South African Shark loves his new waters
By Mark Stevens
16/1/20
He’s been taking significant chunks out of rivals across Europe ever since he arrived in Westcountry waters back in September, but Exeter’s South African Shark, Jacques Vermeulen, still believes there is more to come from him as he continues to make his mark with the Chiefs.
As one of a handful of new recruits brought to Sandy Park by Director of Rugby, Rob Baxter, last summer, the imposing 24-year-old forward has certainly been creating waves with his all-action displays.
Brought in on a three-year deal, Baxter once again appears to have hauled in another prized catch with the arrival of Vermeulen from Super Rugby side, the Sharks. Since being handed his debut at Leicester Tigers in the Premiership Rugby Cup just days after arriving in the UK, the Paarl-born has not looked back as he looks to establish himself within the much-vaunted Chiefs back-row.
“I’m loving life here in Exeter,” he said. “The club are doing very well in all the competitions, I’m enjoying my rugby, and I’m enjoying the people.”
Indeed, having compatriot Jannes Kirsten as a welcoming face on arrival, as well as a decent African influence within the Chiefs changing room thanks to the likes of Don Armand, Dave Ewers and Patrick Schickerling, the settling in process has been a breeze for Vermeulen.
“Obviously, it’s tough being away from all of your family, especially on big occasions like Christmas or birthdays, but the boys here have been so welcoming,” he continued. “I know I am only a video call away from speaking to the family, but having the likes of Jannes, Dave, Don and Patrick here definitely helps. Coming into a new environment and hearing the odd bit of Afrikaans - or them knowing about the culture I’m from, it’s been good.
“At the same time, I feel like I have a new rugby family as well. What I like about here is that the boys are very close and they like spending quality time with one another. It’s not like we just come to training and play games, if you go for a coffee it’s not just one or two people going, it’s 10, 12, 15 boys.”
And it’s that close bond, both on and off the field, that Vermeulen believes is helping to once again steer the Chiefs towards their seasonal goals.
“Because we are so close, every time you go out on the field, you feel like you don’t want to let the guy next to you down,” he said. “If they are giving everything, it’s only right that you do the same yourself. All of us are driving each other every week and it’s helping to bring the best out of all of us.”
Certainly, the Chiefs formula appears to be working with the Devon club not only top of the Gallagher Premiership, but they have also accrued a semi-final spot in the Premiership Rugby Cup, are riding high in the Premiership Rugby Shield, and last week’s 31-31 draw at Glasgow Warriors ensured they will have a Champions Cup quarter-final to get ready for in early April.
Not that the task in Europe is done by any means. This Saturday, they welcome La Rochelle to Sandy Park for the final Pool Two fixture, knowing they need a victory to ensure they have home advantage when the last eight meetings come about.
“It’s going to be a big weekend for the club and for the city,” added Vermeulen. “We know if we can win this weekend, we will have a home quarter-final - and that’s massive for us. Our last game here [against Saracens] the support was amazing and it was the biggest crowd they’ve ever had here at the stadium. As players you could feel the vibe right from going out to warm-up and it just lifts you. It puts you on another level because you know pretty much everyone in the stadium is getting behind you and wanting you to do well.”
Although La Rochelle have no hope of advancing in Europe, back-to-back wins over Glasgow and Sale Sharks have helped bring a bit of pride back into their overall campaign - and they would love nothing better than to topple the Chiefs on their own turf.
“They’ll be tough, but all the teams are tough at this level,” warned Vermeulen. “What I like about Europe especially is that the challenge is always different. You can end up playing teams from Ireland, Scotland, Wales or France, but all of them play at different levels, different pace, so you have to do a lot of prep, a lot of homework to make sure you are ready for them.
“The standard is right up there, probably the toughest I’ve faced. You only have to look at last week at Glasgow, that was pretty much the Scotland team. It’s a challenge, for sure, but it’s one I really relish. I’m excited what this season can bring, not just for me personally, but for the whole team. You can see coming in the culture here is a winning one, the guys have been in four finals in a row, so they know what it takes to get to that stage. Hopefully, we can do it again this season.”
