How France shaped Frans
13 Feb 2013
Frans Steyn’s benefit from an overseas rugby playing experience is further evidence of the changing landscape of South African rugby.
Francois Louw is a better player now than when he left Western Province for Bath. Percy Montgomery returned to South Africa a more accomplished player than the 50 Test veteran who left for Wales and who many accepted was past his best and would never again play Test rugby. Montgomery added 52 Tests to his CV, won the Tri Nations and was integral to South Africa winning the World Cup in 2007.
He never turned his back on South Africa. Montgomery was drained from the routine of Super Rugby, Test Rugby, Currie Cup Rugby and Test Rugby. He wanted to experience something else and he just needed a bit of time away from the public glare. Montgomery has often told me what his time in Wales taught him was to be a rugby professional and to assume the responsibility of the overseas professional. He said he grew up as a person but more so his rugby matured because he was taken out of his comfort zone.
Ditto Louw and ditto so many other South Africans who are currently playing in Europe, the United Kingdom and Ireland, and even in Japan.
It is the way of the modern game the our best players can command the highest salaries in European club rugby and it is not a crime for any young player to want to reap the financial rewards, experience a change of pace in life, grow as a person and by circumstance of experiencing new responsibility become a better rugby player.
The vitriol from within the South African rugby support base is a common package directed at any player who wants to experience an overseas stint. Immediately he is cast as the villain and immediately the local based player is put on a pedestal of loyalty to the national jersey and the national flag. It is absurd in the context of the evolution of the sport as a profession, and it betrays the incredible value to those players who at an early age experience the overseas influence and return to South Africa in their mid 20s so much wiser and adding so much more value to rugby teams in South Africa and to the national cause.
I’ve constantly been amazed at the ‘out of sight out of mind’ attitude, especially when so much of the English Premiership, French Top 14 and Heineken Cup is shown on SuperSport, and that so many of the South African players are consistently the best performers.
Somewhere a misguided principle of patriotism has painted these South Africans as sinners to the cause of the South African game because their talent allows for interest and lucrative financial reward from Europe’s wealthiest clubs.
Ronaldo did not sell out to Portugal soccer because he earns his monthly salary at the club prepared to pay him his market value and more. The same applies to every South African soccer talent that is overseas based. I don’t want this misinterpreted as saying being based overseas makes a player automatically better than what is based in this country but why choose one or the other when the option should be to choose both or make an informed national selection based on player pedigree and form and not where the player is based.
Steyn won a World Cup at the age of 20. He had won a Tri Nations and a British and Irish Lions series at the age of 22. He needed something to rekindle the enthusiasm of the schoolboy who won his first Test cap a year after finishing his schooling. He went to Paris very much a young man with a sheltered view of the world and return a mature young man with a very different view of the world, of his own country and of his responsibility to his chosen profession.
Steyn, had he stayed in South Africa, may at 26 years old have been considering giving it all up and playing out the final four years of his career in a less demanding Japanese club environment for huge financial gain. He may have given up on the ideal of Bok rugby and contributing to rugby within South Africa because seven successive years of scrutiny and intensity within the South African rugby landscape had drained him and left him exhausted, fatigued and flat.
His move to France turned a boy into the man who John Plumtree has now entrusted with the captaincy at the Sharks.
Plumtree said Steyn was a leader of men, a player with vast experience, in South Africa and abroad, and a winner. He also knew what it meant to be a professional.
It is a fantastic endorsement from Plumtree but also reward for a player who never betrayed South African rugby and also never betrayed his love for the game. Instead he recognised what he needed to reinvent his enthusiasm and to challenge his comfort zone.
Steyn is just one example of how leaving South Africa for a short term gave him an appetite for a longer contribution to the game in South Africa.
Steyn’s story is one that hopefully continues to challenge the outdated and simply outrageous belief that a player who leaves South Africa to play abroad sells out on South African rugby and should be treated as a traitor. Judge a South African player on what he offers this country’s national rugby and not on the country in which he decides to get reward for his rugby talent.
Supporter mindsets must change because the professional status of the player has ensured that their mindsets also had to change.
By Mark Keohane
312 Comments
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13 Feb 2013, 08:04 am
@Te Rangatira-147:
Blues look ok pre season, fingers crossed we can make the play offs.
13 Feb 2013, 08:06 am
@grant10-150:
They should make him captain.
