Pierre Spoes heading to France?

Springbok No 8 and Bulls captain Pierre Spies may further his career up north after French club Bayonne reportedly have made a massive offer for his services over the next three years.

Spies has been negotiating with the Bulls to extend his contract but has been unsuccessful thus far, and with time running out – his contract expires next week – there is some concern that he may be lured by the big offer.

Bayonne have been searching for a top-class No 8 and have made unsuccessful approaches to Bok Jacques Potgieter and All Black Liam Messam, and were keen on Springbok flanker Juan Smith to take the spot on return from injury, but according to French sources the club has been put off by Smith’s injury problems over the years.

Spies’ unsuccessful negotiations with the Bulls have made him a prime candidate, and it is supersport.com’s information that he has been offered close to R15-million over three years, with a nett salary of 40 000 euros per month should he make the move.

But the Bulls have not given up on him yet, and confirmed to supersport.com that they were continuing to negotiate an extension of his current contract with a teleconference set for Thursday to thrash out the final details.

How this plays out against the offer from Bayonne, which has been confirmed by two French sources, but denied by Spies’s agent Gerrie Swart, is anyone’s guess.

“We know nothing of such an offer and we are continuing to negotiate with the Bulls for an extension of Pierre’s contract,” Swart told supersport.com.

There is no doubt Spies, who grew up and has had his entire career in Pretoria, would want to stay at the Bulls, depending on the details of the contract.

With Springbok Jean de Villiers also doubtful for the Springbok end-of-year tour, Spies’s name has been mentioned as a long-term captaincy candidate, although his form before getting injured appeared to have counted against him.

And with just 13 days left on his contract a decision needs to be made soon.

 I do not think he is first choice for the boks anymore. Vermuelen has upsurped him with a higher work rate. 

Kankowski when he returns from Japan is probably ahead of both of them as he has more speed than vermuelen but a better work rate than Spies

A player who was just not physical enough to take on the likes of Reid and Andy Powell. But his natural long suit as a cover defender was compromised by his woeful tackling technique. A natural born loser in spite of abundant physical gifts......and then there was that unexplained disappearance from RWC07.

As much as I used to be a fan, ultimately the guy lacked mongrel. Vermeulen looks handy enough but is not going to set the world alight.

The best options for 8 moving forward are Coetzee, CJ Stander or Arno Botha

My sympathy is with Spies in this case.  In France he will have to play 80 minutes in the games and not 10 minutes like he used to do here.   Saffex I think that Vermeulen will for the next year or two be the in player at 8 - he is only 26 - so it may be even longer.   I am impressed by Stander and Coetzee - but I think that Coetzee would remain on the flank.   Botha still has a long way to go before he can come into the picture.

Name-calling is one thing, but Pierre Spoes? Bad taste, IMO.

Have to agree Bongani

Ignoring the enormous amounts of hypocracy (from Wigboy in particular), did u guys ever consider it might have just been a typo?

Not at all Jalapeno. If this guy had any backbone, he will acknowledge that he regularly referres to Spies as Spoes.

In any case. To burst Visbok's bubble and ruin his week....... from Spies' Twitter account:

Pierre Spies ‏@Pierrespies8

Has someone been negotiating on my behalf? Cause I'm going nowhere...

• Reply
• Retweet
• Favorite

Well I only asked cuz he does reffer to him as "Spies" in the 1st reply on this thred & allso the "o" & "i" letters are next 2 each other.

 @bongani2-

Point taken, However I have seen a few posts where you reply to other people calling them idiots - The other day I saw you refer to Beeno as an idiot. Do you consider this name calling, and that you are being pedantic and hypocritical?

Also you seem very pedantic in all of your responses on posts usually attacking a bloggers comments  than discussing the topic at hand. You are not trying to add any value

It is in light humour calling him Spoes. This is his nickname on this board by many posters.  You are doing exactly the same thing calling me Visbok. This is not the first post you have called me this.  I have read some of your posts and they are garbage. The other day you said some gibberish that Andries Bekker is not a physical player and that is why he never plays a full season, when the topic of the post was that players are playing more than their All Black counterparts.

I did not invent his name on this blog, but do not recall using it myself before. The other day I saw on one of your posts that you recall beeno 4 years ago referring to a Stormers player as 2 seperate players, when it was the players first and second name. You must have a great memory, as it was on some other blog 4 years ago you stated. 

I do not want to encourage dialog with you, rather to merely state that if you do not like the contents of a post ,do not bother replying to it with your pedantic attitude. 

Well Fruit I guess that blows your thesis out the water.

yes, I supose it does..... which just leaves us with all yr hypocracy!

Spies?? The flat track bully that usually wears the 8 jersey for the Boks that will grab 3 tries against the Italians and go missing against the AB's?? Ha ha Spies you were exposed long ago and Vermuelen has just come back to reiterate how ordinary you were at 8.

If only you could have the heart of Daniel and physicality of Vermuelen you would not be wasting all that muscle.

Wat se julle?

Los klein Pierre uit!

Ek sal al van julle moer!

 The return of Wilma, where have you been for so long? Op die plaas af?

Nee man jou poep!

Weet julle my seuntjie Pierre het seer gekry...

Vir 2 maande het hy op die plaas gerus en ek het hom the Franse taal geleer.

No sal hy n nuwe naam vat (Pierre Berbizier) en n' nuwe land  gaan speel.

Maar nou wil hy skrum skakel speel nadat hy so seer gekry.

I hope I am not letting the cat out of the bag but you will find it interesting to know Wilma and jallopy are an item. You can guess who wears the pants in the house!! Heck peched doesnt quite explain it! Bwahahahahahha

Quite right Sharkbok ou bongi is all at sea and has no clue how he contradicts himself!   Hahahahahahahaha

Wilma could you please tell Pierre that there is a rugby legend on SA Rugby.com who believes that he should be playing wing rather than number 8. Tell Pierre he must move to wing where he could still become a legend of the game.

Its a great pity my advice on this matter was not heeded long ago. Another potentially great player ruined.

Baaie dankie.

PS - please dont listen to any contrary comments by jallopy as he has no clue whatsoever!