Nortje pushed by Bok lock competition to empty the tank

Ruan Nortje shouldn’t be daunted by what he faces on Saturday as he returns to the Springbok team with the responsibility of leading the lineout against the Wallabies in Cape Town.

It was against the Australians in Australia that Nortje, having played only one test prior to last season, stepped up and made the statement that made him a first choice in the games against New Zealand that followed.

He was part of an experimental team in both of those away games, so playing the same opponents on South African soil should be easy. Or should it?

Nortje watched from the side last week as the Wallabies powered back from a 22-0 deficit to win 38-22, and in the process broke a 62 year drought at Emirates Airlines Park that extends way back to 1963.

The lineouts were a key part of the Aussie success as they successfully targeted the South Africans on their own ball, something that before the start of this international season was a rare event.

The Vodacom Bulls captain left no doubt that he knows the Australian team he will face at the DHL Stadium is very much improved on the one that he cut his international teeth against last year.

“It’s obvious first of all after the weekend’s game that we have to give credit to Australia. I thought they were brilliant in that department (the lineouts),” said Nortje.

“It is not just the guys on the field that take responsibility for what happened last week, it’s all of us as locks. We make plans together on Sunday evening at the start of the buildup week to each match. Not just the guys on the field, but guys who weren’t playing in that game, like myself and RG, were also involved in the planning.

“That was one we will definitely have to take on the chin and make sure this week we execute our plans a lot better,” he added.

Ruan Nortje: “We need to ensure that we are more effective in that department this weekend” 💪#Springboks #ForeverGreenForeverGold — Springboks (@Springboks) August 20, 2025

RG PARTNERSHIP AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY

This will be the first time that the 27-year-old product of Hoërskool Wonderboom will be pairing up with one of his heroes from his early years, RG Snyman, and he says he is excited about forming a second row partnership with the double World Cup winner.

Snyman usually plays off the bench, but this is a rare start for him.

“This is my first time playing with RG and I am really excited about the opportunity. He was also at the Bulls a few years ago and I looked up to him then and wished I could play with him. I think given our playing styles we can field off each other a lot. I wish I could offload like RG does but he is one of a kind.

“If the opportunity is there for a clear offload I would always do it but RG is just at another level,”he laughed.

“RG gets the ball away sometimes when it appears there is no chance of that happening. That’s one of the things that makes me excited to work with him.”

FIXING LINEOUTS A KEY RESPONSIBILITY

It is on his role as leader of the lineout though that most of the focus on Nortje will come, and he does not shy away from the responsibility.

“We know we are much better than what we produced in the lineouts last week. The Aussies brought a different picture in the lineouts to what they had shown us in the Lions series. They caught us out. But we have focused on that a lot this week and our plan is to rectify what went wrong in Johannesburg.

“As Boks we will never go away from our drive to get pack domination and this weekend we will be looking to work together clinically as a pack. Our execution will be a focus. We didn’t execute well last week.”

Nortje has said before that being a lock in South Africa is tough and although he is an established international now, he knows that the competition for the No4 and No5 jerseys are so intense that you can never rest on your laurels.

And he is planning to empty the tank so that he can end Saturday’s game at the DHL Stadium feeling he has made maximum use of his opportunity.

“When I put the Springbok jersey on, whether it is for 10 minutes, 20 minutes or 80 minutes, what makes my game is my work rate,” he says.

“I aim to empty my tank whenever I play. For me it is always so special to play for the Boks. A lot of these guys (the locks in the Bok team) have been my heroes, people I looked up to and idolised when I was at Bulls at under-19 level. Each opportunity to work with them is something to be taken with both hands. If my game does get better than credit must go for the guys who push me so hard and make me get better as a player.”