Stephen Nell, Die Burger
Cape Town – Springbok captain John Smit is ready to turn his back on French club rugby and may return to South Africa as soon as Monday
According to informed sources, the Clermont club has been offered the equivalent of three months of Smit’s salary to release the man who led South Africa to victory in last year’s World Cup tournament.
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers and Andy Marinos, manager of SA Rugby’s national teams, are in the northern hemisphere to meet representatives of clubs that have SA players on their books.
De Villiers said at a breakfast function in Paarl last month he intended luring certain players back to South Africa.
Describing Smith as a gifted leader, De Villiers said some sponsors were interested in helping to bring back certain South Africans who were playing club rugby abroad.
Neither De Villiers not Marinos could be contacted on Wednesday.
It seems Smit wants to return to captain the Springbok despite earlier rumours that his international career may have ended when former coach Jake White stepped down.
However, South Africa’s World Cup triumph put the captain in a strong position.
Clermont’s administrators are said to be furious about the developments but they may accept an offer, because Smit has a knee injury.
A French agent, Bruno Xamma, says SA Rugby will have to pay “big money” to have Smit released from his contract at Clermont.
Earns a big salary
“John has been contracted until June 2009,” Xamma said on Wednesday. “Clermont would want compensation for two years. John earns a big salary in France and I don’t think SA Rugby will be able to afford it.”
Sharks coach Dick Muir was unable to confirm that Smit may be on his way back. “There are rumours but nothing has been confirmed,” Muir said.
If Smit does return soon, Muir would like him to be available for the Sharks in the Super 14 competition.
“I don’t think he’ll play for any other team. But his injury may keep him out of action for the duration of the Super 14 anyway.”
Muir confirmed that he had seen Smit when the Springbok captain was in South Africa recently. However, there were no official negotiations.
If Smit is going to be out of rugby for a considerable time, it would make sense for Clermont to accept compensation to release him.
It has also been said that Smit is unhappy at Clermont.
Meanwhile, progress is being made to appoint assistant coaches for De Villiers.
Jannie Ferreira, chairperson of the committee chosen to select the coaches, said on Wednesday they had looked at some applications.
Names were also proposed of coaches who would be invited to apply. “We should be able to draw up a shortlist on Friday,” Ferreira said.
Former assistant Springbok coach Gert Smal and former Western Province coach Dawie Snyman would lend technical expertise to the committee, Ferreira said.
Pieter Jordaan reports from Bloemfontein that Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské has decided not to apply for a position as assistant coach of the national team.
Drotské will continue as Cheetahs coach instead.
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Would love to have John back, but I’m beginning to get concerned about the apparent disregard of contractual sanctity that is being displayed by SA rugby players.
great news , now we still want butch back
This IS good news,
I agree with both your sentiments though.
Monty too
I have commented a few times that the WC Boks who are overseas must be kicking themselves for signing contracts before the WC was over.
They could have negotiated MUCh better salaries as World Champions.
This is the reverse side of the coin though, it is now MUCH cheaper for SARU to buy them out of their contracts.
big fish mate it was the south african rugby board that went to convice the french to release him , and not john that cried to leave
and again great to have smitty back 😉
good morning rob mate did ya get my email?
Let’s not bring EVERYONE back. 🙂
We need to develop some young talent.
the one thing that worries me about bismark is his temper and throwing punchers comes easy for him
this is a problem that will cost us games because with punches comes sightings
imagine he is banned for some games who did we have for backup????? or if he got injured??
man dont tell me burden or skipper???
nowhere near good enough for the big times
Agreed KSA, theres a few okes that can nicely carry on chilling in France.
😆 @ ksa
out of the guys gone its only butch and smitty i want back , as i think percy has had his time and steyn is the new kid on the block
got it, sl… and thanks. I have replied.
One of my concerns last year was Muir keeping all the players happy by giving them enough game time and keeping them at the Sharks for the future.
I don’t think he will have that problem this season with his existing squad though.
