According to recent reports, star Stormers and Bok flanker Francois “Flo” Louw is said to be a target of Bath Rugby Club. The English club are understood to be sending a high-powered delegation, under director Ian McGeechan, to South Africa to search for a replacement for the Kings-bound Luke Watson.
It’s all highly speculative at this stage, though, since none of the reports have indicated whether Western Province – or even Louw himself – have been directly approached or even sounded out regarding a possible move. With the World Cup looking this year, one would think that Louw’s focus would be on a storming Super Rugby season, in the hope of ousting players like Deon Steggman and Keegan Daniel, both of whom were picked ahead of him for the Boks in October.
That said, a stint in the Northern Hemisphere seems to have revitalised Watson’s career and if Louw should find himself on the outside looking in once the 2011 Bok squad starts to take shape, don’t be too surprised if he starts to consider the northern option. For now, though, I would dismiss this one as the typical silly season nonsense that we come to expect at this time of year,
As far as I know the boy is injured and will miss the start of Super Rugby..
Torn his hamstring if my photographic memory should be trusted.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 1) : Correct Rich, he tore his hamstring on Tuesday.Its actually sad that he has to have a “storming” season to get into the squad of Deon Stegmann
Have to agree. I don’t think any player that has a “realistic” chance of making the RWC squad will risk moving.
@Clayton(PJLD) (Comment 2) :
He is a massive player, and after the Tri Nations away leg that he had, one would think he would walk into any team.
He would do well in the slow game up North.
Didn’t he get penalised quite a bit,though?perhaps not as much as stegmann ,but still can remember him giving away quite a few penelties..
@richard ferguson: could you perhaps find stats on flankers and their pens per game (sa flankers in super14 of 2010, cc and bok tests),please?
Louw might or might not be better than stegmann ,but neither of these 2 come close to brussow.
@bergshark (Comment 6) : Brussouw is in a class of his own, I really hope he is still that player when he returns from injury.Flouw got penalised quite a bit in the Currie Cup
The arti on news24 says bath want a replacement for luke watson for the next season (2011/2012),so I presume he will still be eligible for rwc (will most prob say that if he is called up to bok squad that his club will release him or something like that)
@clayton: I also hope brussow can emulate (or even better) his form of last season.
Will only leave at the end of the year. That’s if he leaves at all.
I saw on News24 that the warm up game between Sharks and Stormer will be televised.
Those who find life unbearable on summer Saturdays without the 15-man game for their televised fix are pretty close to experiencing relief from their misery.
In three weeks’ time SuperSport will screen the pre-season encounter in the Neo Africa Tri-Series between the Stormers and Sharks at Newlands (February 5, 17:00).
@mclovin: in an arti in “bath chronicle”, it says that bath are looking @ sa players as possible replacement for luke watson.. The club has also been using skype to contact players they are interested in signing..so there might be other players in sa (flankers )who will be approached by bath..
Arti in bath chronicle says IF he decides to join bath ,it will be in november..that is IF..
@bergshark (Comment 12) : I’m sure there is.
Think Bom Samaai is set to join Stormers.
We actually could`ve used him I think . ..
@Original Champion (Comment 15) : He’s already there?
Another quality loosie lost to the draw of the big money in the northern hemishpere. I don’t blame Flo he was stuffed around by Divvy.
@lostfish (Comment 17) : woah – slow down. We don’t even know if they’ve actually talked to him yet!
@robdylan (Comment 18) :
Yeah, but he has been messed around dude.
There is no sane reason why Stegman would be selected ahead of him, unless it was at Big Vic’s behest.
Expect more of these stories in the near future.
Nothing but the bloody agents from up North trying to divide and conquer SA Rugby ahead of the RWC.
The Sharks should be worried about this visit. We have enough loosies getting shafted by the Boks.
“a stint in the Northern Hemisphere seems to have revitalised Watson’s career “…
If playing for the Kings is considered a revitalised career?
@Big Fish (Comment 5) : that’s what all his supporters cried about when danielS took his spot in the EYOT squad