Halfback excited by Makos' fast game plan [Nelson Mail]
Mark Swanepoel has shared his new captain Shane Christie's frustration this season.
Just as Crusaders' flanker Christie was forced to watch much of this season's Super Rugby action from the stands, the Tasman Makos' new South African-born halfback was also resigned to watching his Brumbies team-mates from the sidelines.
But while Christie had Matt Todd standing in his way, Swanepoel's involvement was determined largely by circumstance after he injured an ankle early in the season, causing on-going problems.
Originally selected as the Brumbies' third halfback behind Nic White and Ian Prior, Swanepoel gradually saw his chances of wearing the No 9 starting jersey evaporate.
"I had a bit of a bad run with injuries and the team was doing so well that when I came back in at the back end of the season, it wasn't really the right time to change things or get an opportunity," said Swanepoel, who joined his new Tasman team-mates last Tuesday ahead of this year's ITM Cup provincial rugby campaign.
Having signed a two-year deal with Tasman, Swanepoel said the ankle was now "100 per cent" and he has been working hard to regain his fitness.
"I played a bit of club rugby in Canberra leading into this, probably about four weeks of rugby. I've stayed fit and I don't think it'll be too much of a shock to the system. I'm feeling pretty good . . .I feel ready to play.
"I think it's the same with most of the [Tasman] boys. There's a real good vibe around training and everyone's really keen to get stuck in and play."
Swanepoel's well used to different rugby environments and a nomadic lifestyle.
Born in Johannesburg almost 23 years ago, he was five when his family left South Africa to live at Papamoa beach, near Tauranga. They were there five years, achieving their New Zealand citizenship, before heading to Australia's Gold Coast on holiday.
They fell in love with the place and eventually moved to Australia in 2001 where Swanepoel attended Southport School, a Gold Coast college with a proud rugby tradition. He'd go on to represent his adopted country at schools level in 2007 and 2008 and was an Australian under-20 international in 2009.
Despite joining the Queensland Reds academy that same year, he eventually linked up with the Western Force Super franchise, earning four caps.
Swanepoel headed back to New Zealand in 2011 to represent Canterbury in the ITM Cup. He played eight games for the province that season, including a start against Tasman in Canterbury's 36-32 win in Blenheim.
Nelson's now his latest port of call and Swanepoel is currently immersing himself in the Tasman team culture and excited about the playing style adopted by coaches Kieran Keane and Leon MacDonald. He understands his role in the mix.
"I've got a pretty good handle on it. I think for me it's just [about] playing my natural game, like giving quick service and focusing on quick ball, threatening around the fringes.
"I've got to be fit because we cover a lot of ground, but the game that KK [Keane] and Leon have come up with, it's really expansive and it's exciting and it's fun to play."
Besides playing against Tasman two years ago, he's already well acquainted with the Makos' style.
"I've watched a lot of their games. That Ranfurly Shield game they played last year, that was unbelievable," he said in reference to Tasman's enthralling 49-40 loss to Taranaki in New Plymouth.
"But they had a good season last year, so it was good to watch, they played a lot of good rugby. The way that the Makos play, I guess any rugby player would love to be a part of because it's so expansive and fast and there's a lot of tries. It's really exciting."
His previous ITM Cup experience means he's also aware of what's lying in store for Tasman when they face Southland in Invercargill on Saturday. It was Southland who took the Ranfurly Shield off Canterbury in 2011.
"We're looking forward to a very physical game, obviously. I suppose we're looking forward to playing a typical Southland side.
"We've got things set in place . . . if we can match them physically, then we should be right to outplay them. Leading into that [second round] Canterbury game in Blenheim, which is a big one for us, it'd be good to have that bit of momentum."
