WP discard sends Poms into frenzy
6 Oct 2008
It’s premature to suggest that Bristol’s new South African signing Mathew Turner will become rugby’s version of Kevin Pietersen but the kid Western Province didn’t want has started his senior professional career brilliantly.
Turner has represented WP U19 and was the leading try scorer in the inaugural Varsity Cup for UCT in 2008. Many respected commentators predicted a bright future in South Africa for the youngster, some even suggesting that he was ready to make the step up to senior provincial rugby.
However, despite his obvious class he was deemed surplus to requirements at U21 level at WP and sought to forge a career with Bristol in the Premiership. He debuted on Saturday against Northampton and shone in a losing cause, scoring two tries and creating a number of opportunities for teammates.
Turner holds a British passport and has already been drafted into England’s Sevens 26-man training squad. If he makes an appearance for them he’ll be ineligible to play for South Africa. If he continues to build on his impressive start with Bristol there is every chance that he could be considered for the England Test side for their Year End Incoming Tours, where he could face the Springboks on 22 November. England have trialled a number of wingers in recent times and the position remains a headache for them.
Prior to the 2008 season Western Province opted to contract veteran wing Wylie Human from the Lions as cover for their first-choice players in that position. The deal made no sense given that Human is 29-years-old who had seemingly hit the ceiling of his potential. Turner was yet to spring to prominence during the Super 14, but WP would have surely known what Human could offer at that stage and could have gambled on a rookie.
Turner was apparently keen to stay at WP, but was given no indication that he was in the long-term plans of the union. This prompted his decision to move once the offer from Bristol came.
Western Province are particularly guilty of allowing their best young players to be poached by rival South African unions. They’ve already surrendered SA U19 players Francois Hougaard and Stephan Dippenaar to the Bulls. Both went on to acquit themselves well in the Super 14. Another former Western Province junior Juandré Kruger, has deputised brilliantly in the absence of Bakkies Botha. These are just the most recent of a number of top performers the union has let slip through their fingers.
Something needs to change at the union so as to ensure that they retain their best young players. If not, WP supporters must brace for more of the disappointment they’ve become all too accustomed to in recent years.
By Ryan Vrede
309 Comments
Pages: « 1 [2] 3 4 5 6 7 » Show All
6 Oct 2008, 15:39 pm
Sharks go into frenzies, not Poms.
6 Oct 2008, 15:40 pm
#30 Windhond_Sharks:
No, you only sign Cheetahs
6 Oct 2008, 15:41 pm
#44 Tbozknows: I think thats what we here want too. Have to beat England. Think that England will be waiting for us. Hope that PdV picks the best squad. We should always pick the best players for the Boks.
6 Oct 2008, 15:42 pm
#51 WP Till I Die: unless Big Hit is in Sainsbury’s and Mike Catt walks in.
6 Oct 2008, 15:42 pm
quoto’s obviously = quota’s
6 Oct 2008, 15:43 pm
#49 Windhond_Sharks: Its killing me, I need a break ie far more leave and heaps moer moola……
Just saying the attitude that someone needs to stick around is one born in a non professional era where your rugby career was long. I have no issues with any youngster taking at look at other options if he is hitting a brick wall or following the moola (hopefully it’s a lot) if the options exists.
6 Oct 2008, 15:44 pm
#47 pedspin: Moving on…..what i said was that if the kid is the new Brian Habana, then talent scouts will identify him and reel him in. I do not believe that banging your head against a brick wall (where is brickwall lately?) will give you better results. But damnit, at least give it a shot.
My grief is not with Turner. I didn’t hear him moan or badmouth SA rugby or the unions. It’s with Mr. Mark Keohane and Ryan Vrede for placing an article like this. Provoking response is all it is.
Bradley Barrit has also gone, but he gave it a shot and i don’t hear him complain like my favorite English cricketer Mr. Pietersen.
6 Oct 2008, 15:44 pm
I am sure if Turner tried hard enough he could of got signed by another province. In life you sometime dont get everything your own way! No reason to go play for another country just because you could not make the WP u21 team.
6 Oct 2008, 15:44 pm
#37 Robzim:
That attitude is part of the reason why WeeePeee is always missing the playoffs.
6 Oct 2008, 15:44 pm
On this note – check this story from the Guiness Premiership site:
“Northampton Saints today announced the signing of two South African forwards – Juandre Kruger and Regardt Dreyer.
