Johan van Graan

Heyneke Meyer lauds him as the one of the unsung heroes in the Springboks’ transition to an attacking game plan, with many of the stellar try-scoring feats being attributed to his role, but ask the average rugby fan what they know about Johan van Graan and many will struggle to come up with a single fact.

From his early days as a ball-boy at Loftus Versfeld, kicking the leather pigskin back to the likes of Naas Botha and Johan Heunis, Van Graan has always had an obsession with the game.

But now it is his hard-work, the hours that go unseen as he meticulously analyses the opposition, helps craft the Springbok attacking structures and spends almost every moment in trying to make the Bok side a massive success that make him such a vital cog in the current Springbok machine.

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The son of Blue Bulls Chief Executive Barend van Graan, Johan – or “Aap” as his friends like to call him because of his playful and prankster nature – is slowly crafting out a career for himself and gaining respect as one of the leading tactical figures in the modern game.

Talk to anyone in the Bok inner-circle, and they will immediately acknowledge his technical prowess, the detail in his analysis and the dramatic role he plays in every single Bok player’s life, from coach to life coach, as he immerses himself in trying to ensure the team has success in every aspect of their lives.

It is a long way from the former Affies and Tuks student who impressed a young Heyneke Meyer when he was coaching at the Bulls.

Far from the technological breeding ground the game is now, Meyer was searching for a like-minded brain to help him do stats – those days analysing was literally stopping the video, rewinding, making notes, playing, pausing and rewinding again.

And while Meyer got a lot of flack, the similarities with the coach’s own start in rugby meant it was a match that worked. Meyer still calls him his “best appointment yet” and watched as Van Graan evolved from technical advisor to assistant coach to his current role in charge of the Bok attack.

But it wasn’t always so simple. Van Graan used to come in early to analyse video, only to run into Tannie Saartjie Olivier – the doyen of the Bulls administration whose rugby knowledge is encyclopedic and who mistook him as the CEO’s son looking to be mischievous.

From the beginning his challenges weren’t just to gain skills, but he also needed to do some fast talking to be able to do his job as well.

“When I appointed him, nobody knew who he was, “Meyer said.

“He never had a name and there were questions about him, and it was a risk I took. But to be honest it was probably the best appointment I’ve ever made. For one, because he came with no baggage, no background and secondly the way he grew in the position.

“Everywhere that he goes now, he has immense respect from coaches all over the world. That shows me it was the right appointment to make. He has been asked by all our Super Rugby franchises to pitch in and help.”

Van Graan learnt his way to the top. Studying alongside Meyer he accompanied the coach as he visited both Rugby League teams in Australia, British rugby clubs and NFL teams in America, picking up expert knowledge at the same time.

But it was his work alongside Victor Matfield in the lineouts that has never been acknowledged, and often he and Matfield would be seen at Trademarx sharing a coffee discussing the lineout tactics of an opposition team.

Meyer says Van Graan’s success is mainly because he is almost obsessive in his search for success. This, coupled with an unbelievable way with people, makes Van Graan an obvious choice for the Bok management.

A PASSION FOR HIS WORK

Off the field his wife Melissa describes him as a “giver”, someone who is always willing to help and who wants to do the right thing. He is the tour shopper as well, often going out of his way to bring back special presents for people back home.

Yet sometimes it backfires on him, especially as the things often get lost in translation. When Melissa was pregnant with their son Wyatt, Van Graan thought he had the perfect gift – a red jacket he found at a shop called Peter Alexander that would be wonderful for the new infant. With its daschund logo the jacket was cuter than words, with the added bonus that on the back it spelt out “I love PA”, serving not only as an abbreviation of the shop, but also of the Afrikaans translation of father.

But when Van Graan proudly showed the jacket to fellow dad Morne Steyn, he was alerted that he had not bought baby clothes, but rather a dog jacket for a small canine, making him the butt of the jokes for a few weeks to come.

“There was even a place for a tail, which he didn’t see. He was embarrassed that the first thing he bought for Wyatt was this jacket, which has now ended up as a clothing piece on one of Wyatt’s fluffy toys,” Melissa laughs.

“He went back on the next trip and made sure he found the right clothes for the baby. Everyone has given him some grief about it, but it is a very sweet story.”

In fact, it is a running joke in the team management that if there’s a wedding, Van Graan will be a groomsman. His ability to connect with the players he works with has seen him have the honour of being a groomsman not only at Bok flyhalf Morne Steyn’s wedding, but also at Boks Fourie du Preez and Deon Stegmann, Western Force lock Wilhelm Steenkamp and Bulls midfielder JP Nel’s wedding.

One thing that always shines through is Van Graan’s passion for his work, something his wife Melissa says she saw from the start.

“I always joke that we’re going to have to have a 30 year party for him at Loftus, because he has been there literally since he was three years old,” she says.

“Channel 201 is on in our house almost all of the time. But I don’t think he’s obsessive about his work, he just loves it so much. He puts hours and hours in to do what he loves and that makes him better. He feels that if he watches every minute of every game it means that there is nothing that anybody can surprise him with.

“Luckily I love sport as well, and I remember when I met him, he spent nights forwarding and rewinding videos, making notes of what players were doing. Evenings went by while he did this. Luckily now technology makes it easier, but he loves his work.

“He’s a giver, who doesn’t expect much back. It is very important for him to make a difference in people’s lives. The guys in the team – a number of them – see him as a mentor, especially for the young guys. He has a love of life, and is someone who can always can be positive even when you’re down, he’ll do something to pick you up.”

One friend who believes he knows Van Graan’s deepest darkest wish is former Bulls and Emerging Springboks lock Wilhelm Steenkamp, who now is playing for the Western Force in Perth.

“He’s definitely the only forwards coach that I know that drinks Red Square. Oh, and his one big dream is to one day have a six pack,” Steenkamp laughed.

Fun stuff aside, Van Graan has certainly made an impression since his days as a stats-wielding student, and has progressed alongside Meyer over the years.

At some point he is likely to carve out a niche of his own, taking on a head coaching role that could see him continue his success and put all he has learnt into practice

That, according to Meyer, would be something that can only benefit South African rugby.

“He has an unbelievable work ethic. He reminds me of me when I started out, working day and night to stay ahead of the game. What makes him a bit better than the normal coach is the fact that he has a degree. Most of our forwards actually have degrees, although most people wouldn’t believe that.

“Players don’t respond anymore to a coach that shouts at them, and that’s where he is so good. He’s a people-person, and they respond to him very well. He is the type of guy who will always remember your birthday, who will listen to your problems and the players like that.

“One thing he gets very little credit for is the fact that he is responsible for the attacking play of the team. The Boks have scored some excellent tries in the last few years and a lot of credit has to go him. He will make a very good head coach in future.”

It may be so that he will continue to work in the background, plotting new ways for the Springboks to move forward, but as a massive part of the Bok machine, Van Graan deserves the credit thas has come his way thus far.

He may be unknown to many at the moment, but given some time and opportunities, he certainly will play a bigger role in South African rugby in future.