Zürcher Nachrichten - Ex-France lock Willemse challenges Meafou to become 'the bully'

The 27-year-old Meafou, who weighs an imposing 145kg (319 pounds), is set to make his 10th Test appearance in this weekend's highly anticipated re-run of the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final in Paris.

The highly physical Springboks return to the Stade de France for the first time since going on to lift the Webb Ellis trophy on a fourth occasion two years ago.

Pretoria-born Willemse made the bruising, ball-carrying role his own for France during a five-year Test career before having to retire aged just 32 in September due to concussion.

Meafou has inherited his number five jersey for Les Bleus and is tipped to make a major impact by the man he replaced.

"The more experience he (Meafou) gets, I'd like to see him becoming the bully and becoming the classic enforcer on the field," Willemse told AFP on Monday.

"I think he has everything he has to get there. I'm really excited to see what he can do in the future."

Willemse represented South Africa's under-20s before moving to France with Grenoble and then Montpellier. He made the last of his 32 France appearances in February 2024 and played his final club game eight months later.

The highlight of his career came when Les Bleus clinched the Grand Slam in 2022 - their first Six Nations title in over a decade.

But he admits he quit at the right moment, when the discussion around brain injuries in rugby is in sharp focus.

- 'Stopped at a good time' -

"I still have some concussion symptoms which are becoming less and less, or improving," Willemse said.

"I've got some problems with my eyes moving side to side or me turning around quickly. I still have some problems with that and then just a normal head pain.

"Dealing with it, it's just more of a confirmation that for me to still have symptoms a year afterwards, it means that I stopped at a good time before having really long-term symptoms."

Since hanging up his boots he has turned his attention to his sports supplement company, bookings as a guest speaker and coaching lineouts at fourth-tier Nimes.

"I'm slowly starting to get some direction going into what I want to do and what I want to become now, because it's really difficult to find a new dream," Willemse said.

"I'm still not convinced about becoming a professional coach because I'm not keen for the lifestyle, in terms of never having a weekend and then also living by a contract.

"And then having the stress of if somebody gets fired it's going to be you first on the chopping block.

"I'm not convinced but I must say I really am enjoying the fact that I go there. It's helped me a lot when I was in a bit of a dark place mentally."

The 2.01m (6ft 7in) former forward will be at the Stade de France on Saturday, at the ground for his first France game since retirement, but his loyalties will not be split.

"The French team, that's my teammates. That's the guys I played with. That's the guys I flipping chased dreams with, shared dreams with and achieved awesome things with them," Willemse said.

"There's no doubt in my mind. I've bled for the jersey. I've sacrificed for the jersey. So the French team is always going to be me."

O.Krasniqi--NZN