There is a multitude of players from South Africa playingg Top 14 Rugby in France. Most of them went to France to gain maximum financial benefit before their inevitable retirement from Rugby. Some thinks it is an easy ticket for them to get Springbok selection - especially if they were in the past attached to the Blue Bulls.
In essence the latter category included players like Bakkies Botha and Gurthro Steenkamp - who were given a free entry into the Springbok team with nothing to show for it. When playing they were at best avwerage and nothing indicating that theys should be considered in future.
Then you get the players who were or are obvious failures in France. There are two examples here:-
* Francois Steyn
He played 15 games for Racing Metro and his only real achievement was the way in which he contributed to a serious dent in the French food supply. He left SA weighing 98 kgs and he came back weighing 115 kgs. Having lost his speed and being producing painfully little for his club 0 they were not in a terrible rush to renew his contract and offered him no extension. He came back 0 played 2 Super 15 games and 5 tests with nothing to show for it. Got injured and he started a new eating campaign taking his weight up to 118 kgs. When he played in a few gaes in Super 15 last year 9 he was slow and useless - so much so that before another injurt he was dropped to the bench and only allowed back due to other backline players not being available.
When White tuened up as Director of Rugby Steyn was on a very strict diet and ended up as weighing 106 kgs at the start of Super 15 this year. However, despite the fact that he was fitter 0 he lost his speed and his contribution thus far was not u to standard.
However, the food times could not last and he is rapidly picking up weight. From 106 kgs in February he is up to 111 kgs at present and at that rate will soon be back to 115 kgs.
* Morne Steyn
There were huge moans, groans and tears when Stade Francais offered Morne a massive contract to play for them. Srade Francais soon realized what they contracted - a robotic and one-dimensional flyhalf, so I assume that they are moaning groaning and in tears every month they have to pay him. In return for his huge salary - he produced very near to zero for them. He rarely start for the Club and spent most of his times bench-warming. If they do bring him from the bench it would be for about 10 minutes at the end of the game and even then he buggers up like happened in the game last week.
Some players are lucky to get contracts. One Morne showed in Grance is that he never was an iunternational level flyhalf and should not have been the Springbok flyhalf,
Then there is the story about him having consulted Meyer before he signed the Stade Francais contrac and Meyer encouraged hinm to sign it since it would help him broadening his game in NH conditions - making him better prepared for the 2015 WC in England. That did not produce anything of the kind 0 he gets very little playing time and when he does - he flops.
Neither of the above two should be anywhere near the Springbok team in future - a lesson that we can learn from the French Clubs - they identify failures early and then have not so gentle ways to treat them. We cannot see hat is wrong and keep on wanting them in the Springbok team. Those whom the gods wish to destroy they drive mad.
