Springbok winger Bryan Habana recently posted an honest and heartfelt message on Instagram detailing his emotions over a miserable year for Springbok rugby. He wrote: “The pain‚ disappointment and lows of what happened over the past three weeks and that has been happening over the past six months is by far the toughest and lowest I have ever experienced in my rugby career‚ and I’ve had many lows.” After being part of one of the worst years in Springbok rugby history, Habana is back in action for his French side Toulon, and helped the team to a 31-20 win over Scarlets in the Champions Cup this past weekend. David O’Sullivan interviewed Habana on his show Joburg PM on Hot919. They spoke about his reasons for writing the post on social media, and whether he’s planning another year in international rugby. – David O’Sullivan
Quite a lot was made of that Instagram post that you put up, a rather honest assessment of 2016 in which you called it the lowest point of your career. Spell out the motivation for actually putting that out there.
David, there has been a lot said in the media about me being the most senior and experienced player and just to give an opinion from the players’ point of view – you know how we have to accept responsibility for our on-field performances. And obviously there are a lot of problems at the moment. I don’t think there is just one certain thing that we can say is the reason for our results of 2016, and it was important from the players’ point of view we can all say that we have played our part in the results, despite all the problems that there are. I think it was necessary and I just wanted to let the public know that we are just as disappointed as they are in our performances.
How do you assess your own performance? What do you think you could have done differently to have changed the fortunes of Springbok rugby?
Obviously I chatted to Allister before I got selected to this group, and I definitely wanted to play a part, and I definitely believed I could play a part in making the transition of 2016 when a lot of players had left after last year’s World Cup, and a new management group and a very young group of players had entered the Springbok clan. (I thought) that I could lend my experience both on and off the field. I don’t think my performances on the field were as good as they should have been, but off the field I tried as best as possible. They say that hindsight is the best vision, there is a lot that one could maybe have done a bit better. But once the year is done I can really sit back and have a review. It’s pretty difficult now with the team being in full go at Toulon at the moment. But my values that I hold dear with Springbok rugby could have been portrayed a bit better.
Well it’s not as if your form is lacking. You might have possibly, by your own standards, had a slump in form, but for Toulon you have bounced back. I am looking at the stories of your victory over Bordeaux which was early December, and you were in fine form scoring a try. How do you assess your own form now and how did you feel about your form during the Test series?
It is easier settling into an environment where there is a lot of experience. You know (at Toulon) I have World Cup winners, I’ve got guys who have got a 100 Test matches, international experience of 50 or 60 caps, so that makes it a lot easier and you have guys like Ma’a Nonu who is breaking three tackles and popping you a ball on the outside, you know it is pretty easy. Willie le Roux did the same thing for me against Italy. It will be nice to get back, it’s tough leaving your family alone and being on the road. Now that I’ve got a little child it makes being a professional rugby player a little more interesting. No one went on to the field wanting to disappoint, and wanting to play badly. I think it was a collection of a lot of things, David, and that as players and as an organisation we have to see exactly how we can improve. There is definitely a lot that needs to be taken into consideration.
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Well I think you have just put your finger on something that is so critical and that is the lack of experience in the Springbok side, given that we have lost a lot of major players over the last couple of years when we lost Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, Jean de Villiers. There’s a list of very, very experienced players who are no longer there, and the newcomers are trying to find their feet. So am I right in suggesting that you did not have the kind of support that you would have had in the past from the more experienced players? These are youngsters who are still learning the trade, though undeniably they have the talent.
I really don’t think it’s a question as to whether they are good enough or not. I have seen from afar that some of the performances these guys have put in in Super Rugby were really fantastic. What is different is when you come into the Springbok setup and you get a feel for Allister (Coetzee). He had a week or two with the whole team before that Ireland series and a couple of wholesale changes were made. (There were) a lot of overseas-based players who had to come in this year which makes cohesion very, very difficult. Again Allister was only appointed two months before that first game against Ireland and a lot had to happen. In the last 8 or 9 years of my career there has been an easy transition and a lot of continuity within that group. Just being able to find that cohesion was more challenging this year. I think we as players must take responsibility that we did not step up to the plate on the field despite whatever was happening off the field. So it is easier when you have that experience, when you have guys with 60, 70, 80 caps. Eben Etzebeth became the youngest Springbok ever to achieve 50 test caps this year and he is only 24 years old. I think this plays a small part, but there were a number of different issues across the board that we have to look at to see where we went wrong. The guys’ performances in Super Rugby were really good, but coming together and gelling and stepping up to the plate did not quite go as planned.
We support you Bryan you have delivered us supporters so much joy over the years, "the powers that be" must be accountable
— Shaun Rutherford (@therooster76) November 30, 2016
When you say you take full responsibility, despite all the ‘off the field’ issues, can you just expand on these off the field issues?
