Last dance for Bok great Duane 'Thor' Vermeulen in RWC final against All Blacks

After doing much of the heavy lifting in the last Rugby World Cup final Duane Vermeulen nailed it even further when he shared a powerful yet poignant moment with victorious captain Siya Kolisi after South Africa beat England 32-12 in Yokohama. 

Vermeulen a few minutes later shared what he had told Kolisi on the field.

“I told him it is fantastic to see him lifting the trophy. I said to him: ‘In South Africa we have a lot of things not going our way. It is a lot of difficult things’. I just told him ‘listen, there’s hope’.

“It is fantastic to see him lifting the cup. As a black captain that is a fantastic thing, especially with what is going on in South Africa. It is massive,” said Vermeulen in the bowels of the International Stadium Yokohama. 

South Africa's powerful No 8 will play his final Test when the Springboks take on the All Blacks in a match that has been billed as the biggest since he picked up the ball and ran with it. 

The Springboks' 'Thor' will put the hammer down one last time as the defending champions try to sneak ahead of their great rivals with four RWC triumphs. 

Vermeulen has been inspirational — a force for good in Green and Gold.

He has put his body on the line living through all kinds of orthopaedic trauma from a torn ACL, torn PCL and torn MCL. 

“It is difficult to get yourself up every weekend but that changes from person to person. This is what I wanted in my life,” he said on the eve of his first game at the Stade de France back in 2013. 

Indubitably, Vermeulen's career with the Boks has been one of enduring quality.

With him in the match-day squad the Boks have won their last eight Tests straight.

He last tasted defeat against the All Blacks in Auckland earlier this year. 

“What a legend! The funny thing is I am not that much older than Duane,” said Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick on Friday.

“He’s a very, very special guy who has made a lot of sacrifices in his career, being away from his family and young kids. It is a very special moment for him, but I know if you were to ask Duane now if it is about him, or what it represents for the nation, he will tell you he will put his body on the line for the nation.

“Hopefully we can give him a proper send-off, even if I know it’s going to be a tough game, especially if you look at the history between the two teams. 

“If you look back at what the 1995 final did for the country, it really changed the image of the game in South Africa. Everyone fell in love with the game, and that is where some of us as youngsters, benefited from that special moment.

“As for Duane, he is definitely going to leave the jersey in a better place. He has really put dignity in that jersey so I wish him nothing but the best.” said Stick. 

It will also be au revoir in a RWC context for prop Trevor Nyakane, flank Deon Fourie and fullback Willie le Roux.

Several other Boks are in their early 30s and may find Australia in four years’ time a bridge too far. 

Coaches Jacques Nienaber and Felix Jones will move on after Saturday's final. 

The All Blacks too will have several players and coaches disappearing into the night.

They earlier this week had an at times tearful farewell for locks Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick, as well as hooker Dane Coles and scrumhalf Aaron Smith who shared their experiences and what it meant to be an All Black. 

Whitelock, could on Saturday become the first men's player to win three World Cups.

“The real message the experienced players like Sam and Dane Coles have passed on is not spoken, it’s done. It’s about actions. It’s just showing how to prepare, how to deal with the pressure,” said coach Ian Foster who will be in charge for the last time. 

“Those people have done a fantastic job and Sam is a massive example of that. It’s been a highlight reel of achievements for him the past five or six weeks. I remember being asked in a media conference a few weeks ago what also he could achieve, and being the first man to win three [Rugby World Cups] would be pretty special. We would feel a lot of honour if that happened.”