Johannesburg - Like the quintessential Apollo Creed, a team always needs a veteran with that world weary experience – a player or players that have seen it all, been there, done that, seen it and lived to tell the tale - in their corner.
The SPAR Proteas have several such players to call upon in this Rocky story, including Izette Griesel, who will be expected to boss centre court in attack and becalm the nerves of her less experienced teammates during the upcoming Netball World Cup.
There are, after all, Clubber Lang-esque opponents to conquer if they are to push deep into the tournament, including Australia, New Zealand, England and Jamaica, the latter of whom are also in the Proteas preliminary group.
It will be Griesel’s third World Cup; and coupled with her Commonwealth Games wisdom and Quad Series knowledge, she could play a vital role in helping the team go the distance.
“It is very overwhelming to play in your first world cup,” she admitted in an exclusive interview with Independent Media, “but for me, it is the third one.
“So, it is just another tournament; whether it is the Commonwealth Games or a World Cup, the name really doesn’t matter. It is just a matter of playing against 16 countries and trying to be the best.
“The more games you play, the less stress and nerves become. The pressure will always still be there.
“It is about taking that experience and telling the next player: ‘Hey, It is just another match, focus on our goals, focus on what is important.’ If you keep focusing on what your job is and what you do next, you will forget about everything else.”
The World Cup tips off at the end of July in Cape Town and a pragmatic Griesel explained that although hosting the event for the first time will bring its own unique stresses, it will more likely inspire the team.
Said the 30-year-old: “It's true, there is a lot of pressure, but at this point we have been working so hard for the last four years.
“Our only goal in mind is to take this World Cup. It will be a home crown and a homeground, and that is more of a positive feeling … For the first time, we will have our own people around …
“Yes, the pressure will always be there,” the Telkom Stand Tall ambassador reiterated, “but I think we are so focused on achieving our goal and doing it in front of the people that matter most to us. As a team, we are just sticking together, keeping the goal in mind.”
Griesel’s immediate future will see her work on her match fitness while playing for the Gauteng Jaguars in the Telkom Netball League, which restarts next weekend for its second leg in Pretoria.
“Then we will be playing every single weekend until the beginning of July. The World Cup XV will then get together for a training camp and we will prepare for the world cup from there,” she concluded.
@FreemanZAR
IOL Sport