CAPE TOWN, September 6 (ANA) – Former Springboks Marcell Coetzee and Jean Deysel recently sent out another stark reminder about the abundance of talent that South African Rugby has lost to overseas clubs.
While there was plenty of focus on the Cheetahs and Kings’ introduction to the new-look Pro14 this past weekend, attention was quickly stolen by some of the former South African-based stars who stole the headlines.
In the clash between Ulster and the Cheetahs, the ex-Sharks duo of Jean Deysel and Marcell Coetzee particularly impressed as they added a typical South African brand of physicality to proceedings.
While it may be far-fetched to suggest that the 32-year-old Deysel could still harbour hopes of catching the eye of the Bok selectors, one does have to wonder why it often seems that a move abroad has the ability to bring out the best in our local players.
After all, Deysel has battled to earn a starting berth at the Sharks over the last couple of seasons, and yet the abrasive loose forward earned the Man of the Match award in Friday’s Pro14 opener.
Coetzee is another player who seems to be thriving in the Ulster environment, but unfortunately the 26-year-old remains unavailable to the Boks as he has only featured in 28 Tests.
As per the South African Rugby Union’s new eligibility ruling for overseas-based players, only those who have featured in 30 Tests or more can now play for the Boks.
It’s a ruling that could also come back to haunt former Lions loose forward star Ruan Ackermann, who has now joined English club Gloucester, while scrumhalf Faf de Klerk effectively ended his Bok career when he opted to take up a deal with the Sale Sharks.
Former Springbok and Stormers centre Jaco Taute is another player who has played some of his best rugby since joining Irish club, Munster, but he only has three Bok caps to his name.
Cheslin Kolbe also caught the eye when he scored a crucial try in Toulouse’s nervy 23-19 victory against Pau in the Top 14, with the former Stormers fullback having made the move abroad after being repeatedly overlooked for higher honours.
There are also a host of former Bok stalwarts who continue to make an impact for their overseas clubs, with the likes of JP Pietersen, Frans Steyn, Francois Louw and Bismarck du Plessis all doing duty for European clubs when some might feel they could still be adding value to the Boks.
However, it’s the talented young players with less than 30 caps who may well be missed most by the Boks down the line. – African News Agency (ANA) – African News Agency (ANA)
