Springbok flanker Francois Louw has been released from the Bok squad to get married on Sunday, and will not play against Scotland on Saturday.
Louw marries fiancé Sarah Tatham on Sunday and Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer decided it would be best for the team and hard-working loose forward to focus on his wedding day.
“This is a very precious time for Francois and Sarah and I want them both to enjoy this very special occasion,” said Meyer.
“Francois is extremely committed to the Springbok cause. I wanted to give him the entire week off, but he insisted on training with the squad this week. He really wanted to play on Saturday.
“While I respect that and believe playing for your country should always come first, one needs to be flexible when it comes to special occasions like these, which is why I have told him to take a few days off.”
Meyer added that there was sufficient depth at loose forward in the squad and that this will also grant him an opportunity to look at other players in the Springbok set-up.
The 27-year-old Louw said he was thankful for the opportunity to enjoy his bid day, which was planned a few months ago for Sunday, 16 June.
“My country will always come first and I would have loved to play for the Springboks this weekend. But I appreciate the coach’s view and the fact that he has granted me a few days off. Getting married is an important day in any person’s life and I’m very much looking forward to it, but I’m equally excited to join the squad again next week,” said Louw.
Hi Tank
I find the discussion of player merits in the media extremely shallow. No journalist or so-called expert commentators (that I’m aware of) discuss the key requirements for each player position and measure potential candidates against these requirements. Surely the critical performance areas for loose head, tight head, inside centre, scrumhalve, etc. are available, and if not, why not? Yet I’ve never seen such an analysis being used in an interview with a coach or discussion of the merits of a coach’s selection in a newspaper report or TV programme. No one even asks the coach why he picked a particular player over another.
What’s your view om this?
I hear you Christiaan, but the key here is that each coach sees each position differently. Sure the basic requirements will remain standard, and any international or even S15 player will need those, but then one coach will see the No6 differently to another. One might want a ball carrying big tackloing 6, while the other might want an out an out fetcher. Some might not value scrumming as high as another when it comes to props, hence going with the more mobile fellow …