Asenathi Ntlabakanye opens up on farm training sessions with Springbok scrum guru

In late June, as South Africa prepared for their mid-year Tests against Italy and Georgia, head coach Rassie Erasmus revealed that Lions tighthead Ntlabakanye and Bulls utility forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels were both put through a rigorous regime under Human's supervision - with Ntlabakanye reportedly shedding around 15 kilograms as a result of the demanding sessions.

The prop, who later made his Springbok debut in the 45-0 win over Italy in Gqeberha, explained how he came to take part in the farm-based sessions, which Erasmus jokingly referred to as 'Kamp Daandraad' at the time.

"Coach Daan, the first time I went to his camp, not his camp, his farm. I think (it was) somewhere in May because we (the Lions) got knocked out early out of the URC," he told the Behind the Ruck podcast.

"So I spent some time down in Bloemfontein with him. So I'm kind of nervous going down there because I didn't really know what to expect.

"Because the first time we got there, I was like, 'Ok, what time are we going to gym?' and he was like, 'Gym? Ons gaan plaas toe' ('We're going to the farm')."

Ntlabakanye outlined how the idea for the training stint was initiated, saying it followed guidance from the Springbok coaches.

"So, it was like a message through coach Ras (Erasmus) and coach Challa (Springboks team manager Charles Wessels), (saying) just to keep yourself active because the other guys were playing. It was still (URC) play-offs.

"So, the Sharks were busy, the Stormers were busy and the Bulls were also busy.

"The Lions were the only union that were knocked out. And I didn't really want to go on holiday for two or three weeks and then join up (with the Boks).

"And then coach Daan said, 'I can bring him down to Bloem for a few weeks and then see how he handles it'.".

Human has developed an almost cult status among South African rugby fans for his unwavering passion for the scrum, a trait showcased memorably in the Chasing the Sun 2 docuseries. In the series, he made headlines for his stance against scrum machines - arguing they "don't push back" - and insisted that the Springbok forwards train exclusively with live scrums.

Ntlabakanye revealed what life at 'Kamp Daandraad' was like, describing how he and Human designed a private, makeshift training environment on the farm.

"We created kind of our own space in a way, because we didn't really want to be in public," he said.

"So, we used what we had around us. The routine would look like this: Early morning, obviously stayed inside Bloem and then drive (to the farm).

"It is a bit of a distance. So, we drive in in the morning and then cycle, not literally cycle, the bike around the farm to see how things are going and just to keep yourself busy and do some ball work as well.

"Core stuff, you know, those are pull-ups. The holding ones (which) are pretty tough.

"But then he's actually got a lot of stuff in his farm as well that you can make a lot of, you know, with scrummaging and stuff.

"There's a lot of carrying stuff. There's a nice hill where he made me kind of run up and down. But it was pretty tough. But he made it very enjoyable.

"He's a very, very good human being. He's a very good man. I met his family as well. Lovely family. So I got to spend a lot of time with him as well. And he's a very, very good man."

Ntlabakanye said Human played a massive role in his personal development as a player and he is grateful for the impact which the coach has made on his career.

"He really is not a big believer in talking stuff. It's really all about action," he explained. "You know, you say you want to get better. How do you get better? It's by working. So that has improved for me. And especially in that aspect of the game.

"Because I always thought that's something that's probably missing from my game. And to have such a good coach that has worked with me. Now just to improve my game in that aspect of the game.

"He was very special for me. And he still is very special. I'm still learning to this day.

"But like you said, he's not a big believer in talking. Let's get the work done. Then you reap the rewards."

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