Richardt Strauss - New Leinster Signing

SpAcEd OuT

Just an interesting article and some other snippets of information on Leinster's new signing.



Richardt Strauss was, for many, the "find" of the 2003 Craven Week. He arrived unknown to many; he left a South African Schools player. That he became a South African Schools player was a surprise to nobody who watched the week's rugby in Wellington. That this year - still at school – he was chosen for the SA Under-19 team to play at the IRB Under-19 World Championship is also not a surprise.

There would be no surprises if Richardt became the Neil Back of South African rugby with his determination, explosive speed, upper-body strength, tireless energy, low centre of gravity and his fearless competing for possession on the ground. But there are some who think that he should be playing elsewhere.

Richardt started playing at the age of six. When, in Grade 4, he moved from Harrismith to Grey College in Bloemfontein he moved from flyhalf to flank. Then he became a hooker. In 2002 he developed back trouble and the next year he moved back to flank.

Jake White, the new Springbok coach, believes that he should move to hooker. White believes that of Luke Watson as well. Dries van der Wal, the Grey coach who does much for the South African schools team, believes he should play flank. Loffie Eloff, the South African Under 19 coach, believes he should play flank and says: "It would be unfair to move him because of his lack of height."

Neil Back had two national coaches who thought he was too short - Geoff Cooke and Jack Rowell. He outlasted Cooke and Rowell and came to be regarded as the best in the world at his job as a fetcher - the flank who wins the ball in rugby's hardest contest - on the ground at the tackle, the golden turnover ball which can create glorious opportunities for the side rewarded with it.

Does size matter?

Many people told Back that he was too small. Some suggested that he switch to scrumhalf or somewhere else, the way Gcobani Bobo has done. Back wanted to be a flank and stayed a flank - highly successfully.

When Back was 18 - Richardt's age - he says he was 1,77m tall and 79 kg in weight. At the same age Richardt is 1,75 m tall and weights 90 kg. He is the same height as Phil Waugh is now and only 10 kg lighter.

The fetching flanks are not your nearly-two-metre men. They have the advantage of being able to get down to the ball on the ground more quickly than the taller man. If they are strong, fast, determined, brave, skilled and have stamina - as Back has and Richardt has - they will be outstanding.

At last year's Craven Week, there were some great loose forwards - Leon Karemaker and Pieter Louw of Western Province, Pierre Spies of the Blue Bulls, Wesley Wilkins of Border, Robbie Diack of Kwazulu Natal, and Riaan Swanepoel and, quietly, Richardt Strauss of Free State.

The Strauss family of Harrismith are a remarkable rugby family.

Where will Richardt be heading? Undecided so far. The academic side of his life is going well and he would like to be a quantity surveyor like his father who moved from Pretoria to Harrismith when Richardt was only six weeks old. His rugby development would go along with the opportunities to study.

That does not mean that there are not rugby ambitions. He very much wants to go higher - to the Springboks or at least to Super 12.

Eloff and Van der Wal both praised Richardt for his rugby intelligence and for his quiet, effective leadership. He is School Captain (head prefect) at Grey. He thinks Grey is a marvellous school.

Conrad Richardt Strauss was born in Pretoria on 29 January 1986.











Strauss is a retread looseforward who proved to be one of the finds of the season in 2006.

Incredibly quick for a looseforward his handling skills, scrummaging and lineout throwing all proved up to the task of Currie Cup rugby.

With Tiaan Liebenberg out of the picture he will have to contend with his cousin Adriaan Strauss for the hooking duties.

He should comfortably make the step up to SuperRugby.






Although he has generally played second fiddle to his cousin, Adriaan, Richardt Strauss has proven to be an essential member of the Cheetahs squad. He always brings energy onto the field and is like an extra loose forward – not surprising considering he used to play flank at school and represented South Africa at schools and under-19 level playing on the side of the scrum. This diminutive hooker has good upper-body strength and is a strong runner, as he showed in a 2006 Currie Cup match when he scored four tries.


In three years at the Cheetahs he scored 21 tries! not bad!

Seems he might play a bigger role than expected be it in the backrow or at hooker.

Amabokke

Grey College school produced Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, CJ, Francois Steyn, Ruan Pienaar, Brussouw and in cricket Kepler Wessels (captain before Hansie) and Hansie Cronje.

They usually have 26 rugby teams in four age groups, have 60 u/19 players to work with with a further second group of 50 players. No wonder they produce the most boks.

danthefan

From what I've been reading on PR the Saffers there seem to rate him very highly. Apparently he's only an average scrummager but is good in the lineout, very quick and very mobile, and very good on the deck.

Amabokke

danthefan wrote: »

From what I've been reading on PR the Saffers there seem to rate him very highly. Apparently he's only an average scrummager but is good in the lineout, very quick and very mobile, and very good on the deck.

Not sure how well he was in the line-out as he is only 1.78, shorter than Brussouw.

Amabokke

Amabokke wrote: »

Not sure how well he was in the line-out as he is only 1.78, shorter than Brussouw.

I think he means throwing.

danthefan

Yeah, I meant throwing.

Though again I have never seen him play so this is all 2nd hand info.

