Springbok No 8 Jasper Wiese was thrilled to be back in the national squad after three months on the sidelines with a neck injury, and said on Thursday being in the group with his brother, Cobus, made his comeback even more special.
Wiese, who will earn his 35th Test cap when he packs down at the back of the scrum against Italy at Loftus Versfeld in the opening match of the Castle Lager Incoming Series on Saturday, was pleased with his recovery and rehabilitation and said he was ready to return to the field in green and gold.
“My injury wasn’t that serious; there were two discs that had to recover in my neck, so I was only out for three months,” said Wiese. “I’m very excited to be back here. It’s a massive privilege.”
Commenting on his brother being in the squad with him after earning his first Springbok call-up this season, the tough-as-nails loose forward said: “We’ve never had the opportunity to play together, and it doesn’t get better than being able to do so for the national team, so I hope he gets a run.
“I’m very happy for him because he has always dreamed of it. Over and above that, he’s had a good season, and it’s fantastic to see how he has flourished at the Vodacom Bulls.”
Looking forward to Saturday’s encounter against Italy, Wiese expected a physical onslaught from the visitors, and said: “They are a very passionate side and they know how to get themselves up for a game. They are also strong up front and will want to try to dominate there this weekend.”
On a personal note, he was excited about moving from the UK to Japan, where he currently plays for the Urayasu D-Rocks, and said the biggest change was having to adapt to the vastly different style of rugby they play.
“In Japan, they play a different rugby to that which I experienced in the four or five years I was in the UK, so I’ve learned to run a lot because of the fast-paced style of rugby they play.”