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'No, I don't live my life with regret' - Munster's van Graan on missing last Saturday's Boks triumph
Johann van Graan doesn’t do regrets. Ask him – as RugbyPass did at Wednesday’s Champions Cup launch in Cardiff – if there was any tinge of sadness that he was 6,000 miles away when his beloved Springboks lifted the World Cup trophy last Saturday and he insists there was no none.
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As a South Africa assistant, first to Heyneke Meyer and then Allister Coetzee, he had earned his Test level stripes, soldering through 71 matches from June 2012 through to November 2017 when he decided he wouldn’t stay on under the incoming Rassie Erasmus and would instead take over the position Erasmus had just left vacant at Munster.
It was this leap of faith that had him sat in a hotel in Cardiff last Saturday, watching events in Japan from afar as he prepared for Munster’s PRO14 game later that day versus the Blues. There was no disappointment, only elation that a team he previously invested so much into had achieved so much against the odds.
“It was brilliant,” he told RugbyPass, seated in a top floor hospitality room at the Principality Stadium just days after guiding Munster to their latest league win at the adjacent Arms Park. “Very glad firstly for South Africa for winning it and what it means to our country, a third World Cup win.
“Rassie has done a fantastic job with the team, his whole team and specifically with the players. It was an incredible performance and Siya (Kolisi) leading the team. I know a lot of guys who have put a lot of work over the last twelve, eight, and four years to get to this position, so very glad for them.”
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Van Graan’s phone has been busy in the interim. “I have spoken to most of them, just congratulating everybody. I have seen a good few videos and a few photos of people drinking out of the cup.
“Like I said, I would be very close to a lot of those players, also the coaching staff. I congratulated Rassie, Jacques (Nienaber), Felix (Jones), Mzwandile (Stick) and Matt (Proudfoot), a very good friend mine as well, Annelee Murray (PR manager), the doc (Konrad von Hagen) who has been there for over 200 Test matches. It’s just great to be South African,” he continued before outlining some lasting relationships with particular players.
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“Look, first Test in 2012 was with Eben (Etzebeth) and seeing him develop as a man. When Siya (Kolisi) ran onto the field for his first test against Scotland at Nelspruit, the hug we gave each other then and the words that were spoken… seeing a lot of players develop into men, into fathers and into world champions is great to see.
In the hour of his greatest triumph, Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus remembered his late Munster colleague Anthony Foley https://t.co/TMUvPcg7zK
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 5, 2019
“Someone like Handre Pollard, came straight from the under-20 world cup in New Zealand in 2014 for his first Test against the Scots in Port Elizabeth, planning it that week and coming on the field, having a brilliant Test and the way he has developed.
“Look, the reason why I am in this game is to make a difference in peoples’ lives and to be part of that journey was special. All credit to everybody currently involved in the coaching team, from the players and the management to SA Rugby. It’s brilliant that they won a third World Cup for our country.”
An irony is that Jones, a van Grann assistant, surprisingly left Munster in June with no job lined up only to be called in by Erasmus in an emergency after ill-health forced Swys de Bruin out of the reckoning. A few months later Jones is now a World Cup winner, unlike van Graan who is busy preparing for another Champions Cup campaign.
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#SUAF ??? @Munsterrugby @FelixJones15 @AledWalters pic.twitter.com/UIOuKgqlzx
— Jacques Nienaber (@jacnienaber) November 8, 2019
“No, I don’t live my life with regret,” insisted van Graan. “I had a fantastic time at the Springboks and I had this opportunity to come to Munster and it’s one I grabbed with both hands. I have loved my time here (with Munster) and you have got to be happy for other people when they achieve success and it’s incredible for South Africa to win the World Cup for the third time.
“I was privileged to be at the two previous World Cup finals, in ’95 as a 15-year-old boy and I went to the 2007 World Cup just before they won it in that final in Paris. I was fortunate enough to have been at the previous two and watched the third one in Cardiff. It was great to be involved.”
Looking back on that breakthrough triumph 24 years ago, he said: “I sat next to a Namibian and a Scottish gentleman and I remember Joel Stransky’s kick was in my line of sight it but I remember more what it meant to the country.
Could South Africa's #RWC success lead to the end of protectionism in other countries?
– @heagneyl looks at the argument for an open-door policy ?? https://t.co/o5nb0byhfI
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 3, 2019
“Previously, I was a ball boy at Loftus when South Africa made their first season back since isolation and I was standing next to Andre Joubert and met Nelson Mandela there for the first time which made a massive impression on me.
“After I met him I went off to buy his book, Long Walk to Freedom, and I tried to understand so much of what he went through. I remember him coming down the tunnel in ’95 with the No6 jersey and the sense of pride of being there.
“I also went to the inauguration in ’94, so it was great to be there in ’95 and my heroes back then won the World Cup, Joel Stransky, Joost van der Westhuizen. In ’07, I knew a lot of Bulls players who were involved and then it was great to be involved in the Springboks after.”
WATCH: RugbyPass travels to South Africa for an episode of Rugby Explorer… Jim Hamilton explores the stunning cities of Cape Town and Porth Elizabeth and meets the local rugby communities
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments