Features

Rob Peters caught up with Stormers and Western Province flank Francois Louw and quizzed him on the 2010 season, covering Cape Town’s nightlife and being bitten by a Lion…

South African rugby has always been blessed with an abundance of exceptional loose forwards. The Cape is certainly no different, with a plethora of legends having worn the Western Province — and later Stormers — jersey in the past.

Rob Louw, Tiaan Strauss, Andrew Aitken, Bob Skinstad and Corne Krige are all players to have graced the Newlands turf in the past. The production line shows no signs of slowing down either with a host of youngsters beginning to make their names at Newlands.

But for me, and a number of other pundits, the one player to have put his name up over the past couple of seasons is Francois Louw. Big, strong and not afraid to put in the hard yards, Louw was considered a shoo-in for the Springboks’s year-end tour last year, and while he missed out, a big 2010 could see him forcing his way into the Bok fold.

I caught up with Louw to discuss — among other things — the 2010 season, covering the Cape Town nightlife and being bitten by a Lion… well, a Lions player at least.

Rob Peters: You must have encountered a fair bit of skullduggery at the bottom of the ruck, but being bitten must have been new?

Francois Louw: Ja, that’s never happened to me before! I was trying to steal the ball at the ruck and came across a very sharp pain in my arm… it felt like a bee sting! Not the greatest thing to have ever happened to me on a rugby field.

RP: You must have been of the receiving end before? Cameras can’t get into the bottom of a ruck so the punches are probably flying…

FL: I don’t think I have been in too much trouble… It’s a physical game though, and not just a bunch of laaities running around so the guys can get a bit worked up! Definitely a couple (of punches are thrown), but never the route of biting …

RP: Well, not until facing the Lions anyway. 2010, meanwhile, will see the departure of Luke Watson as player and captain. Schalk Burger will obviously take over as captain, but how will that affect the team?

FL: Luke really pulled the guys together last year and was a great captain. Schalk, meanwhile, is a great player and has achieved a hell of a lot in his career and the guys have a lot of respect for him.

He understands the game well and the spirit within the team, which is key for us. He will definitely be able to pull the guys together and to get the best out of them as players.

RP: You made your debut for the Stormers last year. What is the environment like for younger players coming through?

FL: The guys are very supportive, but you need to fight for your spot in the team. The guys are not just going to let the youngsters come in and push them out.

There is no hierarchy, the guys are very supportive and accepting, if you make the cut they will accept you as one of their own.

RP: The Western Cape has loads of loose forwards to choose from. I know you guys always say you support one another, but how intense is competition for places?

FL: There is a surplus of loose forwards, which means we are constantly pushing one another to perform. Unfortunately there are only three places in the team and one on the bench, but everyone is very supportive.

Obviously if you come face-to-face with your competition on the pitch you are going to go out to prove a point, but it all stays out on the field!

RP: 2009 was a great season for you personally and a lot of people felt you were unlucky not to crack the nod for the Boks. What are your goals for 2010?

FL: The focus at the moment is on the Super 14, but you need to focus on your own game and look to constantly improve as a player.

The Boks is obviously a goal for every player in South Africa, but you can only look to perform as well as you can and if you are picked you need to be at your very best.

RP: We promised to ask about your website, which seems to focus on the Cape Town nightlife a fair bit… Is that because you tend to enjoy the nightlife in Cape Town or are just you doing your bit for Cape Town tourism?

FL: [Laughs.] A bit of both! We basically just write a bit about Cape Town and obviously rugby as well, but during the off-season there is not much rugby to write about and we have to fill the space somehow!