Toulon sign Habana
11 Jan 2013
Springbok and Stormers wing Bryan Habana will join Toulon after Super Rugby.
The 29-year-old has agreed a three-year deal with the French Top 14 club. He will depart to France following the Stormers’ Super Rugby campaign.
‘I’d like to thank everyone at Western Province for their support throughout my stay in Cape Town,’ he said. ‘I’ve had three great seasons in the Cape thus far and I am looking forward to finishing off on a high before taking on a new challenge overseas.
‘It’s a wrench to leave my home, even if only for a short while, but the chance to test myself against different opposition in a new environment was difficult to turn down. Toulon has an incredible pedigree and some phenomenal players and working with everyone there is going to help me improve my game – and hopefully I can bring something new to the team there as well.’
WP CEO Rob Wagner commented: ‘As sad as it is knowing that Bryan will be leaving us after this year’s Super Rugby season, he does so with our blessing and we would like to thank him for his contribution to the Western Province and Stormers teams over the past three years.
‘We would like to wish Bryan and his wife everything of the best for their new chapter abroad, but we also look forward to him giving his all for the Stormers during the 2013 Super Rugby season.’
Habana added that he’d still make himself available for Springbok selection.
‘Playing for the Boks is a huge part of my life and I would never turn my back on my country,’ he said. ‘I’ll never stop giving 100% on the field for any team I play for and if the Springbok coach picks me, I’ll be there.’
Habana boasts 83 Test caps and is South Africa’s all-time top try-scorer with 47. He will join fellow South Africans Bakkies Botha, Danie Rossouw, and Joe van Niekerk at Toulon.
63 Comments
11 Jan 2013, 12:32 pm
good luck bryan…
enjoy life overseas…
11 Jan 2013, 12:37 pm
you mean Bryan DRAGON innit
11 Jan 2013, 12:39 pm
RT @keocoza: Toulon sign Habana: Springbok and Stormers wing Bryan Habana will join Toulon after Super Rugby. The 29-year-… http://t.c …
11 Jan 2013, 12:42 pm
I wonder how much Toulon paid the Stormers to release Habana from his contract?
11 Jan 2013, 12:49 pm
Habs came back into form nicely, but I’m not sure I would sign a 29 year old winger if I had millions to play with.
11 Jan 2013, 12:50 pm
I remember when no French club would touch him in 2010 (or at least give him what he wanted). Credit to him for getting back into form.
11 Jan 2013, 12:54 pm
I would love to see a full strength Toulon side play against the likes of a full strength harks or Stormers side on a neutral turf…….what would be the result you think ???
11 Jan 2013, 12:55 pm
Sharks not harks
11 Jan 2013, 12:56 pm
Rhule and JP our Bok wings next WC.
11 Jan 2013, 13:10 pm
Habana should turn himself into a 13 while he is there.
11 Jan 2013, 14:19 pm
@RugbyStudent-9:
He is too strong, too powerful for a centre position
Look at De Jongh’s attributes as the yardstick
11 Jan 2013, 14:21 pm
@RugbyStudent-9:
Good concept but then he would compete with Bastareaud the french 13
11 Jan 2013, 14:49 pm
9.) Hougie
10.) Jantjies
11.) Rhule
12.) De Jongh
13.) Habana
14.) JP Pietersen
15.) Taute
11 Jan 2013, 14:57 pm
9 Hougie
10 Lambie
11 Rhule
12 Steyn
13 Jordaan
14 JP
15 Taute
11 Jan 2013, 15:03 pm
or
9 Hougie
10 Lambie
11 Jordaan
12 Steyn
13 JDJ
14 JP
15 Taute
It would be mad not to consider Paul Jordaan in any future bok setup, the kid has blistering pace and a sidestep like bambi in a minefield
11 Jan 2013, 15:05 pm
9 Hougie
10 Goosen
11 Habana
12 Steyn
13 JPP
14 Rhule
15 A.Coetzee
11 Jan 2013, 15:07 pm
@Rockn Rolla-14:
Haven’t seen much from Hougie, Lambie and Steyn to give me any sense that they’ll beat the current crop of youngsters for a place come world cup time. Hougie is not the best scrumhalf and has not cemented his place. Lambie struggles to be 1st choice flyhalf for his province, let alone, franchise or Boks. Steyn has not been fit since playing in France. His kicking isn’t as effective as it use to be and quite frankly, picking him just for kicking is a step back.
