The Francois Steyn saga revealed yet another bizarre twist on Thursday, when he was declared fit enough to play for his French club, Racing Metro on the weekend.
Rugby 365 reports that Steyn’s Top 14 club take on rivals Montpellier on Friday, with the ‘injured’ Bok utility named amongst the replacements for the match. That after he was deemed unfit to play for the Springboks this weekend.
Steyn was initially named in the Springbok squad for the home leg of the Tri-Nations, but it was later announced that he would be unavailable for this weekend’s Test against the All Blacks in Soweto after picking up an injury while playing for Racing in a pre-season game.
He suffered a quadriceps injury – which was initially diagnosed as ankle injury – which led Bok coach Peter de Villiers to question the player’s commitment to the Bok cause; despite the fact that SARU had not requested the proper clearance from his club in order for him to play for South Africa.
However, Steyn – speaking to Afrikaans newspaper, Rapport, at the weekend – denied that he lacked the necessary desire to play for his country.
“At the end of the day, however, Racing Metro pay my salary and look after me well. I don’t have a Springbok contract… And now I have to hear that I don’t have the heart to play for the Boks,” he told the newspaper.
“Despite everything, I will be the first guy on the plane the minute I get the necessary permission to travel to South Africa to play for the Boks. I phoned the coach [De Villiers] this past week and left a message on his cell phone. I assured him that I am still eager to play for the Boks.”
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Well there you have it ladies and gentleman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Finally PROOF that Southern Hemisphere Rugb y is much tougher than Northern hemisphere rugby.
You aren’t fit enough for SH rugby but you are fit enough for NH Rugby?????????
I’m sorry but all the Frans Steyn groupies can go fly a kite! 👿
It is clear he or his agent have time for fun and games.
If he really wanted to play for the Boks he would be here by now.
Does BJ have a Bok contract?? How about CJ?? And Jean?? Nope! And yet you don’t hear them complaining!
I’m sorry but Frans can go to hell!!
@wpw (Comment 2) :
Along with Carl Hayman ! 👿
Yeah; let the boy go.
No hard feelings Frans: enjoy seeing the world, and make some money while you can. Just don’t expect a Bok cap while you do it.
Hope this lays the issue to bed now.
Money, money, was the issue all along, Fransie financial demand in playing for the Boks 😉
@wpw (Comment 2) : been saying this for while! Francois Steyn is a mercenary! He is far much more divisive and self-centred than Luke Watson could ever be! Los hom!
If Saru hasn’t requested Fransie’s release on time, what does it matter if he is fit or not? And what does it matter if it’s all about the money. It is the proffessional era. Frans you may do as you please, just don’t regret it later.
@Jarson (Comment 7) : There’s always plenty of confusion when it
comes to foreign-based players
representing the Springboks. Do you
know where you stand in terms of
eligibility, and has Peter de Villiers spoken
to you about coming back for the 2011
World Cup?
Frans: We haven’t spoken at all. I spoke to Ruan
Pienaar and Schalk Burger when they were
on tour last November, and they gave me a
bit of the team news. I send them all SMSs
before a big Test to wish them good luck,
but I never hear from the coach. I don ’t
expect to, considering how much talent
there is in South Africa.
How do you feel about the Springboks’
foreign selection policy?
Frans: Look, I would love to play in next year’s
World Cup. It’s the biggest event in our
sport and nobody wants to miss out. It’s a
huge honour and privilege. I believe that
anyone playing for clubs around the world
should be eligible to represent their country.
Unfortunately, that ’s not my decision, and I
don’t criticise the decision that’s been made.
Maybe Peter doesn’t believe I’m good
enough to play for the Boks. If that is the
case, I ’m going to work even harder to get
myself back into the team.
He is working hard to get in the team alright 🙄
@KSA Shark © (Comment 1) : my thought exactly 😆
people bit harsh on fransie this morning. perhaps pdivvy did not like the scans 🙄
@rekinek (back to rugby) (Comment 9) :
Perhaps P Divvy didnt get the scans.
I heard the Bok tema doctor on Cape Talk this week saying he is still waiting for Frans’ club to send him the medical report. 👿
@wpw (Comment 10) : maybe they did not tender fees for copying. 😆
if they wre serious about calling him up they could at least invite him to training and run the scans themselves. methinks
Oh well thats it then 🙄
Ag come on!! We also do not always know if someone will be fit for a game untill a few days prior. So, IF they had permission for him to play and he was cleared yesterday, wtf did you expect him to jump on a plane and be ready for a test?? Geez – your take on this matter is a bit harsh and clouded don’t you think?? Judge the player on his performance, not personality or whatever it is u dislike about the guy!
