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, 10:00 am
@Angostura-249: Yes….Alberts, Elstaht type at 7…
13 Feb 2013, 10:03 am
@skopdiekan-234: i read about his story recently when a friend of rossoneris was excited about having watched him in cape town recently & in awe the friend was.
the documentary about the saffas who went to seek him out in detroit is making waves having just won a BAFTA & nominated for Oscar honours,
do you, like his music? elsewhere his songwriting prowess is compared to dylan.
13 Feb 2013, 10:04 am
@Transformation-252: his music is awesome imo.
great songwriting.
13 Feb 2013, 10:05 am
ryan vrede is writing for the foschinis sport club mag?
and thats where luke makes his statement?
alongside the adverts for nwe sweaters.
13 Feb 2013, 10:07 am
@Robzim-248: Yes that 335 sounds amazing. I’ll be keeping a look out for him for sure.
You might check out this article for the young up and comers to keep an eye on, even our Dan Patlansky is (rightfully) there:
http://bluesrockreview.com/2013/01/new-artists-you-should-know.html
13 Feb 2013, 10:08 am
@The Rangerman-254: Luke is wearing a sweater on his face by the looks of things….
13 Feb 2013, 10:10 am
@The Rangerman-254:
I’m not sure how we can be punting the dude for Bok captain when he hasn’t played top flight rugby for two years.
13 Feb 2013, 10:15 am
@The Rangerman-253:
I saw him in concert a few years back.
He had terrible stage nerves.
I think they had to put him on a Grey Goose drip.
By the time they got him onstage he needed a stool.
13 Feb 2013, 10:18 am
@Transformation-252:
Yeah look, by his own humble admission he has only really written 30 or 40 songs. Dylan has written hundreds.
But his actual songwriting for those few songs is up there with Dylan.
Apparently he is thinking about putting out a new album with new songs but only after he finishes touring.
He’s here now then goes to NZ and Aus I think, then plays the Coachella Festival in California and a few other gigs in the US. We may see some new material from him after that.
13 Feb 2013, 10:19 am
@John Galt-259: At 70 years old that is brave.
13 Feb 2013, 10:20 am
@stormersboy-256:
I hope it’s washable
He’s got form in that department.
13 Feb 2013, 10:24 am
a little busy but i thought this worth noting. my gut feeling says its either a politcal smear or some miguided office staff feeling they’re ‘entitled’ and are perhaps unhappy their boss is actually making them work hard:
Thuli faces slew of anonymous allegations:
Cape Town – Public Protector Thuli Madonsela is under scrutiny again, with the auditor-general and the police expected to investigate a slew of anonymous allegations against her and her office, ranging from fraud to maladministration.
Parliament’s oversight committee on justice and constitutional development considered some of the allegations raised by “concerned staff” from Madonsela’s office on Tuesday.
http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/thuli-faces-slew-of-anonymous-allegations-1.1469313#.URtMX_Lpr-A
13 Feb 2013, 10:24 am
@stormersboy-260:
Very.
Especially if you consider that his new stuff will have to be of equal quality if not better because of the newfound stardom he achieved.
No pressure.
13 Feb 2013, 10:26 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-262:
Do your mates call you the grim reaper?
13 Feb 2013, 10:26 am
@gunther-258:
Ive heard that at times he can be very uncomfortable on stage and at other times its like he belongs there.
I think he’s just naturally a very shy human being.
Well he comes accross that way in the documentary anyway.
13 Feb 2013, 10:31 am
@gunther-257: or punting him for anything…except for touch
13 Feb 2013, 10:32 am
@John Galt-265:
Look stage fright is no joke the best in the business suffer from it.
I even had a failure to launch early in on my adult entertainment career.
@NZINCHINA-264:
They call him No Man Bakkies.
13 Feb 2013, 10:33 am
@John Galt-263: Exactly. I hope it’s not a money grab by music execs just to capitalise on the hype at the moment.
13 Feb 2013, 10:34 am
@gunther-267: early engage?
13 Feb 2013, 10:35 am
@stormersboy-255:
Thanks, I wlll check it. Dan is very good, i have been a fan for quite a while.
13 Feb 2013, 10:36 am
by Gavin Rich 13 February 2013, 09:30
Schalk Burger’s chances of making his return to top rugby when the Stormers travel to Pretoria next week will hinge on how he comes through training sessions planned for Wednesday and Thursday.
The Stormers captain, making his way back from a long lay-off due to a knee injury, has been further set back in his comeback over the past few weeks by a calf strain that has kept him from the training field. He missed both warm-up matches against the Cheetahs and the Boland Cavaliers, but coach Allister Coetzee has said he will make an exception to his general rule that players have to have played a warm-up fixture if they want to be considered for the Super Rugby opener against the Bulls on 22 February.
The Stormers are due to engage in an opposed session involving the Western Province Vodacom Cup side that will be refereed, and that could well be when Burger shows Coetzee whether or not he is ready to play at Loftus. Making a comeback after a year’s absence in a derby against the Bulls seems a daunting prospect, but there again, Burger has never been an ordinary player.
