JOHANNESBURG - And after the beating he took following that 16-16 draw against the Pumas – his performance supposedly hiding a back injury – he vowed to come back stronger than ever.

“I had a point to prove coming back from that,” Bekker said after the Bok team announcement this week. “Mentally it was tough after all the criticism I had to endure, but I just had to prove myself.

“If I asked   Eben Etzebeth to run through a wall he would do it. He is just so big and eager, but for me, it’s hugely beneficial to have him and (No 8) Duane Vermeulen involved.

“I think this Bok pack can become the best in the business not too long from now.”

At Loftus last week, Bekker again proved how good he can be after coming back from back and ankle injuries which have hindered his progress over the last two years. And that after the continued comparisons with former Bok legend, lineout specialist Victor Matfield.

“Personally I had to get back after the injuries which have hindered my progress, and if people continue to compare me to Victor, I see that as a compliment because Vic was one of the greats of Bok rugby, a real legend,” said Bekker, at 2.08m the tallest Bok ever.

In all fairness to the 28-year-old Bekker,  the son of former Bok lock Hennie Bekker who was on the 1981 tour in New Zealand, he has seen greater heights with the Stormers than with the national team, all because of injury disruptions.

“If I have to think back to my first years with the Boks, I and Danie Rossouw were always seen as back-up  to guys like Victor and Bakkies Botha, but that was good for the team, because you need the impact from the bench,” he said.

“And nowadays with the Boks it’s the same, with Flip van der Merwe and Juandre Kruger also in the mix. They are huge, international class locks and with four locks involved with the team, it can only  benefit the national cause.”
 
Bekker has often been criticised for spending too much time in the backline, between the centres, almost like a Matfield of yesteryear.

“When I’m in the backline it’s often because I’m simply too tired,” Bekker joked.
 
“But if we don’t back ourselves against the All Blacks we could get 50 points against us.

“Rassie  Erasmus  told me in his early years with the Stormers, that  if I feel comfortable playing  close to the ball to free up some space for somebody like Bryan Habana to score a try, then it benefits the team,” Bekker said.