11 Jan 2013, 15:21 pm
@RugbyStudent-16:
OK…..lets all have this conversation end of super season, its a long hard road for players to prove their worth, im just saying watch the Sharks Backline this year
Ludik
Steyn
Whitehead
Jordaan
Lambie
JPP
11 Jan 2013, 15:32 pm
9 – Anyone but Hougaard
10 – Anyone but MSteyn
11 – Anyone
12 – Anyone but FSteyn
13 – Anyone but JPP or Habana
14 – Anyone
15 – Anyone but Kirchner
11 Jan 2013, 16:51 pm
Smit also signing for Toulon in next few days
11 Jan 2013, 16:56 pm
Bok 2015 XV
15 Taute
14 Pietersen
13 De Jongh
12 Steyn
11 Basson, Mvovo, Rhule
10 Goosen
9 Hougaard
8 Vermeulen
7 Alberts
6 Louw
5 Bekker
4 Etzebeth
3 Du Plessis
2 Du Plessis
1 Mtawarira
16 Ralepelle
17 Kitsoff
18 Cilliers
19 Brussouw
20 Kolisi
21 Vermaak
22 Lambie
23 Jordaan
24 Fourie
25 Wian Du Preez!!!!!!!
26 Malherbe
27 Flip
28 Kankowski
29 Potgietee
30 Jantjes
31 Van Den Heever
32 Basson, Mvovo, Rhule
11 Jan 2013, 19:04 pm
Most overrated, overpaid player in South Africa in the years after 2007.
Habana’s 2012 season also over-hyped.
Best thing that happened to WP in the Currie Cup final was when Habana got injured. The game turned on its head directly after that moment.
The whole backline dynamic changed because you dont have the lord playing in your backline with an ego bigger than his lips.
For WP/Stormers sake – I hope they are looking after Pietersen. The Sharks will happily accommodate him in a nice upmarket apartment in Ballito. Trust me.
11 Jan 2013, 19:04 pm
@Rhys7-19: Smit ?
11 Jan 2013, 19:08 pm
@RugbyStudent-16: Ummmm the Sharks turned their season around in Super rugby because of Frans Steyn, and also ripped the Stormers a new hole at Newlands partly because of the stable dynamic Steyn brings at inside centre. Patrick Lambie will come into his own as well with Steyn next to him. That combination will be a wrecking ball in mid-field but we will only see that when the Sharks pulverize the Stormers yet again.
Face it for the Boks – as soon as Steyn is vaguely fit, De Villiers will be moved around in the backline just to make sure he is accommodated somewhere.
11 Jan 2013, 19:11 pm
@Rockn Rolla-17: Sharks starting backline this year – 15. Ludik/Viljoen, 14 – Pietersen, 13 – Jordaan, 12 – Steyn, 11 – Mvovo, 10 – Lambie, 9 – whichever (all the same level)
Going to be something special if they can just keep the injury count low.
11 Jan 2013, 19:24 pm
@RugbyStudent-16:
> Hougie is not the best scrumhalf and has not cemented his place
He has never impressed me much at scrumhalf, as a matter of fact for the Bulls Vermaak played much better than him at no 9 last year. He did score a few good tries on the wing though, but for a test scrumhalf he leaves much to be desired
All the hype surrounding him was only because FdP said he’s the next best thing
Maybe Reinach would be a better investment for the future?
11 Jan 2013, 19:39 pm
@victoriabok-25: I recall Bulls fans calling for Vermaak to be lynched a little while back. You are a a fickle bunch for sure. Hougie is a good scrumhalf. He didn’t have a great year in 2012 but then neither did anyone else for that matter.
The whole Bok team was so kak in 2012 that Habana got an award for goodness sake !
Give Hougie a chance. Reinach looks good, but then the Sharks seem to have this ability to mass produce average scrumhalves in short periods of time. Pienaar, Kockott, McLeod etc.
Reinach has to play a while longer before we decide whether he is the real deal, or did the Sharks ‘invent’ him.
