Claassen: 'I'd stay in Brive'
Fri, 02 Jul 2010 12:58
After three years with Brive on the edge of France's Massif Central Antonie Claassen, son of the 1980s' Springbok captain Wynand Claassen, is settled in Brive and would probably stay in Brive even in the unlikely event of a phonecall from Peter de Villiers to join the Springboks.
Three years ago Claassen, who had graduated from the University of Pretoria but was without a Blue Bulls contract, went to Brive as a 'medical joker' - an addition to a playing squad in France to fill in for an injured player. Claassen who is fluent in French has been captaining Brive and in September this year will have been in France for three years and will qualify to play for France.
Just back from a five-week holiday at home in South Africa, the French website rugby365 interviewed Claassen in which he expressed his happiness at Brive, a cosmopolitan club with five South Africans on its playing strength. Asked if he had received offers to move to another club after Brive's disappointing failure to qualify for the Heineken Cup, he said: "None at all."
Asked if he would accept the invitation if Peter de Villiers, the Springbok coach, were to call him up to play for South Africa, Claassen said: "No, I don't think so. I'm going to stay here.
"At the moment his is my home. I am happy here. Brive is the French club which gave me a chance and for that reason I want to stay here."
Some time ago the French coach, Marc Lièvremont, mentioned Claassen as the only foreign player that interested him because of his ability to take the ball forward. rugby365.fr asked him if he was considering playing for France. Claassen said: "I'm not thinking about it. I want to concentrate on playing for Brive as best I can. That is my present objective."
In his five weeks back in South Africa, Claassen went to the Super 14 Final and two World Cup soccer matches and did some hunting in the Free State. He said he had had a good rest, which has been good for his body. They started again on Monday this week and immediately the players, including new ones, worked well.
Claassen said of the preparations: "For the last two years Brive had not played well at the start and again at the end of the season, which had cost the club a great deal. For this reason a good start was important and it began with physical preparation and friendly matches.
Brive's last friendly match, the week before the Top 14 starts, will be against Leicester Tigers on 6 August.
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