Deon Fourie is poised to line up for the Stormers against the All Blacks in Cape Town on Friday, approximately 10 to 11 weeks after undergoing surgery on a knee injury sustained in May. The veteran forward suffered ligament damage following a croc-roll by Ulster lock Iain Henderson during a United Rugby Championship fixture.
"I am definitely raring to go, and it's a great opportunity," Fourie said. "Just to represent a union that has been very dear to my heart and play against a Test side like the All Blacks is such a big occasion. I think 80 or 90 percent of these guys won't have the opportunity to play them again or face the haka."
The 39-year-old's only previous encounter with New Zealand came in the 2023 World Cup final on 28 October in Paris, when he replaced Bongi Mbonambi in the third minute and played 77 minutes of the Springboks' narrow 12-11 triumph. "I can't remember much of those 77 minutes. It went by so quickly," Fourie reflected. "In 2023, when everything went past so quickly, you almost forget what it felt like, and to relive that feeling again will be nice."
Fourie's career has been marked by resilience, having become the oldest Springbok debutant at 35 in 2022 after earlier being told he was too small for international rugby. The latest setback is part of a torrid injury run spanning 28 months, including ACL, ankle and bicep problems. Despite the setbacks, the Stormers stalwart has worked his way back to fitness for what he described as an occasion every young rugby player dreams of experiencing.