He is also not the type of player you play off the bench, so if he is involved at Loftus it will probably be as a member of the starting team, though Coetzee has again stressed that winning against a team like the Bulls requires 22 players and not 15.
“The situation with Schalk is positive and there has been a big improvement,” said Coetzee after a Stormers training session in Mitchell’s Plain.
Burger did not train but Coetzee said he will be ready to train on Wednesday or Thursday. His status could have an impact on who plays as the replacement for the injured Eben Etzebeth at lock, as Rynhardt Elstadt could then switch to No 4 from the No 7 jersey he has worn for most of the past year.
“Whether Schalk plays or not will have an effect on who replaces Eben at lock. There’s Don Armand who can fill that spot, Michael Rhodes is there, but hasn’t trained yet, there’s Ruan Botha (under-21 recruit from the Lions) as well. I have to make a few decisions, but Don played well there in the Currie Cup, De Kock Steenkamp is also a reliable four lock and Rynhardt is also an option.”
The smart money should be on the last mentioned as he proved an excellent partner to Andries Bekker in the 2011 season. However he appears to have lost a bit of his bulk, possibly due to his attempt to get himself properly conditioned to be more mobile on the flank. He was in excellent form against the Cavaliers last weekend.
Meanwhile Elton Jantjies slotted in well at training on Tuesday and is still the favourite to wear the No 10 jersey at Loftus, particularly as it is unlikely that Peter Grant will be back in town for a while
13 Feb 2013, 10:36 am
@Robzim-270: Cool.
13 Feb 2013, 10:37 am
@stormersboy-269: Couldn’t contest the scrum…
13 Feb 2013, 10:38 am
@gunther-258:
He is back in SA at moment and received a fantastic review for his gig in CT. Apparently he is semi- blind already- he also told the audience he is not worried about never been a huge star, he only “wants to be an ordinary legend”
13 Feb 2013, 10:41 am
@John Galt-259:
The lyrics to his classic “Crucify your mind”
“Was it a huntsman or a player
That made you pay the cost
That now assumes relaxed positions
And prostitutes your loss?
Were you tortured by your own thirst
In those pleasures that you seek
That made you Tom the curious
That makes you James the weak?
And you claim you got something going
Something you call unique
But I’ve seen your self-pity showing
As the tears rolled down your cheeks
Soon you know I’ll leave you
And I’ll never look behind
‘Cos I was born for the purpose
That crucifies your mind
So con, convince your mirror
As you’ve always done before
Giving substance to shadows
Giving substance ever more
And you assume you got something to offer
Secrets shiny and new
But how much of you is repetition
That you didn’t whisper to him too”
13 Feb 2013, 10:46 am
@NZINCHINA-264:
@gunther-267:
hehe
you joke but ironically i was sarcastically given the nic ‘Laksman’ when i was younger. it means executioner/hangman and i can only assume it had something to do with my demeanour probably but i honeslty don’t know why people would think that.
kids can be so cruel.
13 Feb 2013, 10:46 am
have to go again
cheers
13 Feb 2013, 10:47 am
Chiefs and All Black midfielder Richard Kahui has announced that he will leave New Zealand at the end of the Super Rugby season to play in Japan.
The injury-prone backline ace has confirmed he will play for the Japanese Toshiba club for two seasons after seeing out the 2013 season with the Chiefs.
“I love being a Chief, but it is no secret that I have had my fair share injuries which have forced me to make some very hard decisions about my future and make the most of the opportunities while I can,” Kahui told the Waikato Times.
Chiefs’ coach Dave Rennie said: “Richard has been an outstanding member of the Chiefs family, having played over 50 games for us.
“I have been really impressed with him as a man, as a player and as a leader within our group.
“He has an opportunity to set himself up for his future and we are fully supportive of what he is doing and hope to get him back for 2015.”
Kahui has played 17 Tests for the All Blacks since his debut in 2008, scoring 10 tries.
13 Feb 2013, 10:49 am
thanks stomersboy…
downloaded the full 19-something minutes of the KEXP live performance… and listened to it…
excellent stuff…!!
thanks for the heads-up…
13 Feb 2013, 10:52 am
@Robzim-248:
yeah rob… saskatoon, saskatchewan
13 Feb 2013, 10:52 am
@Robzim-275: Coming from Reality a great album too.
13 Feb 2013, 10:57 am
rodriguez is very cool…
haven’t seen him live but have all his songs…
(which are easy to play on guitar for kachunkkachunks like me…)
really cool that’s he’s getting all this deserved recognition after such a long time… it’s never too late… even like 35 years later…!
13 Feb 2013, 11:04 am
@stormersboy-269:
In front of the kicker.
13 Feb 2013, 11:11 am
@gunther-283: Blew the ref’s whistle?
13 Feb 2013, 11:16 am
@gunther-283:
He blew his own whistle.
