) and flanker Heinrich Brüssouw (knee) not picked up serious injuries during the Super 14.

Bismarck - Jannie's younger brother - has been back in action for the Sharks over the past few weeks, and will no doubt be in contention for an end-of-year tour call-up, but Brüssouw will return to rugby next year only.

Aside from his obvious pride in having five Shimlas players in the current Bok team, Heymans was also quick to point out just how many Springbok front rowers had passed through the university in recent years - modern-day players like Toks van der Linde, Ollie le Roux and Os du Randt just three of the names rolling off his tongue.

Heymans - a former tighthead prop - added: "It's important that we continue to produce front row players - at any level.

"Players aren't that keen to play up front anymore - some of our koshuis leagues play with uncontested scrums," he continued.

"[But] we need to keep producing front rowers and when our Shimlas guys become Springboks, and play at home, it can only have a good effect on the younger front row players at the university."

* The only non-Springbok in the above photo is Professor Jonathan Jansen, the Rector of the Free State University.

Jansen is flanked by Flip van der Merwe (left) and Gurthrö Steenkamp (right), with Jannie du Plessis (left), CJ van der Linde (middle) and Juan Smith (right) making up the back row.