Amabokke

oh ok.

I think with Andries first choice he had to look elsewhere.

anonymous_joe

Amabokke wrote: »

Grey College school produced Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, CJ, Francois Steyn, Ruan Pienaar, Brussouw and in cricket Kepler Wessels (captain before Hansie) and Hansie Cronje.

They usually have 26 rugby teams in four age groups, have 60 u/19 players to work with with a further second group of 50 players. No wonder they produce the most boks.

Isn't Grey College South Africa's equivalent of Blackrock in rugby terms...?

ALH-06

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Isn't Grey College South Africa's equivalent of Blackrock in rugby terms...?

Sounds like it

So is there a possibility that he was brought in for backrow cover, or can he not play flanker at all any more?

buck65

Where is size= everything gone?
/OMG a foreign import to Leinster! it is destroying the game! think of the children:mad:

Riskymove

buck65 wrote: »

Where is size= everything gone?
/OMG a foreign import to Leinster! it is destroying the game! think of the children:mad:

3 foreign imports (4 if you take his own logic)


LEINSTER HAVE confirmed the signing of Scottish international lock Nathan Hines and Irish tighthead prop Mike Ross for the coming season. They have also announced the arrival of former Bath outhalf and centre Shaun Berne and South African hooker Richardt Strauss.

bamboozle

sounds like a good player to have on board, imagine a front row of strauss, Healy and CJ - would be as fast as most teams back 3!

[Jackass]

Amabokke wrote: »

Grey College school produced Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, CJ, Francois Steyn, Ruan Pienaar, Brussouw and in cricket Kepler Wessels (captain before Hansie) and Hansie Cronje.

They usually have 26 rugby teams in four age groups, have 60 u/19 players to work with with a further second group of 50 players. No wonder they produce the most boks.

Amabokke, have you seen much of this Richardt Strauss fella?

I know nothing of him, but am hearing good things...is he any good? (also, if he sees out his 3 year contract, he'll be eligable to play for Ireland, and he's only 23 )

Depp

Amabokke wrote: »

Grey College school produced Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, CJ, Francois Steyn, Ruan Pienaar, Brussouw and in cricket Kepler Wessels (captain before Hansie) and Hansie Cronje.

They usually have 26 rugby teams in four age groups, have 60 u/19 players to work with with a further second group of 50 players. No wonder they produce the most boks.

i accept that this is horreandously unrelated but isnt he the guy behind that whole match fixing scandal?

also; saw straus playing v the lions and id say hel complement the way leinster play

anonymous_joe

buck65 wrote: »

Where is size= everything gone?
/OMG a foreign import to Leinster! it is destroying the game! think of the children:mad:

It's definitely something to consider that - what of the likes of Seán Cronin, was he available, or dismissed as not good enough?

I know a lot of people will say Seán Cronin's going to replace Fla, and he's Munster through and through, but in fairness, Leinster would have been good for him.

danthefan

anonymous_joe wrote: »

It's definitely something to consider that - what of the likes of Seán Cronin, was he available, or dismissed as not good enough?

I know a lot of people will say Seán Cronin's going to replace Fla, and he's Munster through and through, but in fairness, Leinster would have been good for him.

Apparently Cronin wants to go back to Munster and challenge for the starting spot there. He's still contracted to Connacht anyhow.

ALH-06

Sounds like a good signing. Could be another of Cheika's moments of genius... Can't think of any bad signing this man has made actually.

Oh no hang on, Juan Gomez.

danthefan

ALH-06 wrote: »

Sounds like a good signing. Could be another of Cheika's moments of genius... Can't think of any bad signing this man has made actually.

Oh no hang on, Juan Gomez.

Lot more than that to be fair, but they were mostly in the first season or 2 he was here. He's done really well with signings in recent years.

Amabokke

Depp wrote: »

i accept that this is horreandously unrelated but isnt he the guy behind that whole match fixing scandal?

also; saw straus playing v the lions and id say hel complement the way leinster play

Indeed. Died not too long after that in a plane crash. Think there is a movie about it now.

Amabokke, have you seen much of this Richardt Strauss fella?

I know nothing of him, but am hearing good things...is he any good? (also, if he sees out his 3 year contract, he'll be eligable to play for Ireland, and he's only 23

Just bits and pieces but not enough to make a real statement on him. Will have to wait and see. CJ was brilliant with the boks but very average for Leinster so far.

[Jackass]

True, CJ was a disapointment last season....believe it or not, when I first saw the signings this time last year, I was slightly more excited by the prospect of getting Van Der Linde than I was of Rocky!!! How wrong I was!

But CJ didn't get much of a chance to settle or much of a run in the team...we saw some glimpses of his devistating scrummaging power in the Magners League, with Stan Wright, but if he can get the toe sorted, get fit in pre-season and be all set for the new season, he'll be just like a new signing this year..if he gets a good run in the first team I can see him having a massive impact too. A fit CJ, with Healy, Wright & Ross also to choose from, Jackman and Strauss at hooker (don't rate Fogarty and Jackman has been struggling with form and line out is a concern), we could have some front row next season!!! All be it mostly foriegn!