The most wasted arrogant rugby talents

So was just thinking to myself what a waste of talent. We see this a few times with fantastic players who's egos are bigger than the game. 

I can across an article when Quade Cooper was playing for an ametuer team while being dropped from the reds and he was on a $1 million contract. 

You have Johan Goosen that did a runner and cost French club owners millions, only to be playing 17 games for Montpellier. 

The you have Australian O'conner that ended up becoming a bit of a journey man. 

Not to mention Danny Cipriani with all of his antics. 

Strange thing is that they are very talented players that normally feature at 10 but also shift around into different positions. 

But no international coach wants to touch them. 

So are they toxic for the team? 

Do simply don't listen to the coach? 

Or have rugby lost some great players to the game?

I would add Frans Steyn after 2012 to that list.   He should ahve remained a full back and was used in positions he had no talent to play in.

Steyn was toxic for the team  - but te main reason  Meyer would not touch him after 2012 had to do with the fact that his performances deteriorated badly - since neither cneter nor flyhalf was the position he played of for the Sharks.   

Erasmus saw him as basically a full back and took him to the 2019 WC and  thatsaved his image as a player.

Goosen  was probably the most  naturally talented player at flyhalf imaginable but he had two problems namely being injury-prone and a fool when it came to contracting with Racing,  He is now reportedly coming back to SA to play for the Bulls.  an will see what he produces there.   He even in 2016 the French Top 14 Player of the  Year.   

O'Connor was a really talented player - but went wrong insofar as social behaviour is concerned.    He is now back in Australia and his career seems to be back on track/      

JESUS FUCK MICHAEL!

How is Frans Steyn a wasted arrogant rugby talent?

He's won 2 RWC's for fuck sakes. Not bad for a "wasted arrogant rugby talent"

Just because he didn't let John Smit walk all over him at the Sharks, doesn't make him arrogant.

Gavin Henson is another player that was hugely talented, 

Saw a clip of him getting his clocked cleaned out by a big Fijian team mate in a club for having a big mouth. That guy was toxic to. Ego was way too big for the team. Real shame because he nearly single handedly stage a comeback against the boks for the Wales that nearly cost us the game. 

For the Boks Frans probably did miss out but he was stuck with the utility player tag. He got some serious dough from France and SA had a policy at the time not to select foreign players. 

I like the guy, he had some form issues which is fair, but definitely not wasted. 

He has gotten more than 60 caps but probably should have been way passed 100 now. 

Where as Goosen is probably the biggest culprit for squandering his talent. Their might still be a bit of time left for him. He is 29 now, maybe he has another 3 or 4 years left in him, but not sure without his agility whether he would be of any use. I really like Goosen, he was our answer to having a Baeuden etc, but don't think he would have done well under the boks rigid game plan. 

But it looks like all these players had major attitudes and always wanted to play Harlem globe trotters type rugby every time they touched the ball. 

But look at a player like Kolbe, really knows when to turn it on. I think he learned his lesson when the baby boks lost to Wales in the Semi for not clearing a kick into touch which ended up gifting the welsh a perfect counter attacking opportunity. 

"Posted by: Chippo (2171 posts)

JESUS FUCK MICHAEL!

How is Frans Steyn a wasted arrogant rugby talent?

He's won 2 RWC's for fuck sakes. Not bad for a "wasted arrogant rugby talent"

Just because he didn't let John Smit walk all over him at the Sharks, doesn't make him arrogant."

Ja, John Smit was on the other side of the spectrum, but did stop a great talent like Bismark getting more starts for the boks and the sharks. By far one of our greatest hookers in my mind. Marx is getting up there too, but John was just a plodder that took up space of a more talented player

Disagree Goosen, Cipriani and the Quaalude were the Willemses  of their day. They were elusive, but in modern rugby most of the time you face a wall of tacklers. A player like Pollard has the power to run in that traffic.

They all failed for a reason, they weren’t great tactical kickers and their long suits failed in tight test rugby. Once their stepping was contained there was nothing else.. .great at provincial level, but test rugby was a step too far, no pun intended.

I predicted it.

Frans Steyn certainly is not arrogant, Danny Cipriani (Becs will probably know the score there) had issues outside the game but I don't  think he was arrogant just very immature and James O'Connor has matured mentally and found himself and is playing very well now.

Cipriani does come across as arrogant and he certainly knows his own talent. I think he puts peoples backs up naturally.....in life as well as rugby. But yes, he still lacks maturity and I think the break away from rugby that he’s taken now, could make or break his career. He’s still got some years left in him though.

Well, he might still play Prem rugby. His international days have certainly passed him by a good while ago. 

I concede to your better knowledge Becs, but arrogance is often confused with terrible insecuries with some and shyness in others...Danny from what I read appeared to suffer from the first, Frans Steyn was a relatively shy and quiet man who kept more or less to himself, so often mistaken for arrogance.

Perhaps the most fundamental difference is that arrogance often masks insecurity. That's why arrogant people are boastful about their achievements and abilities while tending to demean others. Confidence, on the other hand, stems from true self-worth: a belief and pride in your achievements and abilities

I think he has a natural arrogance and a desire for fame. He even appeared on a reality tv show when he was a teen, I think it was as a topless waiter !! So I think he’s always been drawn to the limelight. 

Everyone has their demons but I truly believe he’s well aware of his talents, which is why he has to run the show, in training and on field. I don’t think shyness or insecurity is one of his problems ! 

So let just look at their stats in terms caps etc. 

Cipriani - 33, 19 test, Debut 2008

Goosen - 28, 13 test,  Debut 2012

O'conner - 30, 50  test, 

Cooper - 32, 70 test, Debut 2008

I think in the case of Cooper and O'conner, the seem to have more test, but Australia don't have that many players of their quality around and probably stuck it out. 

Although, Cooper and O'conner have done a lot for Australia. 

Looks like both Cooper and Cipriani is done for. 

So for me the biggest waste out of this group has to be Cipriani, although Goosen is not far off but have a couple of years to redeem himself. 

Steyn is definitely not on this list, but would have love to see him to carry on from where he left off back in 2007