Kruger, a 23-year-old 6’6″ forward, joins the Saints from the Blue Bulls. He is regarded as one of South Africa’s most promising prospects up front and has impressed many watchers with his versatility at lock and in the back row this season. He has regularly played alongside, and been preferred to, Springbok internationals Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha in the Bulls team in 2008.
Kruger spent his formative years at Western Province and at Stellenbosch University – well known as a producer of fine South African players – and studied for a degree in Management Accounting. He worked his way through the Western Province age groups before making his Currie Cup debut in 2007. He has been a Currie Cup regular for the Bulls during his first season at Loftus Versfeld, and was part of the 2008 preliminary Blue Bulls Super 14 squad.
Dreyer has been a familiar face in the Currie Cup for the past two years. A 25-year-old loosehead prop, the 6’3″ Dreyer plays for Griquas. Born in Johannesburg, he played for South Africa’s Under 19 team and spent four seasons at the Leopards before moving to the Kimberley-based Griquas. Dreyer was also selected in the Cheetahs 2008 Super 14 squad.
“The Currie Cup is an excellent proving ground for forwards,” said Saints director of rugby Jim Mallinder. “It is a tough competition in which Juandre and Regardt have shown themselves to be two promising young players They will add to our strength in depth in two crucial positions, something we feel is necessary as we go through our Guinness Premiership season. I’m looking forward to welcoming Juandre and Regardt to Franklin’s Gardens in the next few weeks.”
Kruger and Dreyer will arrive at Franklin’s Gardens at the end of their Currie Cup commitments. Kruger has helped the Bulls into the play-offs while Dreyer’s Griquas team exited the competition at the end of the regular season last weekend.”
Thats good investigation isnt it Keo – can I get a job now?
6 Oct 2008, 15:45 pm
47 pedspin
I agree that is precisely the point I made on other blogs.Provinces are
so keen to sign high profiled players that promising youngster are
overlooked.Instead of signing this young man WP opted to
draft an overrated fiji player,who bar his obvious physical strength
showed no other skills and is directly responsible for WP not
scoring the bonus try against Boland.
6 Oct 2008, 15:47 pm
#40 Puma:
Balie coaches scrumming at the shark tank. No need to move to the miserable cape winters !!
6 Oct 2008, 15:49 pm
#57 Windhond_Sharks: Yup but except for Steyn how many real youngsters do we see on the block especially in a game made for then ie ELVS. You made a prime example of another being lost due to poor SA rugby admin. The truth is unfortunately that in SA we never field our best team do we….
#60 bokfan1: Top journalism!!
6 Oct 2008, 15:49 pm
#56 pedspin: tell me about it…..
6 Oct 2008, 15:50 pm
I don’t understand why so many eyebrows are raised when a young player decides to ply his trade overseas. It’s a proffesional game (it is your only work) for those who do not understand. Now i will work where i get the best package, ie. Money, work conditions and recognition.
What the hel is wrong with that. If you guys don’t like a proffesional setup (see wp) then maybe you should support netbal.
6 Oct 2008, 15:50 pm
#60 bokfan1:
No, you’re too competent.
6 Oct 2008, 15:52 pm
#13 Windhond_Sharks: I’m not sure he went for the money, Bristol aren’t a particularly rich club, thats why they’re bottom of the league.
6 Oct 2008, 15:53 pm
Oupa en Ouma
Eendag sit Oupa op die stoep toe Ouma van die kombuis af skree: ‘Oupa, daar is fout met die kleinhuisie!’
(In daardie tyd was dit mos die buitetoilet of longdrop.)
Oupa sê: ‘Daar is niks fout met die kleinhuisie nie.’
Maar Ouma sê: ‘Daar is. Gaan kyk.’
Nou, in daardie tyd was die man veral baie bang vir sy vrou gewees, so oupa staan maar op en brom-brom al na die kleinhuisie toe.
Hy kom daar aan en sê, ‘Ouma, daar is niks fout met die kleinhuisie nie.’
Ouma sê: ‘Daar is. Gaan in,’ en Oupa gaan toe maar in.
Toe hy binne is kyk hy rond, maar sien niks verkeerd nie en sê ‘Ouma, ek is in die kleinhuisie. Daar is niks verkeerd nie.’
Ouma sê ‘Daar is. Steek jou kop in die gat in.’
Oupa sê ‘Ouma, ek gaan nie my kop in die gat insteek nie.’
