Steyn rejects Racing to return to SA
2 Apr 2012
Francois Steyn will play his rugby in South Africa after deciding not to extend his contract with French club Racing Metro.
Steyn has been a regular starter for the Paris-based club since his arrival there in 2009. Racing offered the 24-year-old former World Cup winner a lucrative contract extension which he turned down in favour of a return to South Africa at the end of the Top 14 season.
Racing confirmed his departure in a press release with Racing president Jacky Lorenzetti saying he ‘understands this decision and thanks him warmly for three seasons at the club’.
Steyn’s decision was swayed by Heyneke Meyer’s appointment as Springboks coach. Meyer recently contacted him in Paris to seek clarity on his future plans. Meyer is known to rate Steyn highly and feels he would add value to the national side, particularly as an inside centre.
Steyn is said to be in negotiations with the Sharks over a deal that will see him return to Durban.
Meyer is also understood to have contacted a number of Japan-based players to offer them an opportunity to continue their Test careers. Fourie du Preez is expected to be his first-choice scrumhalf for at least his first season, while Jaque Fourie and Danie Rossouw will feature. Meyer is also in favour of the idea of selecting European-based players.
74 Comments
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2 Apr 2012, 12:49 pm
@Nick Armstrong(Nick Armstrong)-5: Agree totally. Good post.
2 Apr 2012, 13:05 pm
@Puma(Puma)-51: So are only the posts you agree with totally good posts?
(not saying I disagree, just making fun)
2 Apr 2012, 13:42 pm
Good stuff. He will definitely help the Sharks secure third place in the SA conference.
2 Apr 2012, 14:09 pm
@SHARKattack(mabu)-32:
a guy of his calibre going to the sharks..?.. maybe he’s smoking boom… he’s never put himself in a position where he could challenge himself and be challenged to be the the best at any point in his career.
@Treehugger(Treehugger)-42:
hehehe
fair enough, just dont see the sharks contending for titles anywhere in the short to medium to long term future
2 Apr 2012, 14:11 pm
@stormer in a teacup(stormer in a teacup)-53:
my point exactly.
and its not like they were ever going to challenge for anything other than third place in the conference anyway…
2 Apr 2012, 14:25 pm
Haha!! 3rd place?? We shall see… 2 away games left then plenty home games…
2 Apr 2012, 14:57 pm
2 Apr 2012, 17:02 pm
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-27: @houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-27: ‘rather put him in a team with real championship credentials where he will have 14 other players around bringing his full potential to the fore’ And which team might that be? I’m very curious to know which one you’re referring to. Saders? Highlanders? Chiefs? Has to be an NZ team because there are no teams in SA with ‘real championship credentials’!
You are seriously smoking tik my friend is you think the Stormers are going to win the S15. Just like last year their defence is very good but you need more than defence against quality teams like the Crusaders or the Landers. You cannot defend for 80 mins. The Cheetahs have got the best backline in SA but they won’t even come close to making it to the play-offs while their defence remains as porous as swiss-cheese.
2 Apr 2012, 17:06 pm
The only team in South Africa with championship credentials are the Pink Bulls. No other team comes close. I doubt Francois would stoop to wearing pink in this lifetime. He’s a man’sman.
2 Apr 2012, 17:13 pm
@SHARKattack(mabu)-34: No way better to have Steyn at 12 and Whitehead at 13, drop Ndungane and move JPP back to 14 with Sithole on the bench. Plum has obviously made a contractual promise to Odwa.
2 Apr 2012, 17:27 pm
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-55: You better be careful my boy you might be eating your words with a big dollop of Mrs Balls chutney come the end of the season. Don’t be so quick to write-off the Sharks. They’ve had a bloody tough draw to contend with so far. Not many teams would be fairing much better than the Sharks with that sort of draw. Just look at the Reds, their overseas tour has practically broken them! They’ve got a huge mountain to climb after 3 losses on the trot.
