Playing a rare Test match in Gqeberha in front of a passionate crowd will be an electrifying experience for the Springboks when they face a dangerous Italian side on Saturday, wing Makazole Mapimpi says.
It will be a special homecoming for the 34-year-old who was one of the stars when he played Super Rugby for the Southern Kings in 2017 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
After growing up in Tsholomnqa in the rural Eastern Cape, Mapimpi started off at the Border Bulldogs before moving to Gqeberha, where he shone for the Kings before gaining national recognition.
Mapimpi will be playing in his 47th Test on Saturday and requires only three more caps to join an elite group of players who have 50 Tests under their belts.
The dashing try machine has already scored 32 tries in the green and gold and will be hungry to add to that impressive tally against the Azzurri.
Mapimpi gained rugby immortality when he became the first Springbok to score a try in a World Cup final when he dotted down against England in the 2019 final.
“All of us are excited to be back in Gqeberha and to play at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium,” he said.
“The last time the Boks played here was during Covid-19, when we faced Argentina in 2021 [matches were played behind closed doors with no fans in attendance].
“When we play in Gqeberha, it is different because people here don’t experience what people in other cities enjoy, like having teams like the Sharks playing.
“It is very rare for the Springboks to play here, so I am sure people will be very excited to come and watch us.”
Mapimpi said he was not looking as far ahead as the 2027 World Cup in Australia.
“Of course, I will be older in 2027, so I can’t promise myself about that,” he said.
“The only thing I can do now is focus on what is happening on the field and I am very happy to be in the Springbok squad.”
Bok fans will be disappointed that another hometown hero, Siya Kolisi, will remain on the sidelines because of injury.
The Bok skipper missed the opening game of the season against the Barbarians in Cape Town because of a stiff neck and the first Test against Italy because of Achilles stiffness.
“Siya is from Gqeberha and we would have loved to play him here, but you weigh up the positives and negatives of playing him a week early,” Bok coach Rassie Erasmus said.
“We’ve got 14 games this year, and if he can play 10, that would be awesome.
“But we are not expecting anyone to play all of them.
“Siya wanted to be involved in this game in Gqeberha, and so did Makazole Mapimpi and myself, because we’re also from here.
“But the wise decision is to give him another week. It can only be better for him.”
Erasmus is excited for the Wiese brothers — Cobus and Jasper — who will become the 37th set of brothers to play for the Springboks on Saturday.
“It’s always fantastic to see siblings play together, and one can sense their excitement about this memorable occasion,” he said.
“I have no doubt that will motivate them even more going into the game.
“We said from the get-go that Italy are a tough team and that they will test us, and we know that their performance last week will psyche them up going into this match.
“They will come hard at us and deliver another passionate performance, but we also have high standards as a team, and we know that we need to shift into a different gear this weekend to produce a performance we can be proud of.
“We had an honest and thorough review of last week’s game, and we know that we must improve in every department to get the desired result.
“The Boks will do everything we can to make this game special for Willie le Roux, who is playing his 100th game, the debutantes, and the country.”
The Herald
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