THE PAYNE GAME – FORMER MUNSTER FULL-BACK ON HIS LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE REDS
Heineken Cup winner Shaun Payne reflects on his time in Ireland as admits he still regrets never getting capped by his adopted country
EIGHT years after packing his bags and returning to South Africa, Shaun Payne still longs for the day when he gets to take another stroll along Lough Derg in the beautiful surrounds of Ballina.
The two-time Heineken Cup winner and his family had hoped to travel back to the Tipperary village this Christmas, but those plans will likely have to be shelved due to Covid-19.
Payne has his own reasons for wanting to visit the place they called home for nine years, not least because of the strong friendships he built up throughout his successful stint with Munster, while his wife Michelle and kids Dylan (18) and Amy (16) are also keen to return to Ireland.
The connection with Munster still runs deep, and although they are living thousand of kilometres away, Payne was reminded of that strong bond recently when Dylan was on a video call with several of his former class-mates, as well as his teacher, from Boher primary school.
That’s the thing about small Irish villages, people are made to feel welcome and while Payne arrived as an outsider, he left an honorary Munster man.
That was mainly due to the pivotal role he played in helping the province finally land the Holy Grail, by beating Biarritz in the 2006 Heineken Cup final.
Payne was a rock at full-back and brought a touch of class which helped Declan Kidney’s side over the line on that memorable day in Cardiff.
Two years later, he took on a player/ manager role, but when injuries struck, Payne found himself featuring in all six pool games until Denis Hurley came into the team for the knockout stages en route to a second European title.
As Payne puts it himself, his bones were creaking at that stage of his career, but that didn’t make watching on from the sideline any easier as Munster enjoyed another unforgettable day when they toppled Toulouse back in the Welsh capital.
Payne hadn’t planned for the manager’s position, which was the first time Munster made it a full-time role, but such was his impact on and off the pitch, Garrett Fitzgerald was determined to keep him involved.
It’s still hard for Payne to comprehend that the former CEO, the man who sparked his Munster love affair, and former team-mate Anthony Foley are no longer with us.
“It’s very sad – Axel and Garrett were two of the guys who were at the core of building Munster up to what they have become,” says the 48-year-old.
“Axel was one of my closest mates, and Olive of course. We lived right next to them.
“We had a few holidays together. We went to Dubai with Axel and Olive and the kids. His passing hit hard, very hard.
“Luckily, I got to see Garrett about two and half years ago out here in Cape Town. It was brilliant to be able to speak to him again before he passed away.”
Sadness
The inherent sadness will remain, but Payne has enough fond memories of both Munster men to ensure that he is still able to remember the good times.
Back home in Cape Town, where Payne is now working in a family construction business, people still ask him what it was about Munster that made it so special. Seventeen years after first wearing the red jersey, he still struggles to put the province’s unique aura into words.
“I knew there was something special about Munster, but I always viewed it from the outside when I was with Swansea,” Payne says.
“That ’04 to ’08 period was a real golden era to be involved in. I really couldn’t have asked for more. Our win-ratio was exceptional, we really had a good team.
“Every time we played at Thomond Park in the European Cup, the place was going off. You couldn’t help but appreciate what was happening.
“I played Super 12 in South Africa, but at Munster, it was just a totally different atmosphere.
“We were getting paid to play, so obviously you had the professional aspect, but in many ways, it was like the old amateur days.
“There was a direct connection because the crowd and the team lived off one another. It was a community and that sense of belonging made it feel like the old days. You don’t often associate that with professional sport.
“It really was a move I wish I had made four years earlier when I first came to Europe. I’d have loved that.
“I loved those times. They were the best days of my life and I have memories that I will hold forever – for myself and my family.”
Munster’s remarkable European odyssey came full circle in 2006 and Payne will forever be proud that he got to play his part.
Considering he was signed at the same time as Christian Cullen, not many predicted that the South African would wear the No 15 jersey on the big days, instead of the All Blacks legend.
“It was very nerve-wracking having lost the two previous European finals by such narrow margins,” Payne recalls.
“2006 was so special. It is a memory that will live long with me. When people ask me about it back here in South Africa, I still tell them the story about how the big screen cut back to all the people on O’Connell Street.”
Payne’s regret about not moving to Munster sooner also comes from a sense of what could have been at international level. The South African was Irish-qualified through his grandmother Esther Williams, who hailed from Sligo. Although Payne spent plenty of time in Ireland camp that illusive first cap evaded him.
“I was always made aware of my Irish roots,” he explains. “Grandma Esther was very proud to be Irish.
She was a tough lady.
“When I joined Munster, I spent a few seasons training with the Ireland squad, but it never took off. That’s why I’d have loved to have come to Ireland sooner to actually have a real crack at it.
“I was 30 at the time, but I got a call-up to the squad and trained in plenty of Six Nations squads, but it never happened, which is a bit of a regret. I would have loved to have come earlier and given it a full go.”
It’s a regret in what was otherwise a hugely enjoyable nine years.
As much as Payne continues to follow Munster’s progress, nowadays rugby is a hobby rather than his profession. He is excited about the arrival of World Cup winners Damian De Allende and RG Snyman, who he believes can follow Paul O’Connell’s footsteps.
“The type of player that he is, I think he will definitely add to what Munster are trying to do,” Payne enthuses.
“For me, he will fit quite nicely into the Munster mould. He is really mobile as well as really good in the lineout. He can be abrasive at times too.
“He is a bit of a Paulie (O’Connell). I see quite a few similarities between Snyman and Paulie.”
Payne doesn’t harbour any great desire to return to rugby. Five years working as Munster manager brought plenty of stress and while he enjoyed the challenges, he is happy to have turned the page. “It wasn’t an easy job,” Payne says.
“There were ups and downs and huge pressure. As high as the highs are, the lows can often be even lower when you have poor results. I found that quite hard to deal with, especially in management. “You don’t get to spend time with your family. Rugby becomes your life. I have to admit, it has been good to spend more time with my kids. But we didn’t leave Munster with any hard feelings. We left with heavy hearts because it was the best time of our lives.”