Okay, there is a nice breeze, let me go fly my kite now..
@rekinek (back to rugby) (Comment 11) : +100000
@Ice (Comment 13) : i agree with u, but he`s throwing petrol on this already big fire if he`s on the bench for the club game. would love to hear Fransie`s side of the story. There is always three sides to a story, your side, my side and the truth…
I am always hesitant to endorse Voldemort’s opinion but honestly between Steyn and P Divvy – i can not believe that they haven’t managed a phone call in 6 months. Seriously just call each other – it has the makings of a Telkom advert FFS !
Seriously maturity is needed from both sides. And ego’s need to be put away.
And to the detractors sugesting that Steyn should treat his employer with distain – i dare you to walk out of your office at Lunch suggesting your drinking team have an important meet and see how they feel.
@ 15 : RM is his employer. If he is cleared and selected, I don’t think he has much say in whether he wants to be on the bench or not?
@Ice (Comment 17) : was about to say the same – he may not have much say in the matter.
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 16) : yip.
after all RM pays his salary.
@Ice (Comment 17) : point taken. on the other hand, even if FS was fit to play, the boks never applied for his release on time, thus he would not have been eligable to play this weekend for the boks. So, the injury is actually a sideshow to the Boks management error?
@Ice (Comment 13) :
Lke YOU used to judge Luke Watson based on performance only?? 😈 😉
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 16) : You’ve probably just made 10 000 ad execs sit up and figure out a new ad campaign.
Vodacom, MTN, Hellkom and Cell © are all about to be pitched the next best idea on getting people to communicate thanks to them!
@Baldrick (Comment 21) : 😆
@wpw (Comment 20) : hey, come on. You cant compare the two players. Luke was a legendary player, who was loved by all… (his family) 😉
@VanWilder (Comment 19) : Quite right, this story smacks of the wrong people all being involved in securing frans’s release from Racing. From PDV not calling/answering his calls, to the club for not releasing him, for SARU not getting clearance at the right time, for whoever not getting the right info on the actual injury (quad or ankle???). I blame the agent. Bloody Agents with their tendancies.
@VanWilder (Comment 23) : yes only his family ONLY 👿
@Baldrick (Comment 24) : Oh, I should also say Frans because I don’t think he’s just some poor pawn in a bigger chess game. If I am a player and I want to play for my country, I do WHATEVER it takes to make sure this bumbling situation occurs. I’m sure that for the millions he’s making, paying for his own flight back to SA to meet with SARUGBY to iron this all out would make sure there were no problems.
But where is his agent? In France with him. WTF – does he have only one client? I’d love to see what percentage he’s taking from Fransie’s salary.
Reminds me of a big fat tick.
@Baldrick (Comment 24) : jip, any other sharks/bok players with the same agent as Fransie?? 😯
@Baldrick (Comment 26) : they’re all in it (with the third force 🙄 😆 )
but seriously – they’re all in it – don’t think anybody has clean noses.
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 16) :
Dude, you do know that they met just before the Wales test right??
@wpw (Comment 20) : I hate watson, but I rated him especailly in his last season with WP. You cannot deny that he played well.
@VanWilder (Comment 27) : ruan ?
SARU f***ed this up – not Frans! It was always made clear that he would be fitness tested again yesterday – Saru didnt get the paper work done. How can you blame a player. Metro have said that they will release hime for any bok games as long as the paper work is done – professional curtsey! surely Saru would expect nothing less from anyone else – so why dont they treat others with the same respect.
@wpw (Comment 29) : Yup – but i am referring to the various missives we get from rapport et al.
Monday: Div – He hasn’t called and i can’t reach him
Wednesday : Frans – I left a voicemail message he never returns my call
Repeat Ad Nauseum
@Ice (Comment 30) : When he keeps his mouth shut, he is a repectable rugby player…
@Ice (Comment 17) : @rekinek (back to rugby) (Comment 18) :
So its ok for BJ Botha to put his country first but not Fransie?
@wpw (Comment 35) : are their situations identical?
(assumed your was rhetorical too)
@wpw (Comment 29) : and we were told by Divvy that Frans’ participation in 3N this year was limited to that one game.
but wait then … it started again .
don’t think Frans should be the one to take all the blame. it smacks immaturity all over – at least Frans has “I’m still young and immature” excuse if you stretch it a bit.
