Vermeulen suffered a serious neck injury in June, but following surgery and successful rehabilitation the Springbok player of the year in 2014 is expected to be fully ready to take on the Japanese.
“I’m ready and fit to go. I can’t wait to get on the pitch and play a game,” said Vermeulen after a training session in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
“We want to go there and win a World Cup.”
It was a long, arduous journey back to full-fitness, and there were times of self-doubt admitted Vermeulen.
“There was a stage where I felt like it was going South, and not the way you want it to go. But I got the go ahead from the surgeon saying I’ll be ready to go and here I am in the 31-man squad and looking forward to my first World Cup.
