Following Fred’s lead

Following Fred’s lead

30 Jan 2008

South African rugby is crying out for more Frederic Michalaks.

In a game filled with staid and conservative men, the French maestro stands apart. The vast majority of South African players and coaches have been conditioned to offer nothing more than the clichéd sound byte, or to skilfully evade even most probing of questions with the customary change of topic.

Springbok coach Peter de Villiers, who before his appointment could be relied upon to speak his mind, has quickly learned the game and now is far more evasive with the media than he has been at any stage of his career.

There is a learnt scepticism of the media among players and coaches. For some who’ve been burnt through a misquote or gross fabrication, that scepticism is justified. Others, however, have a deep and unfounded fear that the fourth estate will sink their careers.

Michalak is different. He’s been burnt in the past but remains as forthright with his views as ever. When he fields a question that he feels is irrelevant, like his relationship with former France coach Bernard Laporte, he simply brushes it off with a snarl saying “That’s in the past so why is it important?” You never have to guess what Michalak is thinking.

When the topic of discussion is rugby, he’s proud of his strengths and not ashamed to acknowledge his flaws. “There are many. I’m not the perfect player. Who is? My kicking game is not great. So I simply try not to kick the ball. It‘s not rocket science,” he said in a recent interview with keo.co.za.

When asked about his life and lifestyle he doesn’t retreat. He speaks openly about the pain of his parents’ divorce and how his close friendship with former Toulouse team mate Clement Pointrenaud helped him make it through that difficult period. He tells this website he’s not married yet because he hasn’t found the perfect woman. This despite having a long time girlfriend in France. He explains, in detail, the symbolic meaning of each of his five tattoos, including the one in a very private part of his anatomy.

This is Michalak – his life laid open for all to see.

A half hour conversation is enough to convince one that he doesn’t trust the media. But he is a straight talker who can’t be bothered to skirt around issues.

Perhaps Michalak will start a trend amongst the Sharks players that will then influence players from other franchises. But that is a wholly unlikely scenario. While you’ll always have your characters, the likes of AJ Venter and Ollie le Roux, the majority are and will remain tight-lipped robots, who are fearful they will be branded windgat by the conservative clan who want their rugby players to be seen and not heard.

Frederic Michalak is a breath of fresh air for South African rugby.

By Ryan Vrede


92 Comments

Pages: « 1 [2] Show All

  • 51.Loosehead: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 09:42 am

    Oh ****. Then we had better find another meeting place.

  • 52.KWAGGA ROBERTSE: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 09:43 am

    Loosehead. Hy sal seker as hy n treintrok kan kry vir allie tjinners en die aanhangsels…. ;)

  • 53.MR Lam: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 09:43 am

    51 funny ha ha

    anyway I am in PTA now till next week tehn back in CT for good

  • 54.Jinx: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 09:44 am

    Ig’s gathering: NEW TIME!!!

    Where: THE FIREMANS ARMS (25 Mechau St in TOWN)
    When: 1st FEB at 5pm.

    Pull in guys…should be a jol and good to meet. As we say…”If it wasn’t for rugby…I wouldn’t know you.”

    Tell others through the day on the blog.

  • 55.Loosehead: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 09:46 am

    Jinx is MR Lam talking **** about it being pulled down?

  • 56.MR Lam: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 09:46 am

    Jinx enjoy tell the kevin the owner ankerdata sends greetings he will remember our crowd

  • 57.MR Lam: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 09:48 am

    loosehead

    my office was pulled down firemans is a historic site and may not be pulled down thats why all those buildings are built around it

  • 58.zulushark: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 09:49 am

    kwagga

    32 and 43 hahahahhahahahahha..

  • 59.Jinx: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 09:51 am

    Will do Lammie…

  • 60.BHUPENDRA DU SOLANKY: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 10:02 am

    Welcome to Bokland Michalak…you are not alone. Roumat and Lacroix also had a stint with the sharks in 1995 (and won the currie cup).

    Yeah, perhaps Keo might want to delve more into this chap. How about a picture of that tattoo near or on his private parts? That might get things going on this site which is becoming pretty boring since the RWC triumph!!

  • 61.katman: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 10:06 am

    When they pulled down the Ankerdata building and built that big Metropolis affair, they had big nets over Fireman’s to protect it from falling debris and aliens. They’ve even given Fireman’s a recent coat of paint. The old pub cat, Pisscat, died last year but they have a new and improved model – PC2 – who lives there now. Plus a little ginger fella who hangs round the back mostly. It’s one of Cape Town’s legendary pubs and an excellent venue for sports watching. Come and check it out on Friday afternoon.

    Great success!

  • 62.Loosehead: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 10:08 am

    Will be there!

  • 63.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 10:15 am

    I still say we go to the Firearms.

