Francois Steyn has never been as happy as he has been playing in France. The Springbok is part of the revolution at Racing Metro , a team that won promotion to the top flight this season
Away from the intense media spotlight in South Africa, Steyn, who turns 23 next month, has rediscovered the pleasure of just playing rugby.
He was only 20 when he lifted the Webb Ellis trophy with the Boks in Paris in 2007, becoming the youngest player to be part of a World Cup-winning team.
But now, at his club, he leaves the limelight to players such as hairy giant Sebastien Chabal.
“I think that being away from my home and my family for a while has helped me to improve as a person,” he says. “I needed to get out of my comfort zone. I think this cultural experience in France just made me grow up a little bit quicker. I know now what life is about.”
Steyn played at high levels of the game in SA from a young age, thanks to his enormous and precocious talent.
But he became mentally exhausted in the process. Exile has helped him recover his appetite.
“In South Africa, I forgot to have fun in life and to be young. Rugby was everything for me,” says. “I took it too seriously and over-trained. In Paris, I learnt there was a life off the field. It’s a dream for me to live in the most beautiful city in the world.
“So I opened my eyes to enjoy the game as much as possible and to discover new horizons.”
LOSS OF MOTIVATION
Steyn says the structure of the southern hemisphere season explained his premature loss of motivation.
“Super 14 is mentally tough. You’re away from home for five weeks and then you play a few games in South Africa before the Tri-Nations and the Currie Cup. In the end, you’re home for only four to six months. The rest of the time you’re playing away. I had enough of all this travel and time spent in hotels. I wanted to be at home and enjoy it.
“In Paris, that’s exactly what I do. I feel more comfortable in my head here.”
When he arrived last September, Racing were second from bottom of the Top 14. But his physical presence in midfield and his kicking helped the club win nine games in a row between September and January .
All Black legend Andrew Mehrtens, who plays flyhalf for Racing, has fallen under Steyn’s spell.
“LIKE DAN CARTER”
“It’s a real privilege for me to play alongside Francois. He’s like another Dan Carter. He has a real presence on the pitch and speaks a lot. It’s very important for a flyhalf to have an inside centre who gives you a lot of information.
“His territorial kicking means the team is always gaining ground. He’s brought consistency to the side.”
Steyn, formerly of the Sharks, signed a three-year deal worth E 750 000 (R7,351,000) a year with Racing.
“It’s more of a marathon than a sprint here and that means you have to test yourself mentally and physically. In the Super 14, you know before the season which teams are going to end up one, two, three and four.
“But in France, you can put money on everyone. Every game is very tough and you can’t say you’re going to win. I feel like I’m mentally stronger.”
Steyn’s new-found confidence could be put to the test if, as intimated, Springbok coach Peter de Villiers considers foreign-based players for the clash against Wales at the Millennium Stadium on June 5.
By The Chef
News24 Blog
‘In the Super 14, you know before the season which teams are going to end up one, two, three and four.’ Care to let us in on your little secret.
If he said you know who will end 13 and 14 i would have believed him.
2 – Super……hahahahaha.
Actually read this quite a few weeks back in a Sport Mag. Maybe the money is talking there……hehehehe. He has had it all so very young. World Cup Medal and Currie Cup Medal. Only missing of course is the Super Cup Medal. So maybe he just not too bothered about South African rugby at the moment. I personally think when everyone is playing in the World Cup next year, his heart strings are going to be pulling. He is such a competitive person, he will be feeling left out.
Pity so young to have left here, where I feel we in the SH play the best rugby. He should have only gone after the WC next year. Would only be 24 then. Still very, very young.
Good luck to him though, living in Europe is wonderful and France is a fantastic country.
heres a fact in rands over the 3 years he earns just on salary without any sponsors etc
22 millions and 53000 rands
thats huge money
not sure about any other south african player earning that kind of money
#5
I hear he likes them french blokes more than the SA variety…hehehehe 😉
lol uhm now if he was from wp one would agree with ur assumption 😆
#7
It was not a wp oke that was “alledgedly” photographed playing ‘Thread my Needle’ with an unknown man from probably french heritage.
I think the ruccus around Frans Steyn is undeserved.
Everyone is going on as if the Bokke and the Sharks are lost without him. Which is definitely not the fact.
He loves playing for Racing Metro because he is a Big Fish in a small pond, he is on an ego trip, and the more SAFFAS goes on about him needing to come back, the more that ego grows. I say, screw Francois Steyn, SA has plenty of talent, no-one is irreplaceable.