@rekinek (back to rugby) (Comment 31) : will not be suprised if its true. agents wants their players to play overseas as the get a percentage of their income… 😈
@rekinek (back to rugby) (Comment 36) :
Arent both of them contracted to overseas clubs?? 😕
If thats the case how come BJ is in SA right now??
@wpw (Comment 39) : hmm let me think … hmmm… my guess would be. because he got a call
saru applied for his release timeously
he was not injured so could skip going to the doctors and scanning
his club released him
@wpw (Comment 39) : becoz he was not sent back byu Pdiv on the grounds that he was not playing good enough?
0come on Wes, jy redeneer soos ‘n passer…al om jou eie gat! 😈
@Ice (Comment 41) :
‘sent back’
According to reports they agreed that Frans would only be availbale for the Wales test.
But it seems that Bok Management changed their minds and the results overseas didn’t help either.
Frans claims he would ‘die on the field for SA’ and yet he is moaning about paying for a few plane tickets?? Really shows his committment hey!!
@wpw (Comment 39) : @Ice (Comment 41) : Maybe BJ is just more loyal than Frans . . .
There I said it.
@wpw (Comment 42) : as specified “die on the field” not at the till.
besides he catches the plane and then what ?- just marches into the training session.
@Original Pierre (Comment 43) : quickly – u have 5 mins to edit
@rekinek (back to rugby) (Comment 45) : Let me think about it . . . urm no I`d rather fwd it to Frans. 😈
@wpw (Comment 42) : he was not moaning FFS! He merely wanted to give an example of his commnitment…don’t you get it?? They did only get him for the W test…now why all of a sudden is PDiv makin an issue about Steyn’s commitment? How was he to know that he should be available if he was told that he will only be considered for EOYT? Should they not have contacted him timeously then and told him that they might want him to be part of the plans?? Come now, answer me.
@rekinek (back to rugby) (Comment 45) : I am counting…
@Ice (Comment 47) : Ice..I wouldn’t waste your engergy…there is proverb that says if you argue wuth a fool you look a fool….I think Wpw was the one in the car with PDV at the 7eleven…..
@Ice (Comment 47) : If Puff Divvy had spoken to FS instead of the media there wouldn’t be this whole hoo haa about it.
The Boks and SARU are fast becoming the Puff Divvy and Hoskins show.
@Just a Fan (Comment 48) :
No need for petty insults dear.
We’re all mature enough to debate without resorting to name calling.
Question: Please can you clarify once and for all if Frans Steyn is part of the plan for the next World Cup and why all the drama and confusion with his selection at the moment? Brian Welman
Peter replies: Everyone who is in the expanded squad has the chance of going to the World Cup. We would not have included Frans in our squad for the home leg of the Vodacom Tri-Nations if we did not feature in these plans. SARU is working presently to secure his release and we can hopefully move forward on a positive footing.
@wpw (Comment 51) : I hope SARU does this on time in future. The French clubs are very very sticky about letting their players go to their countries and won’t budge on anything.
@wpw (Comment 51) : then, if the whole hoo haa is about the clearence certificate, why are we questioning his commitment to the Boks through his injury?
@VanWilder (Comment 53) : exactly!
I’m joining late, so I’m trying to catch up here. But if you take into account the rumour of the senior players supposedly forcing Frans into the team then the lack of timeous notification to RM makes sense.
It seems clear PdV didn’t want Frans till the end of the year. Frans seems dedicated enough, but he should still never have signed such a long deal over there if he REALLY wanted to be part of the WC plans.
Frans should not have left to play in France if he was so committed to the Boks. He wants the rules to change for him so that he can make all his Euro’s and play for the Boks. If you would die on the field for the Boks then you would also have said no to the money, taken the salary cut and stayed in SA…then we would not have had all this crap on our door step.
I say leave Frans and Ruan and BJ and any other player that’s not willing not play for an SA team for a lower salary to play for their European clubs and pick some of the talent we have in SA.
SA rugby won’t drown without Frans Steyn. In fact the sooner his name is left out of every Bok conversation the better … until he proves his commitment again…
…and by the way, I like Steyn’tjie, and I am a fan, I still try to watch his games and still think he’s a great player, but no player is worth all this crap.
All Frans has done is confirmed why we shouldn’t be picking overseas based players, just causes more headaches & trouble.