  • 64.rugbinho: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 10:19 am

    KEO,

    It would be interesting for you to arrange a breakfast session with Michalak, Ollie Le Roux and Luke Watson as guests, hosted by John Robbie.

    It will be like watching etv Third Degree or Special Assignment, all the laundry will be out to see and be baked by the sun.

    It would be nice for Jake White to attend and hopefully he won’t hear things in black and white.

  • 65.Bod: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 10:26 am

    katman

    You seem a pub crawler of note, yet you omitted one issue… the demise of Bev.

    The place had recovered yet, despite Kevins supercillious smile everytime he walks past.

    I am not sure as to whether its because he looks at me as I am a male, or because he looks at me and sees dollar signs…

  • 66.katman: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 10:28 am

    rugbinho,

    Luke, Ollie and Freddie would have to wait until John Robbie shoves some egg and toast into his face and then make chop chop with their opinions, or they’d never get a word in edgeways.

  • 67.MR Lam: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 10:33 am

    BOD & KAT

    I remeber that cat well used to be in firemans at least 3 times a week probably spent half my salary there every month when we walked across from our office the barman would see us and when we got inside on our way to the outside seating our beers would be standing on the bar counter always ice cold they were kept in ice buckets, there was a good waiter back then warren he was hilarious is oversees now I think

  • 68.katman: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 10:35 am

    Bod, it sounds worse than it is. I don’t frequent pubs that much, but Fireman’s and Vasco are dangerously close to my work. In fact, I feel a lunchtime draught heading my way.

  • 69.MR Lam: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 10:36 am

    kat another legendry pub is Perservernce tavern its the oldest pub in CT has a grape vine growing in the back courtyard thats over 100 years old

  • 70.Bod: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 10:36 am

    Mr Lam

    As katman said, his name was pisscat and he had a life most cats could only dream about, thanks to Bev.

    There is now a pisscat 2, that looks very much like the Mark 1 version and also lives the life of Riley.

    That place you were thinking about in Prestwick St was not the Firemans, but Vasco da Gama

  • 71.rugbinho: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 10:38 am

    Katman,

    Do you rate John Robbie that much !!!

    Tell me more boet.

  • 72.Bod: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 10:39 am

    katman

    Drop me a mail… I also have that urge

    (Jeez, that sounds bad… I hope Dawn, Princess or Ruck arent around to pick up on this line)

  • 73.MR Lam: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 10:39 am

    kat you must have be quite close to the old ankerdata building it was our headoffice for 24 years bought for 200 000 back then and sold to the developers for over 10 mill just to be broken down quite a profit

  • 74.MR Lam: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 10:43 am

    bod i know vascos I was there a couple of times our office was the last building on prestwich no 34 before you got to heerengracht street. in the old days we use to build pc’s there our company was the first in africa to release a 75mhz pc our basement was fully equipped for production

  • 75.Tripple E: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 10:43 am

    72 No but I am :evil:

  • 76.Tripple E: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 10:44 am

    :lol: only kidding……hi everyone

  • 77.Loosehead: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 10:45 am

    Vasco make excellent calamari tentacles.

  • 78.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 10:45 am

    Ag Bod stop being so chickenshit man.

    If we wanted to mail you we would’ve ages ago.

    Yeesh.

  • 79.Bod: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 10:48 am

    Aahhh Tripple E

    I knew there would be some stalker out there waiting to strike…

  • 80.Bod: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 10:49 am

    You got a sore head this morning Dawn?

  • 81.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 10:55 am

    Ego the size of a blooming house.

    Caramba.

  • 82.chch: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 10:57 am

    1st

  • 83.chch: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 10:59 am

    sorry, internet really slow here

  • 84.katman: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 11:01 am

    You get keo by fax, chc?

  • 85.chch: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 11:04 am

    Interesting picks Pietman

  • 86.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 11:05 am

    Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

  • 87.katman: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 11:07 am

    86 – Must I take you for obedience training again?

  • 88.chch: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 11:08 am

    84 :-) I think that my bottleneck is the bit of wire that runs across 14 rice fields and up the telephone pole

    Superbul,
    Are you going to start a league for the S14 also?

  • 89.Bod: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 11:13 am

    Not only are you angry this morning, but it appears the usual sharp brain hasnt kicked in as of yet.

    I was commenting about the the connotations of the sentence if read a specific way, that is normally picked up by the likes of those I mentioned, who are usually sharp when it comes to wit…

    Verstaan ons nou???

  • 90.chch: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 11:17 am

    Carnage

  • 91.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 11:18 am

    Ek verstaan.

    Sal nie weer nie. Jammer.

  • 92.sondebok: Reply to this comment
    30 Jan 2008, 12:24 pm

    Katman, sounds like you work either at Saatchi`s or BBDO. The Portuguese Embassy (Vasco) is my favourite after work espatada hangout.

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