Chiliboy Ralepelle says he is determined to make the most of the opportunity to represent the Springboks for the first time since 2013, writes CRAIG LEWIS in Bloemfontein.

Ralepelle was named on the Bok bench for Saturday’s Test against the Wallabies, and should he be called into action, it would represent a quite remarkable return to Test action.

Having previously earned 22 Test caps for the Boks and spent some eight years at the Bulls, Ralepelle made the move to France in 2013 to take up a contract with Toulouse.

And at a time when the front-rower was recovering from a serious knee injury, he tested positive for banned anabolic steroid drostanolone in an out-of-competition doping control test on 19 March 2014.

Although some may have thought that could spell the end of his career, Ralepelle received a ‘second chance’ at the Sharks when the Durban-based union took the decision to recruit the Springbok hooker at a time when he was still serving out his suspension.

Having made a meaningful impact at the Sharks since returning to action, Ralepelle is now in line to make his first Bok appearance since playing off the bench against Italy, back in June 2013.

Chatting to the media at the team hotel on Thursday, Ralepelle suggested it was somewhat surreal to be back in a Springbok match-day squad.

‘Every experience here just feels like the first time again, I’m just looking forward to this opportunity. It’s been an emotional week, but I just have to put everything aside and just live the moment.

‘Rugby has always been a part of me and it has always been my passion, so deep down in my heart I always knew that I had a lot to offer.

‘I didn’t want to walk away from the game thinking “if only I had given extra I could have been there”. Now I’ve got the opportunity to seize the day … I’m here and I just have to do the best for the team when I run out.

Despite having spent an extended period out of the game just a few short years ago, Ralepelle insisted that he never gave up hope of making it back to the top.

‘One of the things that I said to myself [during the ban] was that I’ve got to control the controllables. All I could do is train and work hard and hopefully I got seen again and got chosen.

‘I was very privileged. I worked with some of the best high-performance coaches in the world and it was nice to get myself in that proper mindframe and regather myself. I’m very thankful for the opportunity.’

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Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix