SA-born Spedding to suppress emotions
SOUTH African-born France fullback Scott Spedding will not allow emotions to get the better of him when he lines up against the Springboks for the first time in the second Test at Kings Park tomorrow.
Spedding‚ who was one of coach Guy Noves’s eight changes for tomorrow’s crucial clash in Durban‚ said his loyalties lie firmly with France and he won’t sing the South African national anthem out of respect for his adopted country.
“I am representing France‚ I will be wearing the French jersey – there will be only one anthem I will be singing and that is the one of France‚” said the 31-year old, who was born in Krugersdorp.
“I am proud to play for France. It is a country that has given me so much in my life both on and off the field.
“I have been part of this team for about three years‚ so I have to try and leave the emotions aside and focus on another big game of rugby.”
Spedding added that it will be a special moment to play in front of friends and family who will be in attendance at Kings Park.
“My little baby‚ my two nieces and everyone in the family will be at the game and it is a special moment for me to come back to South Africa after nine years and play Test rugby.
“I have made a lot of sacrifices along the way while chasing my dreams and I am sure that it is also going to be a special moment for my family‚” he said.
Spedding said his reason for leaving the country almost nine years ago after spending time at the Sharks was that he felt that there were not too many opportunities for him in South Africa.
“There was an opportunity to go to France which I took. I started working very hard because I wanted to make a career out of rugby‚” he explained.
“I had some people in France who helped and guided me‚ taught me what it took to be a professional. They taught me how to work hard‚ sacrifice‚ handle disappointments‚ and I worked really hard.
“Six years after arriving there I got chosen to represent France and it was a big moment for me because I started from the junior teams and worked my way through the ranks.
“Sometimes I look back at it and I don’t know how I stuck it out because there were many difficult times. I am just glad I did it because now I am in Durban with the French senior national team to play against South Africa.”
The Springboks are a team in transition with coach Allister Coetzee having picked a youthful side for the three matches against Les Bleus and Spedding does not know most of the South Africans well.
“The only guy I know well in the current Springbok side is Beast Mtawarira because I played with him in the junior ranks for the Sharks when we were there as 19year-olds.” The France squad is: Scott Spedding; Yoann Huget‚ Damian Penaud‚ Gaël Fickou‚ Virimi Vakatawa; François Trinh-Duc‚ Baptiste Serin; Louis Picamoles‚ Kévin Gourdon‚ Yacouba Camara‚ Romain Taofifeuna‚ Yoann Maestri‚ Rabah Slimani‚ Guilhem Guirado (capt)‚ Jefferson Poirot
Reserves Clément Maynadier‚ Eddy Ben Arous‚ Uini Atonio‚ Julien le Devedec‚ Bernard le Roux‚ Antoine Dupont‚ Jean-Marc Doussain‚ Nans Ducuing. — TMG