Mature Ralepelle blocks out the noise and regains form

Chiliboy Ralepelle was a Springbok all year in 2017 and yet many people were questioning why he was there.

It also didn’t help that his coach at the Sharks, Robert du Preez, seemingly didn’t have enough faith to back him fully at the union.

Naturally, parrot cries of window dressing were squawked.

With Malcolm Marx injured for the Boks’ series against England next month, Ralepelle is in the frame again for national selection.

However, this time the moans and groans should be far less.

Despite being in a rotation system at the Sharks with Akker van der Merwe, the 31-year-old hooker has enjoyed a good Super Rugby campaign.

Also, in contrast to last season, Du Preez has heaped praise on Ralepelle, highlighting his leadership.

“As an athlete, you strive to be the best,” said Ralepelle, who made his 100th appearance in Super Rugby last weekend.

“For me, I went back and re-looked at myself.”

His maturity and leadership is reflected in the way he approached taking stock of his own game.

Instead of worrying what others were saying, Ralepelle actually tried to identify whether some might’ve had a point.

“I took stats from last year and looked at what I was capable of doing. I’ve worked closely with the conditioning coaches,” he said.

“The mind side of it is also something I’ve put a lot of attention on where previously I hadn’t thought about it.”

Ralepelle believes his competition with Van der Merwe, whom he believes has “great potential”, brings out the best in him.

“The dynamic is healthy. We really are brothers off and on the field. I enjoy imparting some of the wisdom I’ve gained over the years,” he said.

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