The Stormpies on the other hand have had it bladdy easy. They’re going to get a serious wake-up call when they go on tour. The only SA team that has thus far covered themselves in glory are the Cheetahs. Jassus the way they played against the Canes was phenomenal! The speed and ferocity they played with in the 2nd half left the Canes shell-shocked. I don’t think I’ve seen a Kiwi team left looking so confused (like a deer in headlights, by an SA team playing away. Their attacking-brand of rugby needs to be the modus operandi adopted by Meyer. Combine the Cheetahs brand of attack with solid defence and you will have a magnificent Bok team. I think the Cheetahs have shown us the way forward. Such a shame their defence is so kak. They could be a really dangerous team. Their ball skills, linking and off-loading are light years ahead of any team in SA right now.
2 Apr 2012, 17:50 pm
Steyn ignited our backs last year? Against Namibia in the WC lol? Soooooo overrated. He loves knocking on the ball too so he’s more than welcome to go back to the Tjarks. Don’t need him down here.
2 Apr 2012, 17:56 pm
@Sydney Shark(JayDaFiveOh)-58: Stormers won’t win S15 for sure – they’ll still do better than the Sharks though – 5 wins in the bag already, more than the Sharks.
2 Apr 2012, 18:29 pm
@Pee Wee(Pee Wee)-62:
Ja, expect the Steyn praise singers out in full force telling us how he set the game alight against minor countries (no disrespect meant) in the RWC.
2 Apr 2012, 18:49 pm
@Sydney Shark(JayDaFiveOh)-61:
Why do you say they are going to get a serious wake up call when they go on tour? Since the beginning of Superrugby they have been the best tourists of all SA sides.Personally I cannot think of one rational reason why this situation will now all of sudden change.
2 Apr 2012, 19:15 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-65: Its more out of hope.
2 Apr 2012, 22:55 pm
vastly overrated over-ated 1-trick carthorse
3 Apr 2012, 00:25 am
Give it up, Tackles.
3 Apr 2012, 00:34 am
Good for Sa rugger………welcome back!
3 Apr 2012, 02:21 am
@Sydney Shark(JayDaFiveOh)-58: “Quality teams like the Landers” ? WTF? They’ve started strongly in this year’s comp… other than that they are perennial whipping boys. How on earth does your statement have any validity after such nonsense…
That said, I think Steyn would benefit himself and SA Rugby most by going back to the Sharks.
3 Apr 2012, 02:38 am
@Shark(Predawn)-59:
what is a man’sman ?
are there any straight men in Yappieland that dont boast about ******* sheep whilst wearing pink rugby jerseys ?
3 Apr 2012, 05:05 am
@lepel(lepel)-70: Perennial whipping boys? Jeez do you even bother to watch the matches? When was the last time you saw the Landers cop a 50 point hiding? The Landers are a transformed team and are just as much as a threat as the Saders and the Chiefs this year. The new NZ whipping boys are the Blues and the Canes, although even the Blues they managed to beat the Pienk ballas at home!
3 Apr 2012, 06:40 am
@Pee Wee(Pee Wee)-63: 5 home wins. Yes. Stormers have had the easiest draw out of all the SA teams in fact probably the whole comp! It isn’t a level playing field. We’ll see how well the Stormgats are doing when they’ve been on the tour. The Sharks on the other hand have pretty much been on the road since the beginning. 2 domestic away derbies one after the other. Then another local derby at home followed by the S15 champs who the Sharks helped to break and did everyone else a massive favour! Then its straight on the road to Australasia for 4 away games across Aus and NZ. Very few teams would have done better. Like I said before the Reds overseas tour broke them to pieces and may have even destroyed their play-off hopes. Disasterous tour for them.
3 Apr 2012, 07:07 am
Nama still bleating about Frankie Steyn.
Fact is with him at 12 the boks looked more creative than they had all year with de Villiers.
No matter who they were playing.
You need to get over your irrational prejudices.
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