'Thor'-meulen shows there's still thunder in his Bok jersey with 80-minute masterclass

At Loftus

His stellar showing was perhaps the most hidden of the Springbok loose trio, but Duane Vermeulen once again rolled back the years in the comprehensive 43-12 victory over the Wallabies here on Saturday evening.

The evergreen 37-year-old, installed (yet again) as stand-in skipper for the eventual mismatch, was the subject of an interesting debate over his longevity in the build-up, particularly in terms of whether he can fulfil multiple roles within the squad.

Is he just a starter to lay the platform for a Bomb Squad member or can he be a super-sub himself?

National coach Jacques Nienaber stated he can be both, but Vermeulen - affectionatley nicknamed 'Thor' after the Norse god - gave a most emphatic retort: Why don't I just play the full 80?

In a performance brimming with physicality and selflessness, many of the doubts about his conditioning have been laid to rest.   

And he's not about to let up.

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"I would love to keep on playing, but some day you have to realise that your time is running out," said Vermeulen.

"You don't know when your last game will be. I just try to enjoy every moment. This win, it ticks a different box, it's one that that's hit close to my heart. 

"It was special performance and a special group of people that are involved. Someday, it will come to an end. You just have to enjoy every second."

He had quipped during his pre-match media engagement that he's feeling ten years younger and his output certainly suggested as such.

Vermeulen completed the most tackles of any Bok on the night (8), carried 10 times to make 32 running metres and made one of the game's few dominant hits on defence.

Impressive, yes, though he