Former Springbok teammates Faf de Klerk and Malcolm Marx were magnanimous on Wednesday as they spoke of Frans Steyn on glowing terms from Auckland.
The duo is in the thick of it preparing for a mammoth clash for the All Blacks in the second round of the Rugby Championship at Mount Smart Stadium, and took some time out to speak to the media regarding that match and ‘Fransie’.
Steyn announced his retirement from rugby on Tuesday afternoon due to a knee injury sustained earlier this year ending his illustrious career and both Marx, who will start on the bench on Saturday (kick-off 9am), and De Klerk, who will wear the No 9 jumper, spoke with pride as they recalled their time with the 36-year-old.
Said Marx: "He is an unbelievable person and even a better rugby player.
“The career that he has had is unbelievable. His achievements speak for themselves.
“ I am lost for words. I don’t know what to say, except to say how incredible his career has been. All the best to him for the next chapter in his life.”
It was a sentiment echoed by De Klerk,
“I didn’t know Fransie for very long before I got to know him at the Boks,” the 31-year-old said.
“2019 was great for me to be with him and to experience the type of player that he is. He is a moerse (exceptional) guy. He cares a lot about this team and for the Springboks. We all saw that.
“He is willing to do anything for his teammates. He was the youngest player to ever win a World Cup. It takes talent to do that.
“To do what he did with his kicking work and how he plays is amazing. We all strive to one day be where he was.
“I think he is looking forward to his future and spending time with his family, whom he loves unbelievably much. He is a great player, and we are going to miss him a lot here at the Boks – that is for sure.”
Steyn retires as a Bok legend having won two world cups (2017 and 2019) alongside a handful of players to win the Webb Ellis Cup twice and was only the second South African to do so. He made his debut for the national team in 2007 against Ireland at Lansdowne Road and would go on to have a 77% win record in the games he played.
In the 17 matches he played in over three world cups; he was never on the losing side.
He helped win two Rugby Championships – also in 2007 and 2019 and was a British and Irish Series winner twice in 2009 and 2021. In all, he played 76 times for South Africa, scoring 150 points for the nation at Test level.
At club level, he won the Currie Cup twice with the Sharks in 2008 and 2013. He also won the EPCR Challenge Cup with French club Montpellier in 2016.
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