I was busy chewing on Svetlanya’s gum guard.
13 Feb 2013, 11:25 am
@gunther-285: Methinks you did not release the tackle
13 Feb 2013, 11:25 am
hier kom n ding…
Prime Minister Julia Gillard – Australia
Muslims who want to live under Islamic
Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get
out of Australia, as the government
targeted radicals in a bid to head off
potential terror attacks.
Separately, Gillard angered some
Australian Muslims on Wednesday by
saying she supported spy agencies
monitoring the nation’s mosques.
Quote:
‘IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST
ADAPT… Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of
this nation worrying about whether we
are offending some individual or their
culture.
Since the terrorist attacks on
Bali , we have experienced a surge in
patriotism by the majority of Australians.’
‘This culture has been developed over two
centuries of struggles, trials and victories
by millions of men and women who have
sought freedom.’
‘We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish,
Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any
other language. Therefore, if you wish to
become part of our society, learn the
language!’
‘Most Australians believe in God. This is
not some Christian, right wing, political
push, but a fact, because Christian men
and women, on Christian principles,
founded this nation, and this is clearly
documented. It is certainly appropriate to
display it on the walls of our schools.
If
God offends you, then I suggest you
consider another part of the world as
your new home, because God is part of
our culture.’
‘We will accept your beliefs, and will not
question why. All we ask is that you
accept ours, and live in harmony and
peaceful enjoyment with us.’
‘This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and
OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you
every opportunity to enjoy all this. But
once you are done complaining, whining,
and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge,
Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I
highly encourage you take advantage of
one other great Australian freedom, ‘THE
RIGHT TO LEAVE’.’
‘If you aren’t happy here then LEAVE. We
didn’t force you to come here. You asked
to be here. So accept the country YOU
accepted.’
13 Feb 2013, 11:30 am
@gunther-285: did you enter her through the gate or from he side
13 Feb 2013, 11:37 am
@Transformation-287:
i dont see anything wrong with that really.
there are certain parts of Saudi Arabia where the immediate penalty is death by beheading if a non-muslim were to enter. i think the Mecca Mosque has such a rule that any foreigner/non-muslim who crosses over a perimeter demarcation of some or other number of meters/kilometers then the penalty would be death.
my point is that by comparison i think her views are reasonable and mundane really.
13 Feb 2013, 11:41 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-289:
however, i do think the states emphasis should be towards secularism.
13 Feb 2013, 11:47 am
@Transformation-287: yebo-yes:
“Four wheels scare the cockatoos
From Kintore East to Yuendemu
The western desert lives and breathes
In forty five degrees
The time has come
To say fair’s fair
To pay the rent
To pay our share
The time has come
A fact’s a fact
It belongs to them
Let’s give it back”
13 Feb 2013, 11:50 am
@Transformation-287: you think Julia was perhaps thinking of Nasser & his Muslim boxers?
13 Feb 2013, 11:53 am
@ufo-282: I was at the show on Sunday. He was a bit doddery in the beginning, but it didn’t really matter because the entire audience started singing along when he started ‘the moon is hanging/ in a purple sky’. What a lekker evening. People of all ages & races enjoying his music.
Some of his comments:
The secret of life? Keep breathing.
Free love is expensive.
In love, never be a silent partner.
I want to be an ordinary legend.
Cool oke.
13 Feb 2013, 11:54 am
@Transformation-287: Julia Gillard actually said all of that?
13 Feb 2013, 12:03 pm
@bokfan1-294: I’d be very impressed if she did.
13 Feb 2013, 12:03 pm
@bokfan1-294: hoax
13 Feb 2013, 12:10 pm
@playtheball-293:
sounds very cool PTB…!!
13 Feb 2013, 12:12 pm
@Transformation-288:
In the tight loose.
13 Feb 2013, 12:13 pm
that’s an old gig by Julia Gillard the Aussie Maggie Thatcher.. that stuff she sprouted already a couple months ago or more.. Hard headed tough line cookie taking a tough stand as a last crusade for Godliness.
What she forgets to add is where the fck was God when all her white skinned immigrant forebears were busy rounding up the local inhabitants feeding them grog to nullify their senses and shacking them up in inhumane reservations in the middle of nowhere up in the central or western deserts, those that weren’t slaughtered in the cold blooded merciless extermination of the aborigine.
God never gave them Goolongwannaland, they simply took it and usurped it as their own.. now they claim they own it like its one of God’s full on given right.
13 Feb 2013, 12:19 pm
Rodriguez simply had too much humility to make it in the rough environment of showbiz.. even the real hard line legends like Elvis Hendrix Jim Morrison Janis Joplin got eaten alive by the music business moguls and the stuff that went with the stardom.
Rodriguez is the epitome of humble humanity.. its his humility that shine through his music and his persona and that what gives his listeners an elevated sense of his artistry and poetry.. that why perhaps the fact he didn’t make it big when he wrote the songs could even be a poignant blessing in disguise.
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