😆
rob youuuuuuuuuuu haveeeeeeee MAIL lol
i agree ksa , as i said i believe now dick can roate the players and each one is good enough
if smitty is back dont always start with him
bismark is good enough to start games too
but now dick has better options then before
and what loyalty from smitty a pretoria born boy??????????????
if i play in south africa he says itll be for no other but the sharks??
I’m really not sure I agree on this. I love Smittie and it would be great to have him back. But Bismarck is a huge talent and he will go elsewhere if he loses his spot now. And probably take his boet with him.
Let’s not bring EVERYONE back.
We need to develop some young talent.
14.02.08 09:28:37 – KSA Shark © Edit
I think the time for Frans and Bismarck to develop is now. And they are only going to do that with game time. John and Butch served us well, but we don’t want the Sharks to end like they did in 1999 when there was absolutely no succession plan. Not sure who was responsible for that, but we lost a coach, captain, honiball with no thought for what we were going to do without them!
Smittie was born in Pietersburg, I think
Not sure who was responsible for that
Blame Putt. Everyone else does.
That would be Polokwane 🙄
Agree on the need for us not to depend on the old guys too much.
Asking for Percy back is a case in point – he would be great to have if he wasn’t gonna expect to have the majority of game time, and instead mentor the back 3, but it wont be like that.
Same for John – if he does return, we will need to ensure that Bismark gets enough game-time.
Im sure that the youngsters stayed around as they expected to get a chance to start now; it would be foolish to give them reason to leave by benching them again.
rob bro when asked about a month ago if he would like smitty back bismark said it would be awesome as he still even today learns from smitty
and i dont think smitty should start all the games
rotate them this year where last season smitty always started and bismark came on with about 30 to go
i say rotate and give bismark that confidence , but if bismark for example did get injured you now have a great backup
before we didnt , i know some like burden as i do , but he is still not a good or great hooker by any stretch
a hooker is born not made , well specially over night
😕
eish imagine if our hooker spot was to go to skipper???the thought raises my neck hairs ,
no disrepect to the man he just isnt good enough 😐
We have a catch 22 of sorts here.
If the player(s) come back they will be coming back because SARU has negotiated it and SARU would therefore want/expect them to be the #1 option at the Sharks.
What use would John really be to the Boks if he had limited game time during the S14?
BF mate this is exactly why i said of the players that left for now its only butch and smitty id want back
its the same as with ackermaNn and aj , there days are over but the team needs them right now with that experience
albeit ackers is back just for a few games while sykes recovers
Bit disappointed that all these guys were so eager to play abroad and now want to come home because they seemingly cant hack it.
Surely if you sell your soul then you cant cry and expect somebody else to buy it back for you?
Matfield is a more relevant example than Smit.
Smit at least went to a top league club…
Matfield on the other hand, beiong the world’s best lock and not bound by eligibility rules like the kiwis thanks to Kolpak, signed to play for a tiny club not even in the French first division.
If thats not selling your soul then I dont know what is.
Vin
I don’t think they are coming back because they can’t hack it.
I think they are coming back because the Boks want them back. If they would be eligible to play for the boks while playing over there then it wouldn’t be an issue.
Butch doesnt have much left in him I fear.
He’s already injured his knee again… cant be more than a season or two left in him.
KSA,
If that was their concern then why did they go in the first place?
Me thinks they want their cake and eat it.
Matfield can fark off anyway – your argument doesnt fit with him as he didnt need to go and knew he wouldnt be eligible. Yet he went anyway.
Vin Butch’s knee is fine.
He is out with a dislocated shoulder from when he scored a try for his team
i don’t have an issue with any of the guys going or coming back.
I think their was still the expectation that they would be able to play for the boks if they were abroad when they left, but that has changed and some of them are heading the call by the coach to try and come back.
I respect it when a player decides to come back if his “nation” calls. It will mean a cut in money yet the guys are prepared to comeback because they are wanted.
No problem with that from my side.
Oh thats right KSA.
Thats a bit embarressing as I watched that game… 😳
😆
That’s the response i was hoping for.
Thought maybe I had missed an injury somewhere or something.