Super Rugby Legends - Scrumming down with Akona Ndungane

It is difficult to imagine a rugby player coming back from two potentially career-ending injuries and still being a key member of a multi-championship winning team.

That's just part of a significant journey that Ndungane travelled in a 10-year career donning the famous blue jersey of the Bulls/Blue Bulls at Loftus Versfeld.

The soft-spoken, modest Ndungane, now involved in the construction sector post-rugby, had to overcome two broken legs and a broken hand during the course of his career.

He share what inspired him to carry on after those tough times and what fuelled his desire to keep on playing at the highest level. 

From his humble beginnings in the Eastern Cape, he became one of the darlings of Loftus and a hero to many aspiring young black rugby players.

He tasted Super Rugby success on three occasions and featured in a succession of Currie Cup finals as well.

He recalls very vividly how a call from then Blue Bulls/Bulls manager 'Oom' Wynie Strydom in 2005 summoned him from the Border Bulldogs to come and train at Loftus and the rest is pretty much history.

Having played for the Mighty Elephants in 2003 and for the Border Bulldogs in 2004 and 2005, he was initially loaned to the Blue Bulls for two seasons, but became a permanent fixture at the Pretoria-based side. 

He also had a brief flirtation with Springbok Sevens rugby in 2004, where he competed for the Blitzboks at the IRB Sevens World Series in Bordeaux and London. 

He also represented the fifteen-man Boks in 2006 and 2007, and boasts a Rugby World Cup winner's medal in '07.

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It was exciting, yet admittedly scary for the Mthatha-born and Hudson Park High schooled rugby-made youngster -- East London and Pretoria were worlds apart -- but he got a good heads up and knew what to expect.

His identical twin Odwa had given him some valuable tips and advice after a short spell at the Bulls, which helped him feel far more at home in what he initially feared would be an alien environment.

So he slotted comfortably into a potent Bulls squad and quickly learned the culture and structures of the Bulls 'family' under Heyneke Meyer and was readily accepted by his fellow players and coaches.

Ten years later and more than 100 Super Rugby appearances, understandably he had no regrets.

He recalls very fondly the day he came on as a substitute on debut for the Bulls in the then Super 12 against the Cats (Now Lions) at Ellis Park, having cut his teeth initially at Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup level.

What made the Bulls the seemingly invincible team then during those golden years which brought three Super Rugby titles one wonders?

Ndungane offers a simple reply: "We wanted to play well for each other and die for one another on the field." 

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His biggest career highlight wasn't difficult to single out -- the 2007 Super Rugby Final in Durban, dubbed the 'Habana Final.

Like a highlights package, he recalls what an inspirational leader Victor Matfield was and the words he exchanged behind the poles as Francois Steyn lined up what seemed to be a match-winning conversion in the 78th minute.

"We had incredible belief in him (Victor) as a leader. He convinced us we were still in the game. Steyn missed conversion, we kept the ball in hand from the restart and the rest is history."

As for the biggest disappointment? - His first Currie Cup Final in 2005 when the Blue Bulls stared at the reverse scenario - defeat in the last two minutes at Loftus after working hard to secure a home final.