A flyer happy to do the dirty work

INTERVIEWl: BRYAN HABANA: PAUL REEStalks to the South African wing about the inspiration he took from the Springboks' World Cup victory in 1995

THE ONLY time Bryan Habana was in danger of receiving a pass in last weekend’s first Test in Durban was when the Lions had the ball and he was lurking for an interception. The quickest player on the field was restricted to a defensive role and had no chance to add to his 32 tries in 47 internationals.

Habana admits he was envious of the Lions’ back division, which received a regular supply of possession despite being buffeted up front in the first half, but experience has taught him the virtue of patience and he expects the Springboks to be more adventurous on his home ground, Loftus Versfeld, today.

“What mattered in Durban was winning, not how we played,” said the 26-year-old. “When you do not have many opportunities in a game, it is important you make a contribution to the team and I was happy with my defence. My job is not just to score tries but make turnover tackles. I hope to do something in the next couple of weeks in terms of making the whitewash and I feel my input will be different this Saturday.

“I love playing at Loftus. The history of rugby at the high veld shows we do not lose many games there, but the Lions have quality throughout and we are going to have to put together 80 minutes of rugby. We are not going to throw the ball around in our own 22 for the sake of it, but it is more conducive to running rugby in Pretoria than in Durban.

“Altitude will make it a different game, but if we think that is going to win it for us, we are going to be in the wrong space. It is a big game for both sides and there will be some amazing fireworks come kick-off time.”

Habana has an infectious enthusiasm for a game that he took to during the 1995 World Cup. Until then, he had been interested only in football, a Manchester United-loving boy who was named after Bryan Robson and Gary Bailey.

“I did not know what rugby was about,” he said. “The round ball was everything to me, but seeing Nelson Mandela walk on to Ellis Park in the number six jersey made me sit up. A team not given a chance of winning the World Cup showed what can be achieved by 22 guys going out there, giving their all and forming a bond with their country. When I went to high school I chose rugby because that World Cup brought the country together, and I still remember the intense feeling of disappointment when South Africa lost the 1997 series to the Lions.”

South Africa indulged in a considerable amount of verbal intimidation last weekend as they set about avenging that series defeat, but Habana has only good words for his opponents. He sought out Shane Williams after the game, who had succeeded him as the International Rugby Board player of the year and then hit a similar dip in form to that which befell Habana last year.

“I shared a room with Shane when we played for the Barbarians last year,” said Habana. “He is a fantastic player and people do not really understand what he has given to world rugby, never mind the Welsh game, in the last 10 years or so. He has set an amazing standard and some of the tries he has scored are already the stuff of legend. It is tough when things are not going your way: they say the tallest tree gets the most wind.

“He is the IRB player of the year, deservedly so, and when you get that title, people mark you more closely, they close your space down quickly and make it difficult for you. You have to find ways of doing things differently and popping up where they do not expect you.

“It is harder to stay at the top than it is to get there. I found it difficult as player of the year and ended up putting pressure on myself. Shane will be around for another couple of years and he has a number of scintillating tries left in him. He does not know how much longer he is going to be involved in the game for and wants to do something special.

“The great thing about rugby is that no matter how hard you go at each other for 80 minutes, you meet your rivals afterwards. There comes a day when you will no longer play this wonderful game and you should always be friendly to guys; the more open you are, the more you learn from other people and cultures the better you can become as a player and as a person. I have been a Test player for five years; you are paid to see the world, meet amazing people and make lifelong friends. To be able to give back is so important.”

Guardian Service