Paul Willemse: 'I never even had one conversation with South African rugby'
Grand Slam winning second row Paul Willemse admits that he struggled to come to terms with giving up on his childhood dream of playing for the Springboks, when he opted instead to play for France.
He denies that it was a decision that he made lightly and says it was one that was effectively made for him by the SA Rugby.
The giant France lock made his debut for France in 2019 and has since become of one of the most feared players in his position in the game.
Yet Willemse insists that it was a lack of interest from SA Rugby in former Junior Springbok and his personal circumstances that resulted in him throwing his lot in France, a decision that he has ‘never regretted’.
“People get it wrong, people propose it like it was a choice I made, going to South Africa or France, but it was never like that,” Willemse told Le French Rugby Podcast. “I came to France firstly just to gain a bit more experience, as firstly I wasn’t selected in a massive squad that was preparing for the World Cup in 2015 with Heyneke Meyer. I wasn’t selected in a group of like 80 players, so I thought rather than playing again in Super Rugby, the Currie Cup for another two years, an opportunity came to be me to go and play in France.
“I thought it’s only a year and a half, I’ll do that and come back.
“And prepare for the next World Cup with a new coach. Well, I said, let’s do it, and when I go here, I played at Grenoble first for six months, and Jake White came to me and said ‘Do you want to come and play at Montpellier, at the same time he had signed three of my friends who had played at the Bulls.
“I enjoyed Top 14 rugby. From the first game it felt like this is my type of rugby. Super Rugby is way too quick for me!” joked the 6’7, 130kg plus Montpellier forward. “Every game in Super Rugby I was like ‘Jeez, how am I going to do this for 10 years bro. This is unbelievable. Like every game, I felt like I’m dying.”
“So when I came to Top 14, I was like ‘This I can do for a few years’.
“When Jake White came to me, I was like ‘Sweet, it’s a South African coach, a few of my friends will be there.’
Willemse moved to Montpellier and the hulking second-row soon became a mainstay of their giant forward pack.
“I still had a dream to play for South Africa, but I slowly got news that South Africa were not going to choose any foreign-based players. I was like ‘That’s like a hit in the gut. What am I going to do? In my career I’m really enjoying French rugby and not going to go back and play club rugby in South Africa. That’s not where I’m at.
“At the same time I was starting to lay down some roots. I was building my life in France. My first child was born here.
“But my dream was still for the Springboks. So for a while after my son was born, it didn’t look like this South African team thing was going to work.”
Willemse’s agent then reached out to France’s national set-up, then under the control of Jacques Brunel.
“I thought, let’s throw something out there and see if they’re keen. I started talking to them. I got excited. I thought ‘I’m going to play for the French team. I going to play international rugby. My life’s in France, I’m going to go for it.
“Then a few months out the whole coaching staff from the French team got fired. So I had to start from zero again!”
Things worked out for Willemse and he made his debut against Wales in the Stade de France in 2019.
“Fast forward to my debut. When I sang Marseillaise for the first time, that was a massive moment emotionally, because I knew at that moment that I had to shut down a childhood dream that I had my whole life – to play for the Springboks – like every South African boy.
“I knew the single moment I went out on that field, it’s done, it’s finished. I can never do that again.
View this post on Instagram
“But taking the risk and going with the French team, and then opening possibly another massive door for opportunities that I don’t know. Luckily I did, cause at the moment I’m really happy and I never regretted my choice to play for the French team ever.”
Now Willemse faces the prospect of playing his native South Africa this November and the very real possibility of playing them again at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
“Most of the players there [in the Springboks], I’ve played with or against when I was in South Africa and the same when I was with the SA U20s team when we won the Rugby World Cup in 2012. They know me and I know them.
“I don’t know what emotional state I will be in or what will happen, but I know it’s not going to be just another match. It will be a special one for me.
“It’s been in the back of my mind.
“In the Top 14, when we play other South Africans, we play even harder. Because you want to win that respect. I know for a fact that I will be up for that game.
“There will be a vibe around, especially for me as South African player playing the South African team, but I know the guys know me there and I’ve put in some big hits on some of those players, so they know me!”
Willemse was asked had SA Rugby reached out to him when it was known that he was considering giving his allegiance to France and his answer was surprising.
“I never even had one conversation with South African rugby, in my whole career.
“I came out in the media here that I was going to play in the France team, I knew what to expect, if they knew I was available, someone would contact me or my agent at least. You know ‘Tell Paul just to wait a bit’ or whatever.
“But like I said, when I started that journey, and it’s a long journey because later on they changed the rule that I had to do my passport first. So I did that aswell and it’s a long process.
“But like I said, throughout my whole career I never had one conversation with SA Rugby or anyone. So in the end I was lead into my French career. That’s why I say I’ve never had to make a choice, either South Africa or the French team, because my life just went that direction.
“The choice I had to make was to commit and go for the French team with everything I’ve got. Soon as I made that decision, even if South Africa contacts me then [I wouldn’t have switched back].
“If they did speak to me, even the year before, I would have said ‘no’. But they never spoke with me and I have never had a conversation with them.”
“The thing is South Africa are so blessed with massive talents in the lock position, it never felt like they needed me. They have four or five massive locks, world-class locks.
“I said in a previous interview, South Africa doesn’t need me, but I also don’t need them. That p***ed off a few people.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Anna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, 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.
8 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.
8 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.
8 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 comments