Gelant insists there is no 'Springbox'

Warrick Gelant's exhibitionist qualities make him less suited for the confines of a box.

Though he has been part of the wider Springbok group, Gelant has cut a peripheral figure with the Test team with some claiming the player who gyrates to the beat of his own drum is out of step with the staccato rhythms of the Springboks.

Some even argue they are incompatible and that is the reason Gelant will play in only his second Test since the 2019 Rugby World Cup when SA tackle Australia in the Rugby Championship in Adelaide on Saturday.

Not that Gelant feels he'll be squeezed into a box when he runs out on the right wing on Saturday.

“I don't think my freedom is taken away,” said the free-running Stormers fullback. “I think my role changes somewhat.

“I'm playing with different players so your relationship with them is different. I will have a different number on my back but I don't think it will be very different.”

Does the Bok game really allow him to exhibit his full range? If anything he contends Saturday's game is “an amazing opportunity to show different skills sets”.

“We are not pressed into a box when it comes to the way we play. We are tight knit when it comes to that,” said the player whose last appearance was at fullback when the Springboks lost to Wales in Bloemfontein earlier this year.

“It is about the amount of learning and growth that you undergo when you are not selected,” he said sagely.

“We prepare the guys well who are playing. We go through a lot of analysis when you are not playing so there is growth too. It is about being patient and being ready for when your chance comes.

He believes Saturday's clash is somewhat of a leap into the unknown for the Springboks and the Wallabies whose teams no longer combat each other in provincial or franchise competition.

“The Wallabies will pose a different threat,” reminded Gelant. “They are a quality side. What makes it even more difficult is that we haven't played in Super Rugby in the last few years.

“We don't know and we haven't experienced how the Australian teams play in Super Rugby. That will be a threat in itself.

“We can only focus on ourselves. We are well prepped. We are in a good space at the moment, the way the backline players are gelling. I think it will be an exciting game.”

Even if he was to operate under constraints Gelant is enough of a contortionist to occasionally break free.

He is a highly dexterous player who does things with the rugby ball others do not dare. He kicks off both feet, is endowed with sharp anticipation and he sees space where others might observe a bottleneck.

Gelant comes into the team as head coach Jacques Nienaber remains committed to spreading game time across the group. Opportunities, Gelant knows, have been few and far between but he is not thinking too far ahead.

“The World Cup happens to be next year. I think with every Test there is a measure of desperation to want to play for the Springboks. It has been a while since I have been in the team. To be back in the team is a big privilege for me.

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.