Dis daardie tyd wat Ouma haar stem redelik dik maak en sê ‘Oupa, steek nou jou kop in die gat in’ en arme Oupa doen dit nou maar so… Nou is Oupa se kop redelik in die longdrop in om te kyk wat fout is.
Oupa skree toe: ‘Ouma, daar is niks fout met die kleinhuisie nie!’
Ouma sê, ‘Trek jou kop uit’ en oupa trek toe sy kop uit, maar toe haak sy baard in die gleuwe van die gekraakte houtplanke vas en hy gil verskrik: ‘Ouma, kom help! My baard sit vas!’ waarop Ouma antwoord:
‘Dis ****** seer, nê!’
6 Oct 2008, 15:54 pm
Eishhhhhh Jeandre Kruger should stay with the Bulls…… that boytjie is a future star !
6 Oct 2008, 15:55 pm
Vrou, met kurkprop in haar fanny:
Dr as ek die proppie uit haal dan sing my paddatjie die bloubul lied. Dr se moenie worry nie, baie dose doen dit.
6 Oct 2008, 15:55 pm
#60 bokfan1: well done boet !
I have two different emotions about this story:
Really sad that Juandre is leaving. He is a superb talent.
Second side – he can still play for the Boks. Let him go and learn at one of the toughest rugby schools in the world, and come back an even better lock.
6 Oct 2008, 15:56 pm
#67 Big Hit: With the current exchange rate you dont need to be a rich club to lure players away
6 Oct 2008, 15:57 pm
#58 Sonito: Lets see, here are there reasons I would leave.
1) Opportunity to maybe play International rugby and therefore pittinng yourself against the best the world has to offer
2) Chance to be chosen purely on rugby playing ability – not because your dad was a bok, played in some school first XV or was mates with the coach (An all to familiar offence in SA)
3) Be coached by some of the best foreign and local coaches money can buy.
4) Chance to play with some top international players to learn new types of rugby and maybe grow as a player
5) Yup you guessed a wad of pounds to fill that bank account up or Euro’s
6) The delightfully lovely weather – not too distant to a Cape winter mehaps?
7) Lovely girls of various nationalities – obviously no match the the local SA cultivar but still intriguingly good.
Job done where do I sign.
6 Oct 2008, 15:57 pm
#68 WP Till I Die: Lykmy oupa en ouma moet beide maar bietjie skeer !
6 Oct 2008, 15:59 pm
“The prodigiously talented young Western Province right wing, Mathew Turner, is set to join a growing number of younger players turning their back on South African rugby to seek greener pastures, which could see him wearing the Rose of England (in Sevens) as early as this year.
Twenty-year-old Turner, rated broadly as a future Springbok, has failed to make the SA Under-20 team, as well as the Western Province U21 team.
In the Province team he has failed to lift two club mates who he plays ahead of at the University of Cape Town and Morné Jooste, son of Springbok selector Peter.
Turner first came to the fore starring for Western Province Under-19 last year before really lighting up the FNB Varsity Cup for the exciting UCT team with some breathtaking performances, which also saw him finishing as the top try-scorer together with his fellow Ikeys wing Marcello Sampson.
Many pundits regard him as a potential great. Robbie Fleck, the former Bok vice-captain, who has coached Turner at UCT this season, said: “Mat is a rare one; he is the ultimate wing. Very fast, very strong, highly skilled and a great finisher. He is a pure Springbok in the making.”
Turner is believed to have signed a contract with Bristol Rugby in England’s Guinness Premiership, but the real clincher is that he has been drafted straight into the English Sevens training squad with a view to next year’s Sevens World Cup.
The speedster has an English mother and as soon as he dons the Sevens shirt of England that will be the end of his chances of playing for the Boks. It is clear that Turner felt aggrieved at his lack of progress in South Africa by failing to make the various age-group squads, despite his performances and testing results.
His coach at UCT, John Dobson, is already ruing the loss of his major attacking weapon.
“It’s a massive loss for us, the province and, ultimately, a pity for South Africa,” said Dobson. “People may not think so now as he is an unknown, but I assure you that this will not be the case for long.
“The lack of effort to help keep Matt in the country was depressing, especially as a current member of the Tri Nations squad told me Turner was one of the best wings he had seen.”
Turner’s agent, Kevin Foote was keen to point out that Turner did not leave with any ill-feelings toward South African rugby at all. In fact, he leaves with a heavy heart.
“The thing is,” said Foote, “Mat is a professional rugby player and that is all he wants to do. It is his career and he had to make a choice to play where he could grow his career best.”
