Nama Xaba has had to walk a tough road in senior rugby.
Having moved from KwaZulu-Natal, where he matriculated from Glenwood High as the head boy and first-team rugby captain, Xaba made his name in the Varsity Cup for UCT, and was soon chosen by Western Province and the Stormers.
But injuries have limited his playing time in the Cape over the past few years, and he decided to make a fresh start at the Bulls in Pretoria.
It’s not only a change of scenery that the talented openside flank hopes will reignite his career, but also a difference in his approach to the game.
“I’m putting my best foot forward in the new environment. The reason why I came here is to see if I can go further with my career,” Xaba said this week ahead of tomorrow’s Currie Cup clash against the Cheetahs at Loftus Versfeld (5pm start).
“I spent eight-and-a-half years in the Province set-up and looking back, it was awesome. I grew a lot as a player, I got my big break that side.
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“But looking at my injuries, I was actually out more than I was available for selection. So, there was a lot of frustration coming from the management, or maybe the coaches’ side – which I don’t blame (anyone for). It’s not anyone’s fault.
“The injuries I’ve had were like freakish injuries, which could’ve happened to anyone at any point. I don’t think there’s much that I could have (done) to prevent it.
“So, it probably was supposed to happen, and through that, it’s put me here (at the Bulls). Maybe this might be where I’m supposed to be.
“There’s no point in reminiscing on what could have been. I just take it day by day and try to look forward to what’s coming. I’m turning 27 in a few weeks, and hopefully I can play until like 38, like we’ve seen with some people now. Still a lot to look forward to.
“Looking forward to what this new challenge brings, one big thing that Jake (White, Bulls director of rugby) said in our first meeting here was that availability is the biggest thing.
“I really like working hard on staying on the pitch, and it’s not working hard in the sense of doing extras – like running faster in sessions or putting in an extra gym session – but it’s about understanding my body and what it needs to make sure that I am always available to be selected.
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“You have to do a sort of complete pathology on yourself – what it is that you are doing to your detriment – and I am working on that.”
Xaba said he was not missing all the heavy rain in Cape Town, although “Pretoria feels like a fridge, but it’s not wet at least”.
“The biggest difference is that I can’t go to Clifton in the mornings for my swim.”
Xaba made his Bulls debut in last week’s 52-10 win over the Griffons in Welkom, and hopes to play his part in coach Phiwe Nomlomo’s team against defending Currie Cup champions the Cheetahs tomorrow.
“We are facing the Currie Cup champions. My role, which I will be relishing, will be my first game playing at Loftus in a Bulls jersey,” he said.
“For me, hard work has always been where you have a nail and a hammer. (But) you can’t approach everything in that sort of manner. There has to be different nuances in terms of what you do – maybe it’s diet, or what to do or not in the gym.
“Just feeling when your body is tired, or when you can push …
“I’m a bit older now, and I don’t have a 21-year-old body that I can just smash and all of that. Also the way that I play, (it’s about) being smarter about which breakdown I target.
“But rugby starts and ends at the breakdown for me. That’s something that I will really try to drive when I get the opportunity. They (the Cheetahs) have a couple of good fetchers to try to slow our ball down, so we need to get quick ball as much as possible to get our forwards into the game.”