I really really really would like him to come back to the Sharks when his contract is finished in France, so dont want him to be to happy in froggy land.
Plus he will have plenty money in the bank so its back to the Sharks i say.
Saint,you sound like a typical WP Supporter bud,your memory is very short,dont you remember how flat our side looked at full back on the end of year tour last year.. His true worth will be remembered when the Tri Nations starts this year. He is a massive loss to South African rugby.he has won more games and done more with his career than the average 35 year old player that has played 100 tests. But him going is not the end of the world,he will come back a more focused and mature player.
Winston
Frans Steyn loses as much games for a team as he wins. I am sure SuperBul would agree with me on this. The boy is just not worth the hype.
Winston
In any case, the End of Year tour would rather be remembered for the inability of our forwards to lay the platform. Any side will look flat if all of their ball is received on the back foot.
Frans Steyn will come back, to bask in the glory of himself, like the preverbial lost son…please.
Saint,I know you and Super dont rate him highly and he does have the knack of doing stupid things,but no man on the planet except him can take kicks at 60 at sea level,not even Morne Steyn. What South African backline player has had the play making ability of him since re-admission? I know Puma will back me up on this one 🙂
Saint.surely Andrew Mehrtens knows a little more about rugby than us,and if a player of his stature compares Frans to the great Dan Carter he must be a machine..
Danie Gerber, Jean de Villiers, Brent Russel, Bryan Habana, Henry Honiball, Andre Pretorius (When fit), Naas Botha, Pieter Rossouw, Jacque Fourie, Andre Snyman (when he was with the Bulls) Fourie du Preez, Joost van der Westhuizen….do you really want me to continue…
Best since re-admission is a VERY BOLD statement.
Maybe,but I still believe he is right up there,what other player has achieved what he has at his age Saint?
Winston, he never said he was a brilliant player, merely stated he had a presence and brings stability to the side, through communication. Taking into account that the
#18
Sorry meant to add: Other 13 players are french, they are the only two english speakers.
#17
No-one yet Winston, that is not what I am saying, remember, he formed part of one of the most structured teams in Springbok history, everything was in place. I am not saying any player could have done what he did, but he is definitely NOT irreplaceable…Wynand Olivier would have done the country proud as well, in THAT team, at THAT time.
Well I think it is a MASSIVE loss to South African rugby to lose Frans Steyn.
If it was not for him we would not have won that test against the ABs last year. Those 3 massive kicks got us that win. Also he had to kick a difficult kick at the (house of pain) after Ricky got that try. Had he not got that kick over we would not have won. Also the two brilliant drop kicks he got over at Newlands against the Aussies in 2007. That brilliant kick in the World Cup 2007. That alone sealed us that win.
If Sharks had Steyn at inside centre this year, I have no doubt we might be in the situation we are in.
My post 3. I was speaking that maybe he feels he has achieved plenty here already and left.
I for one hope he returns one day. Not sure if he will come back to the Sharks. Too many idiots that booing him there for missed drop kicks. Really childish idiots, only see now what we had in him now he is gone. He will probably go play for Stormers if he ever come home. My feeling. Pity.
#21
Sheesh, I hope not, send him to the Bulls…
20 – WO cant kick 60m kicks. Not many in world rugby can. So don’t agree with you. Frans Steyn brings a lot to the team. HUGE loss.
22 – No rather he comes back to the Sharks… 😉
Don’t think many teams would be targeting our centre channel if Frans was still at inside centre for the Sharks.
Puma
I am sorry, I respect your view and opinion, but I simply cannot agree with you, I feel people are adding more stature to Frans Steyn than he truly deserves.
If you listen to the way people talk about him, he sounds like a version of the messiah, has everyone forgotten all of his screw-ups? Least of which the 2007 Super 14 final.
22
No thanks Saint you take him. Puma is right , you can do with him.
But hell whats up Sainty , i am shit scared , the way you rate WO lately. Is this a curse , a spell.
Saint,nobody is disputing the fact that he did stupid things,but you forget that the man was 20 at the time,I was chilling at varsity with my mates and buggering around when I was 20,he was playing for the Sharks and the Springboks. He was bound to make mistakes at that age.
26 – Saint, I know he made many screw-ups but he has got a lot better since 2007. Yes he cost us the cup that year but so did Steve Walsh. Frans was only 19 years old at the time!! One can expect that.
I for one miss him this year at the Sharks. Our centres are rubbish this year, we very weak there.
Now that we have 2 Sharkys here, whats going to happen Saturday, will the Lions win their first game?
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