Time will tell…
* Of course, should Turner earn a full Test cap for England, he would certainly not be the first UCT player to do so, the most recent being Bath prop Matt Stevens – a member of England’s 2007 Rugby World Cup squad.
Stevens, who has already won 28 England caps, left Cape Town – initially to study at Bath University – in September 2002. England handed him a Test debut against New Zealand less than two years later.”
6 Oct 2008, 16:00 pm
#68 WP Till I Die: Ha,haaaa!!! Shame….
6 Oct 2008, 16:02 pm
I verify the statistics of Turner. Length 1.77 m and weight 82 kg. That seems too small for big time rugby, but a talent at sevens
6 Oct 2008, 16:03 pm
#74 grootblousmile: I take it Ouma was not Brazilian?
6 Oct 2008, 16:03 pm
#77 dWeePer:
Size obsesion in SA is truly crazy.
6 Oct 2008, 16:03 pm
If he is so good then why did no other province sign him?
6 Oct 2008, 16:07 pm
#79 Ek sê my sê, ek sê: Thats what i keep telling my wife.
6 Oct 2008, 16:07 pm
It seems Mathew Turned on us.
He is a youngster still, why so impatient?
Is he really so much better than say Joe Peterson?
6 Oct 2008, 16:07 pm
I also see he participated in the SA U20 trials. He did not made the SA U20 squad.
6 Oct 2008, 16:07 pm
#77 dWeePer: You are right – Giteau is rubbish and so was Breyton in his day. Mind you Terry Wright was no good, one of the rugby players of the year 2008 Shane Williams is also not up to scratch even if he made Habana look stupid.
What is the fixation with size for?
6 Oct 2008, 16:07 pm
#78 pedspin: Eishhhhhhh….. sy steek daai “ding” in die bos weg !
6 Oct 2008, 16:10 pm
#81 Cheetha Champs: Size is not everything… but it helps !
Hehehehe
6 Oct 2008, 16:10 pm
#85 grootblousmile: Sounds dangerous you may need a gone, you never know what lurks in the bush.
6 Oct 2008, 16:11 pm
Doesn’t matter about size. He has an extremely strong upper body and a great sense of balance. It’s all in his core. He ran through,over and around players 20 kilo’s bigger than him.
6 Oct 2008, 16:11 pm
#86 grootblousmile: As a mate of mine always said – It is not the size of the hook, it is the wiggle of the worm…..
6 Oct 2008, 16:11 pm
#85 grootblousmile: Jammer, I mean gun.
6 Oct 2008, 16:13 pm
#89 Cheetha Champs: Hehehe… ja maar dan moet jy mooi weet hoe om te “cast” !
6 Oct 2008, 16:15 pm
A fish rots from the head….time to clear out Rob Wagner and his cronies.WP management needs restructuring,fresh ideas and input.Alistair is not the answer.I would bring back Dawie Snyman.Brock Harris,Ferreira and the others who represent Province are club rugby material at best.They are NOT good enough.
Stop the ROT now !
6 Oct 2008, 16:15 pm
Howzit manne,brothers
6 Oct 2008, 16:16 pm
#91 grootblousmile: Ek het n een jarige seuntjie – as ek tans een maal n maand n kans kry om te “cast” is ek gelukkig
6 Oct 2008, 16:17 pm
Mathew Turner was a sound player,good passing skills and read the game well.too bad the DORKS in charge could not see that !
6 Oct 2008, 16:17 pm
#85 grootblousmile:
Man verruil horlosie vir ***. Kom by die huis en vrou vra. Waar is jou horlosie. Hy se weg gesteek.
6 Oct 2008, 16:18 pm
matt turner is pure class..
he wasnt picked for the wp u21 team
even though he plays ahead of both the 2 wings at UCT
and was also not picked ahead of pieter jooste’s son
who was also selected ahead of him
wp is a big joke…
this has been coming on a long time
6 Oct 2008, 16:18 pm
#68 WP Till I Die: #70 Ek sê my sê, ek sê: Bwaaaaahahahahahaha…sulke bloubul tannies!!!!!!
6 Oct 2008, 16:19 pm
#94 Cheetha Champs: Eishhhhhhhh !!
6 Oct 2008, 16:19 pm
Let’s see shall we. I still think he could have approached other unions before seeking out clubs in the northern hemisphere to play for…..that’s if he wanted to play in SA of course.
Pages: « 1 [2] 3 4 5 6 7 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.