Ralepelle returns for the Boks for the first time since 2013 in remarkable comeback

In September 2015 hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle’s rugby career appeared to be over after he was found guilty of taking an anabolic steroid‚ but this Saturday he will turn out for the Springboks for the first time since 2013.

Ralepelle‚ 31‚ is on the bench for the Rugby Championship clash against Australia in Bloemfontein‚ replacing Bongi Mbonambi.

It’s been a long road back for the experienced hooker after a two-year doping ban‚ and one he will not take lightly during a career that has never fully taken off after captaining the SA under-21 team to the 2005 world championship title.

“I just have to live the moment‚" Ralepelle said.

"One of the things that I said to myself [while suspended] was that I've got to control the controllables.

"All I could do is train and work hard and hopefully I got seen again and got chosen.

"I was very privileged.

"I worked with some of the best high performance coaches in the world and it was nice to get myself in that proper mind-frame and regather myself.

"I'm very thankful for the opportunity."

It’s a remarkable comeback for a man whose career appeared to be petering out in ignominy and shame.

Torn knee ligaments sustained in early 2014 while playing for French club Toulouse was a massive setback in a career dogged by serious injury.

When World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) officials arrived for out of competition testing that March‚ Ralepelle’s sample was positive and after a legal process a two-year suspension was handed down.

The ban was backdated to the start of the suspension in April 2014 and Ralepelle was free to play in early 2016.

The Sharks offered a lifeline and the former Junior Bok World Championship-winning captain took it with both hands.

His form has been solid and his basics have underlined the value of set piece accuracy.

In last week’s Currie Cup quagmire at King’s Park‚ Ralepelle was spot on with his accuracy in those difficult conditions‚ just a week after the Bok lineout malfunctioned in New Zealand.

It was enough for Springbok coach Allister Coetzee to turn to Ralepelle as insurance on the bench for this weekend’s clash in Bloemfontein.

"Rugby has always been a part of me and it has always been my passion‚ so deep down in my heart I always knew that I had a lot to offer‚" Ralepelle said.

"I didn't want to walk away from the game thinking 'if only I had given extra'.

"Now I've got the opportunity to seize the day ...

"I'm here and I just have to do the best for the team when I run out." - TimesLIVE