@Letgo (Comment 56) : Agree 100%
i think this whole Frans Steyn debacle is an example why the All Blacks put a total ban on overseas players getting picked for the national side. I`m a big steyn fan, our Bok management pushed the line a bit when they started picking overseas players. Where is the line now?
i say, ban overseas players from playing for the boks, and all this confusion and 10000km mudd throwing contests will stop!
If Pdiv doesn’t want to select Steyn, he doesn’t have to. Maybe he doesn’t rate the player…he may be wrong about that, but he’s the coach and players trying to force their coach into making certain selections are stupid…that’s no good for team spirit, if you could call it that. So the senior players in the team has no faith in the guys doing the job right now, how’s that going to help their confidence.
The ironic thing is, maybe the junior player should be making a few request for replacements of those senior players. Because really all the new caps (Zane Kirschner included) has been doing a good job. Where the so called senior players has been crap to say the least.
John, Matfield, Habana, Schalk, Spies, … are these the so called senior players making demands. They shouldn’t even feature in a starting line-up of any team the way they have been playing.
Will the Steyn groupies please get some freaking therapy ffs!
The issue is not even so much if he is really committed or not – who the hell knows what’s in his heart?
Simply put, the effort of picking overseas-based payers is not worth it, given the club versus country and North-South season complexity.
We should just bank and move on with what we have in-country.
Now please go dry your damn eyes. 🙄
Just a few guys who deserves to be there more than they do at this moment…
Deon Fourie, Tiaan Liebenberg, Craig Burden even…
Al Hargreaves, Anton van Zyl
Mvovo, van Heerden, Basson … anyone of the Lions wings or Fullback, hell actually anyone right now.
Keegan, Botes, Potgieter,
Kanko, Duanne, Ashley Johnson, Alberts
So maybe they should concentrate on other things and stop thinking about Frans Steyn…and Butch James, who is also apparently in the Bok team because of “senior players”.
@Letgo (Comment 60) : ya, the seniors are not pulling their weight this year but come next they will be needed.
I am not against picking overseas based players. The releases can be organised smoothly – as wpw pointed out (though trying to prove sth else) in bj’s case there was no hiccup. if there is a will….
but agree with you that no player is worth this nonsense that’s happening in Steyn’s case. I just say don’t lay the blame on one side only.
Here’s another question for everyone covering for Steyn:
What did he think when he sighed that Racing Metro Contract:
Lets make this multiple choice:
A. My Bok career is not over, I’m so good they’ll select me anyway.
B. I know my Bok career is probably over for at least 3 years and during the world cup, but the money is so good, I don’t enjoy my rugby with the Sharks and I can play 10 or 12 there.
C. I’ll show everyone how much they’ll miss me.
D. $$$$$$$$$$
E. Um if I go from the 2009 season and sign a 3 year contract, I can still be back for the 2011 WC.
F. I look better in blue than I do in black and white, and the French thinks guys with long hair are cool and sexy.
I pick A….
@Letgo (Comment 64) : F
@rekinek (back to rugby) (Comment 63) : I would be much stricter on the selection of players playing overseas. I think they should choose. Money or the Boks.
I would make it pretty much as the rules are on picking foreign players. Something like you can’t be picked for a World Cup team if you didn’t play your rugby in SA the four years prior to that specific WC. Otherwise players will just leave directly after every WC and come back just before the next WC.
Or you can only be selected for the Boks once you’ve played in SA for as long as you played overseas, for example, after Frans is done with his 3 years in Europe he’ll have to come back, play in SA for another 3 and then he’ll be legible to play for SA.
I don’t care if it’s the professional era or whatever. If players wants to be “professional” they should choose. Playing for the boks or make more money.
How would you like a bok team consisting of mainly players playing in Europe…I’m sorry, but that would suck.
@Letgo (Comment 64) : Umm maybe because PDV was screwing him around – as far as Frans is concerned PDV says one thing but does another – if PDV though Frans was the best Full Back in the world why did mostly on use him as a sub? Why is Ruan leaving a year before the world cup – he is supposed to tbe the Tiger Woods of rugby. Something not right in the bok camp. Def appears to be a personality clash with Frans and PDV – not uncommon or unheard off happens to every coach at some point. PDV just has not been honest in his dealings with it, and his lies keep being exposed revealed….such a contraversial coach just gives giving more fodder to the media.
@Letgo (Comment 66) : the professional era did not change one think (so I hope) : you pick the best players.