13 Feb 2013, 08:08 am
@NZINCHINA-151:
Yep…China…I smell a renaissance of the most entertaining team in Super Rugby
13 Feb 2013, 08:09 am
@the curse-131:
no Poppa, that wrong.
the burden of proof rests with the person making the accusation.
what Nasser did was just despicable, dont condone it. ruining someone with false drug smears is reprehensible.
also, on this note why is it that SBW did not and was not required to take a drug test?
how wierd is it that only one of the boxers was tested.
@Dilligafrican-132:
truth in jest?
well, i wont.
13 Feb 2013, 08:09 am
@NZINCHINA-151: not holding out on that scenario..
preseason trials are not indicative of how we’ll go..
just dont have the forwards to compete imo
13 Feb 2013, 08:11 am
@wpallday-149:
Why does Sbw annoy you….is it because he is a winner….
13 Feb 2013, 08:12 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-154: so where is your proof that SBW is complicit in everything that has gone on?
he may be, but then again he may simply be guilty of having the wrong people “in his corner”..
13 Feb 2013, 08:16 am
@the curse-157:
You are also aware of muti murders where adults and kids get murderedand their organs get harvested by witchdocters to make medicine.
Lots of cultures dont believe in western medicine.
13 Feb 2013, 08:17 am
@the curse-157:
Sbw would never do that….he is a Muslim
13 Feb 2013, 08:18 am
@Fern-158: Im aware that lots of cultures dont believe in western medicine, Im not aware of the muti murders, and as I said, Im not having this discussion with you.. my point was in reference to bakkies, but you continue if you so wish..
13 Feb 2013, 08:19 am
@Slartibartfast-145:
i have a thick skin
@the curse-146:
yes but are they doing anywhere near enough?
zero instances of drug taking is a little wierd if you ask me.
i’ll have a look at the site later.
@Te Rangatira-147:
you must be going blind, boet.
Sonny saw his moer in that fight, and it was a larf.
on paper nothing about the Bulls looks promising this season so i’m not holding out high hopes. if they make the playoffs it will be above expectations.
but i still think they are gonna fark the Blues up
@Te Rangatira-148:
keep telling yourself that, big guy.
13 Feb 2013, 08:19 am
@Te Rangatira-159: maybe he didnt beat Botha because he likes his buffalo halal?
13 Feb 2013, 08:21 am
@the curse-157:
yes, in all likelihood the truth probably lies somewhere inbetween.
13 Feb 2013, 08:22 am
@the curse-157:
Gauteng is very bad but the Western Cape have the added problem of gangs and drugs.
Lots of gang related killings and the drug that is causing havoc is called “tik” which is similiar to “P” in NZ.
I have seen dealing being done openly.
The DA needs to make a plan and fast,adjoining Cape Town Airport is a huge informal settlement where people live in absolute misery.
Ask the liberals from the fairy cape what is being done about that.
Fecking pillowbiting featherboa wearing limp wristed back spitters.
13 Feb 2013, 08:22 am
ok, have to do a few things
back a little later
cheers all
13 Feb 2013, 08:23 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-161: Id imagine they are doing just as much as SAs anti doping agency, but I dont know to be honest.. perhaps we are better at it hence the lack of widespread use (to my knowledge)
read the site then formulate your own opinions, but you seem content to label us as drug cheats without any “proof”, something you were crying out for when Botha was implicated
double standards bakkies..
13 Feb 2013, 08:23 am
Have a nice day and evening all,I gotta roll.
Take it easy,but take it.
13 Feb 2013, 08:23 am
@the curse-155:
Yes that will probably be the killer but we should see an improvement on that shambles from last season.
13 Feb 2013, 08:24 am
@Fern-164: unfortunately fern there are these types of problems in every society, Sydney has its gangs and its drug suburbs too..
Im sure NZ does as well..
13 Feb 2013, 08:26 am
@Fern-158:
Fern, when my Father was about eight he fell very sick. The Doctors didn’t know what was wrong with him and he hadn’t eaten for a month. So my Grandparents took him to a Tohunga(Maori expert of healing). The Tohunga told them that in their home was a piupiu(grass/reed skirt) hanging on the wall with my Dads photo hanging under it.Take it all down and he will come right. When they did that, within an hour he was eating again. The piupiu had been given to my Grandfather from another iwi.
13 Feb 2013, 08:26 am
@Te Rangatira-153:
Hopefully they can get some decent crowds again at the garden of Eden when they start winning.
13 Feb 2013, 08:27 am
@NZINCHINA-168: having GH there is the plus for the Blues, but Im not sure we have the talent in the forwards specifically to be finals contenders.
our loosies is our biggest concern imo
13 Feb 2013, 08:27 am
@the curse-160:
I am giving you a insight into the reality and the problems.
Corruption and tenderfraud is a huge problem.
Really gotta roll now.
13 Feb 2013, 08:29 am
@Te Rangatira-170:
A bad spell?
13 Feb 2013, 08:30 am
@NZINCHINA-152: would get my vote…..but only if he can make the team on merit…..we suffered enough for 2 years carrying a useless lump of lard masquerading as a captain in 2010 and 2011
13 Feb 2013, 08:32 am
@the curse-169:
NZ definitely does P is decimating small towns in NZ and a major problem in the big cities, who wants to stay up for days without sleeping and pay a fortune whilst doing it. The dumbing down of NZ and the creation of a huge underclass is well underway unfortunately.
13 Feb 2013, 08:32 am
@grant10-175: still doing it with JDV..
13 Feb 2013, 08:34 am
@NZINCHINA-176: yep, seen first hand how P affects people and its insurgence in NZ…
13 Feb 2013, 08:34 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-161:
Hey settle down…you’re the one on the anti Nz crusade. I said on other threads that Sbw was 20 seconds away from hitting the canvas, but he didn’t…he survived the indignity….but perhaps he should give the boxing a rest…ok
I wouldn’t want us saying hurtful things to each other Houston…I still look on you as someone who is a good person out there on terra firma
13 Feb 2013, 08:35 am
@the curse-172:
So if they finish mid table ( and beat the Bulls) we’ll be reasonably satisfied then.
13 Feb 2013, 08:35 am
@Te Rangatira-179: put the pipe down and walk away TR, its affecting your judgment
13 Feb 2013, 08:36 am
@NZINCHINA-180: mate, we beat the bulls last season, cant see that changing at all..
I think the Bulls will be too enamoured with the pink shirts our refs will wear and trip up on the timotei
13 Feb 2013, 08:37 am
@grant10-175:
What position could he potentially play for the Bokke?
13 Feb 2013, 08:37 am
@gunther-174:
Its called a makutu… Gunther….usually goes after the kids
13 Feb 2013, 08:38 am
@grant10-175:
daar gaan jy alweer
jou mislike ****** etter
13 Feb 2013, 08:39 am
@the curse-182:
Ha hope so, an eventual return to the glory days would be O for awesome.
13 Feb 2013, 08:40 am
@NZINCHINA-171:
Eden Park, is a nightmare, location wise,as you know China. Some early wins and everyone will be jumping on the bandwagon…fingers crossed
13 Feb 2013, 08:41 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-185: truth is truth…..
13 Feb 2013, 08:41 am
@NZINCHINA-186:
13 Feb 2013, 08:41 am
@Te Rangatira-179:
no, i dont want that either, TR
i like you
no malice intented in the previous post, honest.
have to go, cheers
13 Feb 2013, 08:42 am
@the curse-181:
hehe…I’ve put a lot of effort into Houston’s recovery…I refuse to pull the plug.
13 Feb 2013, 08:42 am
@Te Rangatira-187: mate used to live behind Eden Park, can remember jumping the fences for impromptu games of cricket… good times..
13 Feb 2013, 08:43 am
@Te Rangatira-187:
Yer it’s not great best to walk from Ponsonby after a few early ones, tactically GH will be ahead of the other coaches its whether his young charges can execute.
13 Feb 2013, 08:43 am
@the curse-181:
doos
13 Feb 2013, 08:45 am
@Te Rangatira-191: well step aside and let someone else do the humane thing
13 Feb 2013, 08:45 am
@NZINCHINA-183: No 8
13 Feb 2013, 08:45 am
@the curse-192:
The games at Eden park during a test lunch break were legendary, tennis balls flying everywhere.
13 Feb 2013, 08:47 am
@Angostura-196:
He can’t be worse than muscle head so maybe he has a shot. I heard Meyer rates him.
13 Feb 2013, 08:48 am
@Robzim-55: @ufo-59: Anything Jimi does is worth listening too.
The thing is, there are some young artists today doing some stuff that is as groundbreaking in some ways as what Jimi did back then. Check out Reignwolf on you tube. The guy is special. Stripped down, Like Jack White should have been.
Check out Electric love by reignwolf of youtube, It’s great stuff.
13 Feb 2013, 08:48 am
@NZINCHINA-197:
we used to sneak in there when there were no games happening, plenty of room to execute the crushing drives under the stands on Cricket avenue..
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