Prop Carlü Sadie admits nothing quite prepared him for his first full scrum session under Bok scrum guru Daan Human.
Sadie has faced some of the toughest packs in Europe, helped Bordeaux Bègles conquer Leinster in an Investec Champions Cup final and battled back from a serious neck injury.
The 29-year-old earned his first Springbok start in Saturday’s 80-31 victory over the Barbarians in Gqeberha, but one of his biggest tests came long before match day.
“I’d heard a lot of stories about the Springboks’ scrum sessions, but this was the first chance I got to be part of one myself. I can definitely say it’s no joke,” said Sadie.
“I would say they push you to your limit. The first session we did, lasted a bit longer than I expected.
“When I stood up, the world suddenly went dark and Siya [Kolisi] grabbed me and asked if I was OK. I told him, ‘Yes, let’s do it again.’”
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Although Sadie had attended previous Springbok alignment camps, he had never experienced a full session run by Human, whose reputation as one of rugby’s premier scrum coaches is well established.
Rather than relying heavily on scrum machines, Human prefers his front rowers to test themselves against one another.
“Working with Daan and the group definitely makes you better and tougher,” said Sadie.
“It really is as intense as people told me. I’m looking forward to growing even more and taking my scrummaging to the next level.”
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Sadie’s Bok squad selection completes a remarkable journey.
The former Hoërskool Bellville pupil established himself as one of Europe’s premier scrummagers with Bordeaux and started in their convincing Champions Cup final victory over Leinster last month.
That success came after a frightening setback during his second season in France.
“Unfortunately, in my second year at Bordeaux, I broke my neck, the same as [Steven] Kitshoff. The ligaments at C1 and C2 tore during a match.
“Things didn’t look very good then, but Bordeaux said they would look after me and make sure I got back onto the field. I’m very grateful for that.”
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Sadie credits both Bordeaux and his wife, Niritha, for helping him through the rehabilitation process.
“They gave me the platform and said, ‘You are going to work hard, make sure you do all your rehabilitation and stay positive about everything you do.’
“To be here with the Springboks is a dream come true. I never expected it. The most important thing was just getting back onto the field.”
Photo: Richard Huggard/Gallo Images
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