11 Jan 2013, 19:46 pm
@Dusky-26:
The problem with Vermaak is they gave him very little gametime yet expected him to perform like a test scrumhalf when he gets on the field
He’s a good stable scrumhalf, nothing more
FdP was a brilliant player, you don’t get them that often and Hougie’s not of the same quality and he lacks Fourie’s intelligence and ability to read the game
11 Jan 2013, 19:53 pm
@victoriabok-27: When I look back at these years, two players will stand out in my memory as Springbok greats. Those two are Percy Montgommery and Fourie Du Preez. If I had to vote for the best Bok of the last few years it would be FdP without a doubt.
11 Jan 2013, 20:03 pm
@Dusky-28:
We’ve had some great scrumhalves, Divan, Garth Wright, Joost, Fourie and plenty others
Fourie at his best was unbeatable as was Divan
With ball in hand within 10m of the tryline no-one would have stopped Joost from scoring and he was a great defender as well
11 Jan 2013, 20:10 pm
@Dusky-26:
> The whole Bok team was so kak in 2012 that Habana got an award for goodness sake
Haban can play kak for many games (trying to intercept instead of tackling), lose his confidence and play even kakker and then deliver one world beating performance no-one else can
But HM knows how to get inside his head and motivate him, you’ll see him this year
11 Jan 2013, 21:09 pm
Would the last one to leave please switch off the lights?
Should I?
11 Jan 2013, 22:02 pm
@dusky Yes from Saracens, Toulon hooker Sebastieb Bruno is retiring…Smit is the replacement.
11 Jan 2013, 22:07 pm
I miss watching the springboks all the way from west Wales in my living room on July evenings in the summer of 06-07 when they played some classy games
My team of the past decade would be
15 Monty
14 Paulse
13 Fourie
12 De Villiers
11 Habana
10 James
9 Du Preez
8 Van Niekerk
7 Smith
6 Burger
5 Matfield
4 Botha
3 CJ Van Der Linde
2 Bismark
1 Os Du Randt
12 Jan 2013, 07:40 am
Paulse?
Surely you jest
12 Jan 2013, 14:05 pm
@Rockn Rolla-6:
Money on Toulon
12 Jan 2013, 14:11 pm
@Rhys7-33:
Would pick Frans Steyn at fullback ahead of a Monty that couldn’t tackle and was vulnerable under the high ball – in every aspect of fullback play you care to think about Frans has it in spades – not to mention the howitzer boot for punt clearances and driop goals from half-way; he should never have played in any other position than that, despite he is brilliant at inside centre and wing (and if you insisted on Monty I would put Frans at right wing, Habana left – and incidentally Pulse would be right and Habana left) – Paulse’s clearance left-footed from kick-offs were superb.
12 Jan 2013, 14:38 pm
@Dusky-21:
pietersen is average to dependably good, with sometimes flashes of great, nothing more.
12 Jan 2013, 15:01 pm
toulon really building a team of galacticos supreme.
much as i hate the concept of mercenaries in rugby i am drawn to this team specifically and find myself a little enarmoured.
where is this guy getting the money from ?
12 Jan 2013, 19:15 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-38:
Dream team de luxe isn’t it?
12 Jan 2013, 19:20 pm
@J.B. Cowper-35:
you think !!!! i dunno…….but there should be a north vs south torno in the future
12 Jan 2013, 19:27 pm
@Dusky-23:
There no reason why Steyn cant start doing SBW offloads onto Jordaan……Imagine that!!!
i mean he has the physicality!! not to fight the white buffelo but the hold off defenders and free up his outside backs
12 Jan 2013, 20:36 pm
@J.B. Cowper-39:
absolutely.
13 Jan 2013, 00:02 am
Sick note CJ Vd Linde should not be anywhere near a rugby team never mind a team of the decade!!
13 Jan 2013, 01:36 am
@Dusky-28:
You haven’t been watching rugby for very long, have you?
@victoriabok-29:
No scrumhalf, and I mean no scrumhalf from SA or any other country in the last 20 years can touch Joost vd Westhuizen in his prime. That is between 1993-1998. FdP only had two very, very good seasons…2007 and 2009. For the rest, he was just plain ordinary. Also keep in mind that for most of his career he played behind a dominant Bulls pack at provincial level…a luxury that Joost did not have when he started out.
@J.B. Cowper-36:
Frans Steyn is mediocre…whether as a center, full back or fly half. The only thing he has going for him is a big boot.
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-38: @J.B. Cowper-39:
Pensioners United = Toulon.
Bakkies, John Smit, Habana, Danie Rousouw, Giteau, Johnny Wilkinson, etc, etc,…
Really? That’s the players you want in your team?
Players who peaked in 2003 (Johnny) to 2007/09 (the SA contingent)?
This is 2013 already.
13 Jan 2013, 01:50 am
Oh yes, congrats on your signing Brian. I hope you sent your Stormers team mates a similar sms than what you did your Bulls team mates in 2009 just after signed for Stormers.
I believe it went something like this: “Guys, I’ve just signed to play for Stormers as of next year. Let’s go out there and win the CC for the Bulls before I leave.”
Now your sms should’ve read: “Guys, I’ve just signed to play for Toulon after the S15 this year. Let’s go out there and win the S15 for Stormers before I leave”
13 Jan 2013, 07:19 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-38: more hypocrisy from you…
” much as i hate the concept of mercenaries
in rugby i am drawn to this team
specifically and find myself a little
enarmoured.”
which other team will get a reprieve from your judgemental eyes while you will hate others with mercenary tendencies?
consistency bakkies.
13 Jan 2013, 09:45 am
Frans Steyn. The jury’s still out on him. Average at best at inside centre. Should be playing fullback. JDV played next to M. Steyn for a couple of seasons so the explanation that FS game was stunted because of M. Steyn can only be described as convenient.
13 Jan 2013, 11:21 am
Good luck to Bryan, he’s got this Super Rugby Season left with the Stormers, lets hope he can make it a good one.
We have some promising wings coming through, as well as GVDH who is still very young, in spite of being around for a few seasons already.
I saw him in Gym last week. I saw him clean bench 170 kg’s with no help.
That’s proper strong. Especially for a backline player.
13 Jan 2013, 11:57 am
@nama1-44:
i wouldn’t risk calling them pensioners.
that is a very strong squad Toulon have assembled.
they certainly will contend for the top 14 and heineken cup this season and i would love to see them measured against a top super squad.
@Transformation-46:
yes, i agree Transie.
it shouldn’t be encouraged but you have to admit Toulon is an interesting concept in rugby.
13 Jan 2013, 12:28 pm
@nama1-44:
Your comment re Frans Steyn is based on personal prejudice rather than detached rational assessment – it certainly isn’t fair or accurate and doesn’t take into account his fullback attributes: rock solid under the high ball, positional play is uncanny, ability to tackle, ability to effectively join the line, clearance kicks that are massive and drop goals from halfway. He also has incredible accuracy – at test rugby level where big match temperament is critical – for his long-distance place kicking. Need I say more – he is a proven force with the most comprehensive skill set for a fullback in the game – he’s got all of it – and his talents would not have been wasted and misused by any other country as they have in SA.
13 Jan 2013, 12:33 pm
@Transformation-46: admit to what? before bakkies played for toulon you had zero interest but now you are enamoured by “mercenary tendencies”
maybe one day you will be ‘enamoured’ by kiwi teams as it seems you are quick to change your principles like your broeks
13 Jan 2013, 12:46 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-49: admit to what? before
bakkies played for toulon you had zero
interest but now you are enamoured by
“mercenary tendencies”
maybe one day you will be ‘enamoured’ by
kiwi teams as it seems you are quick to
change your principles like your broeks
13 Jan 2013, 13:38 pm
Don’t think Toulon are wanting in the physical stakes with bakkies and danie, probably perfect foils for van niekerk and the lighter French flankers – I think Toulon did bladdy well last year.
The one thing that HM appears to have done really well is ressurect Habana’s career last year, in 2011 he was dire. In any event, I think it’s time to start blooding someone else for Boks with 2015 in mind- this Rhule looks like a lean and mean finisher.
