Gloucester sign 6'7 lock from Munster but he's got some baggage
Gloucester Rugby have confirmed the news that South African lock Gerbrandt Grobler will move to Kingsholm from Munster ahead of the 2018-19 season.
Standing at an imposing 6ft 7in, 25-year-old Grobler has been an impressive operator in recent seasons, having tasted rugby across Europe in the Top 14 with Racing 92, and currently with Munster Rugby in the Guinness Pro 14.
Gloucester describe him as “A totemic lock who has been catching the eye of many admirers during his one season at Thomond Park.”
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However Grobler attracted some controversy in Ireland after a number of media organisations questioned the signing by Munster of a player who has failed drugs tests for anabolic steroid use.
Grobler tested positive for a banned substance during the 2014 Currie Cup tournament in South Africa and was handed down a two year ban for testing positive for the anabolic steriod, Drostanolone.
Grobler did not contest the failed test and took ‘full responsibility for his actions’ at the time. The towering lock Grobler began his career with Western Province before graduating into the Stormers side in Super Rugby.
He then continued his career in Europe with Racing 92, making 20 appearances at the Stade Yves de Manoir, scoring 5 tries, before a switch to the Pro 14 with Munster Rugby.
His experiences across the top rugby leagues in Europe stand Grobler in good stead as he joins the Cherry and Whites, ready to compete for a place in a strong area of the squad.
Director of Rugby David Humphreys spoke of the news of Grobler’s arrival at the club.
“Over the past couple of seasons, Gerbrandt has developed into a top quality second row and made a big impression during his time at Racing and Munster Rugby. He will bring the benefit of his experience from those top European clubs to Gloucester and his athleticism and skillset are well suited to Gloucester’s style of play.
“We are excited to add another young, dynamic forward to our squad, and he will add a lot of quality and options to our pack.”
Speaking this week, Grobler spoke of his excitement ahead of his move to the Gallagher Premiership.
“It’s a big competition to come and play in. In South Africa, the English competition is the one that gets aired the most, and gets the most attention, and you get to mix it up with the world’s best from all over.
“The English league gives a huge opportunity to learn, every game is close, a contest until the end. That’s one thing that appeals to me, the opportunity to test yourself week in, week out.
Grobler’s signature is one that had been courted across Europe after his form for Racing 92, and then Munster, but the new Cherry and White speaks with a real buzz about coming to play at Kingsholm Stadium.
“Gloucester are a club that are on the up, and I want to be part of something with the same ambitions and goals as me. I want to be part of something that is building, and spend my future here.
“The thing that excites me about this move, is joining a team with big ambitions to improve, to be consistent and build something really successful with the squad.”
And the prospect of working with Head Coach Johan Ackermann is an exciting one for the second row.
“Working with Johan was a huge part of my decision to come to the club, I had a long talk with him once about life and how you take learnings from things. He proved to me there is hope in life.
“You can get into a dark hole, and he convinced me of a good image, and the way he talks about the way of life, people and this appealed massively to me. I can’t wait to get to work.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Farcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
7 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
7 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
61 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
7 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
61 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
61 Go to comments