'Flower of Scotland is easy to learn and at least it is all in one language'
It is all happening at once for Edinburgh prop Pierre Schoeman as he celebrates his first call-up to the Scotland squad in the same week as the Vodacom United Rugby Championship delivers him his first clash with his old team.
Schoeman, who was called up to the Scotland training camp that starts on Sunday after completing his three year qualification requirement, admits it is a bit weird to be preparing to play against old friends and teammates. He’d love to mix with some of his old Vodacom Bulls teammates a bit more, and is a bit miffed that the Pretoria team is staying outside Edinburgh until the eve of Saturday’s big game at the DAM Health Stadium.
At the same time though, he knows there can be no love lost in the battle between the white lines, and he also knows that a big performance could secure him an opportunity to play against another team that will include several former teammates and friends of his, and also a side he grew up supporting as a boy – the world champion Springboks.
The Boks are in Edinburgh shortly for their end of year tour test against Scotland and by being called up to the training camp for the Autumn Internationals, Schoeman has put himself in with a chance of being part of that Murrayfield occasion.
“It would be a massive honour to play in that game, particularly at Murrayfield, and it would also be a bit personal, so hopefully there won’t be too many swear words,” laughed Schoeman when he considered the prospect of playing against the country of his berth so early in his Scotland career.
“It will be a bit weird singing the national anthem of Scotland, but Flower of Scotland is easy to learn and at least it is all in one language.”
If Schoeman doesn’t make it into the Scotland team for the imminent clash with the Boks, his longer-term goal of being at the next World Cup in France in 2023 should see him playing against the team he says he spent his boyhood dreaming about playing for. Scotland are in the same group as the Boks in that tournament.
In the meantime Schoeman is relishing the opportunity to play against teams from South Africa again, and says that in terms of physicality, the game against the DHL Stormers last weekend was a step up for him and his Edinburgh teammates.
“I was so excited to be playing against South African players again and the local boys were too. We knew it would be more physical than we are used to, and the Stormers didn’t disappoint in that regard, they were physical on defence and on attack too. The guys were all a little bit more excited and nervous than they normally are before a game and many of them admitted afterwards that it was closer to a test match than a normal PRO14 or URC match.
“While it was all out between the white lines, it was also fun. I spoke some Afrikaans before the time. I know Warrick Gelant from my time with the Bulls and I also know Evan Roos quite well, and Brok Harris was playing club rugby over here for many years. But it was very competitive on the pitch, and a bit more personal than usual.”
Not making it too personal is something that Schoeman is having to work on this week as he prepares for Saturday’s clash with his old team.
“It is a bit weird to be playing against the Bulls, I keep thinking back to those days where we sat around Loftus after training sessions talking about the next match and our chances,” he said. “The Bulls are coming through on Friday and I am hoping to meet up with some of them. There are a few guys in the team and in the management who I know well, and it will be nice to have a coffee with them on Friday. Rugby is known for the brotherships that are built up, and it will be nice to meet up, but then the next day, as Bakkies (Botha) would say, you put everything into it.
“There is more motivation for me playing against the Bulls but I have to try and treat it like another game. There is a fine balance between being motivated and getting carried away and being too enthusiastic. So the key is to try and not make it too personal as that might make you deviate away from the team goal and plan and rugby is a team game.”
Edinburgh are in the process of trying to embrace an all-encompassing attacking game, and it is has been a big talking point in Scotland, but Schoeman says that does not mean the home forwards will be taking a backward step against the feared Bulls eight.
“Mike Blair is an amazing coach and we have been learning so much from him about playing the ball and playing more exciting rugby, but he is also big on the pride that was built up at the club under the previous coach Richard Cockerill, who is now an assistant coach at England,” says Schoeman.
“We had some big wins over the last three years, including beating Newcastle twice, Montpellier, Toulon and Wasps. There were some big games we pulled through because of the set-piece emphasis and robustness that was key to Richard’s coaching. Our new coach wants us to play innovative rugby but he is also adamant we must stick to the fundamental of earning the right to go wide. But within that structure we are free to express ourselves and do offloads and things.”
The South African teams all struggled initially in their introduction to European rugby through the URC but Schoeman reckons he is now seeing what he always knew would happen – a quick adjustment and adaptation that will soon make the South Africans not only formidable contenders in the URC but in time in Europe in the Champions Cup too.
“The Stormers, Emirate Lions and Bulls and Cell C Sharks all play to their strengths. The Bulls are physical and come at you around the corner with their big forwards and of course they have a strong kicking game, the Lions’ set-piece is a strength, the Stormers focus a lot on offloads to bring their back three into the game and the Sharks are physical and also have flair.
“We are already seeing the transition. Coaches are innovative and speak to the opposition coaches after the games and to referees. South Africans are very good at adapting quickly. We talk about going back to the drawing board, and we do that quickly, we adapt quickly. And I am seeing that happening. In a few years all these young players are going to be very experienced at European conditions and European playing styles and that is going to make them feared opponents no matter who they play against.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
86 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments