Lions fullback Quan Horn slept and “missed” his call-up to the Springbok squad and only got to learn of it the following day.
The 22-year-old who is in line to make his debut for the South African national team in a one-off Test against Wales at Twickenham this weekend, explains: “It’s a funny story how everything happened.
“After that Stormers game [on June 1], I went straight to bed because I was very tired and switched my phone off.
— Springboks (@Springboks) June 12, 2024
“The next morning, I woke up and there were a lot of missed calls, messages, and everything. I didn’t know what was happening. I checked the messages and saw everyone saying ‘Congratulations’.
“Then my dad phoned me and said ‘Well done, but the hard work starts now. Being selected is not always (it) – you will be in the mix, but you have to work hard to stay there … that is the hardest thing’.
“He also said he was proud of me, and that I just need to keep my head down and keep on working.”
The boys are locked in 🔒![CDATA[]]>😤#Springboks#StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/XaembAJXkL
The former Paarl Boys’ High star adds of his chance to rub shoulders with the cream of the crop in SA: “I am not complete as a player, but there are a lot of areas of my game I can develop. I want to improve everything I bring to the table, and the Springboks can help me do that.”