Again David I think the right people and the right role players need to have a greater consideration for the game at the moment. There’re a lot of different things. There is the overseas-based policy regarding how many overseas-based players can get selected to play for South Africa. We saw on the end-of-year tour where 8 or 9 players had to leave after the Barbarians, 7 or 8 guys had to come back and we only had one defensive session. So there are a lot of different issues. I think the whole issue of transformation and what policies have been put in place by SA Rugby have to be looked at, the schedule of how many games players are playing each year – quite a few different issues that we need to look at. (Such as) improving our skills right across the board, whether you are playing in South Africa or whether you are playing overseas. I think it’s difficult. I think the right people and the important role players within the organisation, within the Federation, will have to look at where it all went wrong. Because it is not just one thing. You know simple things like catching and passing on a rugby field, or making a tackle on a rugby field are things we need to look at, despite everything else that is happening.
Do you think that transformation is an issue. Is it being properly handled in your view, or badly handled in your view? What are your thoughts Bryan?
The biggest thing I think that everyone in South Africa needs to understand is that we have a very unique country with a very unique history and that is something that no other country in the world has to deal with. We all understand that the development of people who have never had the opportunity to play the game in previous eras has to be addressed and has to be looked at, and I also believe that SA Rugby is doing quite a good job in trying to make that happen and they have probably spent quite a lot of money over the last 22 years, post isolation, in investing in transformation. We all need to identify exactly what is transformation, at what level it needs to be happening, and that the players buy into it as well. And I think it is important – no one can say that South Africa is like the rest of the world. But we need to make sure that going forward we do what is best for South African rugby and hopefully do that at Springbok level, and make sure that transformation gets done in the right way and that when it comes to the Springboks the best for the country is taken into consideration.
We know that SA Rugby is holding a review. We are not sure how drawn out the process is, but in December there is a review of 2016 to try and map out a way forward. Do you think you will be afforded, or have you been afforded, as a senior player, the chance to give your input on a private level? I appreciate that it is difficult for you to talk openly and frankly to the media, but to SA Rugby you could be more forthright. Do you have that chance?
Yes, we have been given that opportunity as players. I am not in South Africa at the moment and I am not quite sure what is going to be happening this week. Our voices and opinions have been voiced and have been heard. I really respect Adriaan Strauss despite the hardships that we have had on the field. I think he is the right guy at the moment. We will speak directly and openly, and hopefully the players’ opinions will be taken into consideration. From what I am gathering he is going to be involved in some of those discussions with the key role players within SA Rugby leading up to this week. So for me, we will voice our opinions and there are quite a lot of voices that need to be heard. But one needs to be sure that you are listening to the right voices and I think some of the decisions made last week were very crucial and very important going forward. Hopefully this will be an ongoing process. I don’t think that it will be fixed overnight but hopefully certain things can be put into place not only now but going forward that serves the best interests of South African rugby and the Springboks.
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When I look at what has been written about you recently. One article says: “Is this the end of the line for Bryan Habana” and there are a couple of stories saying “Habana edges closer to greatness” and “Habana in fine form for Toulon”. One article suggests that you are in the twilight of your career, and the other two suggest you are doing as well as ever. What are your thoughts – are you planning another season of international rugby?
David, at the moment looking at 2016 I think it was very important for me to be playing a level of rugby for Toulon that allowed me to be selected to play for South Africa. 2016 with Toulon was really good but I also had the 7s which made a bit of a difference. So it was a very busy and a very tedious season on my body, but one that I really enjoyed. As 2017 comes around I will lay down certain goals – there are things that I still want to achieve. I’d still love to play my part and see the Springboks become a force to be reckoned with again. I haven’t made a decision yet. If I’m playing a (good) brand of rugby, and if Allister is the coach or if there is a new coach and he wants me to be a part of that group, then I would love to be a part. But at the moment six months is a quite long time in international rugby, playing in the northern hemisphere makes it a little more challenging as well. So I am not calling quits on my international career just yet. But I would love to play a part, be it in the group or out of the group, in seeing the Springboks become a force to be reckoned with again.
https://twitter.com/bchanakira2/status/803537027727769600
OK, so we take it that you are available for selection in 2017. Is that right?
As it stands at the moment, I will definitely available for selection for 2017.
With Toulon – I am looking at your schedule – you’ve got a break and then you are up against Montpellier in your next game just before Christmas. That will be a big game because I think they are second on the log at the moment and you are third?
Yes, I think Clermont is top. We played the other night (a 31-20 win in the European Champions Cup) against Scarlets. We actually don’t have any time off as we have Champions Cup over in Wales this weekend before playing Montpellier on the 23rd. But yes, that will be a big game. That Top 14 table is pretty tightly contested at the moment with only six or seven points separating the top nine or ten teams. So if you win or lose it can make a considerable difference as to where you end up on the log every weekend. So we are concentrating on the Champions Cup this weekend. We have Scarlets away which is going to be a very tough game, and despite getting a bonus point last night we’ve got to be ready for a very long season now. Our season goes on to the end of May now so there’s quite a lot of rugby left. But it’s great being in an environment where you are surrounded by world class players, a new coach in Mike Ford and a wealth of experience, and a Top 14 competition which is very challenging whether you are playing at home or away.