@Just a Fan (Comment 67) : ahhh – there seem to be a lot of personality clashes in this bok camp nowadays.
@Letgo (Comment 56) : @molly (Comment 57) :
AMEN!!!
I didn’t ask why…that would be a completely different multiple choice with many good reasons.
The question was, what did he think when he signed the contract?
Di he really think this is the best option for my Bok career?
@rekinek (back to rugby) (Comment 69) : Yeah – so much for the great man manager….. 😕
@Just a Fan (Comment 67) :
I’m still waiting for an apology!! 😉 😈
@Just a Fan (Comment 72) : fickle fickle : last year he was hailed as one , but wait – the boks were winning 😉
@Just a Fan (Comment 72) :
And yet Matfield, Smit, Juan, Habs, JDV, FDP, Adi have all raved about Div.
Now because ONE player seems to be at odds with Div there’s something wrong with his Man Management Skills.
Yeah right!! 🙄
@rekinek (back to rugby) (Comment 74) : Where PDV is concerned – |I have never had resepct for him – he started off his tenure insulting JW and the Boks…he has no class, no tack and clearly no rugby nous…
BTW I am not a fan of JW, but you dont walk into the mans job when he has just won the WC and team of the year, coach of the year, and say they played stupid! and that you will teach ‘total rugby”..and then don’t!
anyone read this?
http://www.sarugby.co.za/newsarticle.aspx?newsid=367554
Question: Please can you clarify once and for all if Frans Steyn is part of the plan for the next World Cup and why all the drama and confusion with his selection at the moment? Brian Welman
Peter replies: Everyone who is in the expanded squad has the chance of going to the World Cup. We would not have included Frans in our squad for the home leg of the Vodacom Tri-Nations if we did not feature in these plans. SARU is working presently to secure his release and we can hopefully move forward on a positive footing.
@molly (Comment 77) :
Have a look at comment #51 😈 😉
@Just a Fan (Comment 76) :
How about when Jake recently said he was available to coach the Boks after next year’s RWC.
He did this knowing Div was under pressure. What do you think of his timing?? It was spot on wasnt it?? 🙄
@molly (Comment 77) : thanks molly it will b great to hv him back in the WC
@wpw (Comment 78) : oops, sorry. Knew I would’ve missed something while I was catching up. Also, only got around to reading the interview now.
@chaz (Comment 80) : Unless PDV receives a bumb to the head, IF Frans is in the the squad he will on be on the field for the last 5 minutes of the matches….or he might be the waterboy.
@Just a Fan (Comment 82) : you can say that again its time for div to go on pension 👿 but on the other hand if FS doesn’t step up i’m afraid hell sit on the bench or as a water boy 😕
@Just a Fan (Comment 67) : I didn’t ask why…that would be a completely different multiple choice with many good reasons.
The question was, what did he think when he signed the contract?
Did he really think this is the best option for my Bok career?
@Letgo (Comment 84) : Okay in fewer words then…PDV (” I am the Boss”) + Frans Steyn = No bok career for Frans….
The writing was on the wall months before he left…Frans is the highest paid rugby player for a reason….no-one had a problem with Frans at the Sharks, or in the Boks before PDV and no one has aproblem with in in RM92….PDV not capable of coaching and managing him…. And why shouldn’t Frans take that opportunity if his career was going to get trashed – just like it has happened to Ruan’s and Rickie’s
@Just a Fan (Comment 85) :
Your loyalty is admirable, your objectivity not.
@Big Fish (Comment 86) : IMO nothing wrong with my objectivity
This is getting into a trane trekker, ja well and so are the days of our lives… 🙄
@Charlie (Comment 88) :
Never a truer word spoken.
Frans is certainly no villain for wanting to explore the world, but this sackcloth and ashes routine is nauseating. 🙄
I’m just waiting for the self-flagellation next… 🙄
Fransies head is to big for the Bok jersey. Koebaai, hope they never pick him again.
@PaarlBok (Comment 90) : 😯
@molly (Comment 77) : @wpw (Comment 78) :
We would not have included Frans in our squad for the home leg of the Vodacom Tri-Nations if we did not feature in these plans.
you’ve been fulled he masterfully talks about “we”and not “he”
You’ve been “fulled”??? 😆 😆 😆
@Big Fish (Comment 93) : don’t you know the word 😈
@rekinek (back to rugby) (Comment 92) : 😳 😳 fooled