I think Stormers will win the super 15 this year with or without habana, but deon fourie and elstadt must start for most games. If joe pietersen fit I play him or grant at 10 rather than jantjies – otherwise it’s a moerse squad especially with the lions additions of cilliers and taute.
13 Jan 2013, 14:27 pm
@cab-53: ” The one thing that HM appears to have
done really well is ressurect Habana’s
career last year, in 2011 he was dire.”
again you perpetuate this myth of meyer having influence in habana’s form, a player whose game improved from feb while meyer took over the boks for one week in june!
meyer had no hand in habana’s good form, the player made no mention of him in the july interview of SARugby mag.
myth.
13 Jan 2013, 14:58 pm
@Transformation-51:
i’m just saying its an an interesting concept, that’s all.
13 Jan 2013, 15:55 pm
@J.B. Cowper-50:
Well, I can say the something similae about your view of Frans. That it is based on personal preference rather than detached rational assessment.
His positional play at full back is poor. Just have a look against Wales in the RWC in 2011 and see how many times players like FdP, Habana, etc had to fall back to field kicks because Frans was not in the right position.
Give me one example where Frans joined the back line from full back and send his wing over to score a try. Compare Muliaina when he joined the line and the countless tries the AB wings scored after receiving the last pass from him. Oh yes, I don’t know if you’ve noticed. Frans, when he joined the line from full back, only did so on the right wing side of the field only then to kick a grubber for field position, ran into an opponent or got to the ground where he was then penalized for “not releasing” the ball.
One or two 60m kicks per game is not enough reason to play him at FB.
Provide me with his stats wrt his “incredible accuracy for his long-distance place kicking.” He had 3/3 against the AB quite a few years ago and all of a sudden everybody said how accurate he was. I believe he missed 3/3 against the Argies (I think) last year.
No man, I’ll give him credit for his good defence, his catching from the air (if he’s in position and the odd long range clearance/kick to poles/drop goal but I do believe that he is not this superman that you guys believe him to be.
He is an average test player at best.
13 Jan 2013, 15:59 pm
got to the ground = got tackled to the ground
13 Jan 2013, 18:03 pm
@Transformation-54:
i’m not sure that is correct, i dont feel the need to perpetuate any myth, and i think meyer’s first season was pretty ordinary considering the talent we have and i wanted to pull my hair out at times such were the conservatism in selection.
However, just as i criticised, credit must also be given for the turnaround in form of certain players, and say what you like but he does seem to have the player’s confidence, i dunno if thats cos habana is a secret boertjie in another lifetime or they bid onder die selfde blou vlag, i dont really care, all i know is habana was uiters kak for most of 2010 and 2011 – and i was a huge fan – he went from one of the best players in world rugby to one of the worst – he had no hunger no form no confidence no heart – it was horrific. jan duplessis is another one, seemingly completely different players under meyer, the workrate stepped up at least 30% i reckon.
i think meyer is able to motivate these players tremendously, dunno if its cos he a fellow boertjie but they all rate him as the next coming, which is sometimes a good thing, same as prayers (im a great fan if it means it’ll give them an edge), personally i think he’s too conservative and blou-biased, but there are glimmerings of hope, this season will be the test, the boks must win 80% and start playing rugby or else he must waai – too much talent at present for 65% results.
13 Jan 2013, 18:12 pm
if he had to select fourie, elstadt and de jong in Bok 22, that would be a giant step forward, tell me who is going to take this side on (they will sommer klap the ABs into next week):
1. Beast 2. Bismark 3. Cilliers 4. Elstadt 5. Etsebeth 6. Brussow 7. Alberts 8. Vermeulen 9. Hougard 10.Goosen 11. Habana/Rhule/JdV 12. Frans 13. De Jong 14. JP 15. Taute
16. Gurthro 17. Deon Fourie 18. Jan Dup 19. Bekker 20. Kolisi/Louw 21. Joe P 22. Habana/Rhule
no one going to be beat that side in a hurry
13 Jan 2013, 18:31 pm
@nama1-56:
Agree to disagree
13 Jan 2013, 18:49 pm
@J.B. Cowper-60:
No probs.
Everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion.
14 Jan 2013, 15:25 pm
@cab-59:
Geez mate why dont you just cut to the chase, take the stormer side “en maak hulle almal Boke”
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