Very few, if any, in the Springbok Women squad were as pleased as Aseza Hele after she made a successful return to the test arena on Saturday in Suva, where South Africa delivered a commanding performance as they defeated Fiji 55-12.
For Hele, who played in her 33rd test, the return to the green and gold after injury was as good a feeling as making her international debut way back in 2018.
She last played for South Africa in the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England almost a year ago and missed the early part of the season due to a hand injury that required surgery.
Now, back to her best, the Hermanus-based loose forward cannot wait for the second test match this weekend, to be played at Churchill Park in Lautoka, where kick-off is scheduled for 13h00 (03h00 SA time) on Saturday.
“Yes, it was great being out there again,” Hele said from Nadi, where the Bok Women are based for the week.
“Coming back from rehabilitation, one is not always hundred per cent sure how the body will react in a match situation. So I was pleased the way it went, given that I did not play for a while.
“Once the match started, I felt really comfortable and I could just focus on doing my job out there, which was great. It felt great to get back in the physical part of the game and I felt like I was myself again, so very happy with that aspect of it.”
Hele had 16 ball carries and made 127 metres, and her physicality was a menace to the Fijian defence.
“My fitness and conditioning was good – in these type of games you need to be at your best when it comes to fitness, so I am very happy the way it played out. There were some nerves at the beginning, but that is normal,” she said.
Hele was one of several players who did not start in the home series against the USA last month, so she could relate to those starting for the first time in a while: “I was happy for those who started for the first time in a while to be given that opportunity as they could step up and show what they are capable of and they did. From a personal point of view, I just went out there to make sure I fulfil my role to the best of my abilities.”
Hele is expecting the second test to be as challenging as the first.
“It was tough out there, the wind was quite strong at times and when you play Fiji, you need to expect the unexpected,” she said.
“The crowd also goes wild when they have the ball, you can hear the noise going up and the pressure building from the crowd when they are in possession.
“It was most pleasing though that we executed our plays very well, we stuck to our guns and did not allow them to dictate matters. We came into this match well prepared, we worked hard back home and came here with good clarity on what we wanted to achieve. From that perspective, we really did well.”
The test at Churchill Park will bring new challenges, she warned: “We know they will come back stronger. But that is good for us too, as we respond well to pressure. We also gained confidence from our own performances and we saw our hard work being rewarded. We stuck to our system and the system rewarded us.”
Hele was part of the team that suffered a gut-wrenching defeat in the only other time the two teams met – at the 2022 Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand – when Fiji scored in the final play of the match to snatch the win.
“We have buried that one now,” she said. “That defeat in New Zealand was still hurting and with this performance, we buried that for good.”
Another feature of Hele’s play, also came through in Suva – playing with a smile. And she had good reasons to do so.
“You don't know how much you will miss that jersey until it happens, but I just realised it again,” said Hele.
“To be back in the team made the rehab worth the while. The mental side of the rehab is always the toughest. Patience is often a virtue as sometimes rehab has it ups and downs and for me it is 90 per cent mental, 10 per cent physical. So I am very pleased that I could be back doing what I love, playing for my country and inspiring others.”
The team for the second test will be named on Wednesday. The squad will be without Lerato Makua and Eloise Webb, who picked up injuries last week, but could be bolstered by the return of team captain, Babalwa Latsha.