After the Springboks’ 32-12 win over England in the final, the players were congratulated by Prince Harry who stepped into a dressing room soaked with beer and champagne. After a few measured handshakes, the Duke of Sussex was suddenly gripped around the neck by De Jager’s meaty arm as Eben Etzebeth flexed a bulging bicep in the background.
“His security guard told me off for that,” De Jager recalls for The Rugby Paper. “They also told me I wasn’t allowed to take a photo with him. I said, ‘too late’. No one else in the team got to take a photo with him with their own phone. I’m the only guy in the squad who has one and stuck it on my Instagram.”
Sale Sharks-signing De Jager can be forgiven for forgetting himself in that moment. Not only was he high on the adrenaline of becoming a World Cup winner, he was also high on a large amount of morphine. Just after 20 minutes into that one-sided contest at the International Stadium in Yokohama, De Jager’s already vulnerable left shoulder met a rampaging Billy Vunipola and dislocated from its socket. The 6ft 9in Bok crumpled in a heap and was substituted.
“I’m actually proud of that,” he says. “We promised each other before the game that we’d put our bodies on the line and that’s exactly what I did. I gave everything I had for my country.”
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Ten-try Chiefs show Pirates no mercy
TEN-TRY Exeter inflicted the backlash from six successive defeats in their worst ever start to a Premiership season on a young Pirates side suffering their own problems in the Championship.
South America look to keep on building
AS Sebastián Piñeyrúa's historic six-year term as President of Rugby Sudamérica comes to an end, his replacement shows no signs of slowing down.
Scarratt excited by new pathway
ENGLAND centurion Emily Scarratt is delighted with the new women's BUCS programme which aims to provide a smoother pathway for young aspiring female players.
Baxter: I want to make things better
ROB Baxter will not be walking away from Exeter, the only club still looking for a Premiership victory this season, believing he can get the Chiefs back on track and he cannot bear the thought of anyone else doing the job.
Pearce walks in his father's footsteps
PADDY Pearce is living a dream after emulating his father and great-uncle by playing for the club he supported as a boy, Bristol.
New England group will cause uncertainty
SO JUST when we thought that everything was getting sorted between the RFU, the clubs and players, a number of new agreements and a new group raises its head.
Galthie turns his sights to the future
FRANCE head coach Fabien Galthie offered the clearest hint yet of Les Bleus' future on Wednesday, when he released 19 players back F to their clubs for the ninth and final Top 14 round before the international break.
Gilmore has tightened up our defence - Anderson
CAMERON Anderson has hailed the impact made by defence coach Jason Gilmore, below, since he arrived at The Stoop in the summer.
Ampthill given 11-try lesson in class from Bath
BATH secured a thumping away success in the opening match of their Premiership Rugby Cup campaign against Ampthill at Dillingham Park.
New faces take the plaudits for Saints
NORTHAMPTON handed out a thorough lesson to a tame Leicester team in this one-sided East Midlands derby to launch the Premiership Cup.
