Steely Strauss relishing ‘special’ chance

It will come as a surprise if the strains of Edith Piaf’s voice can’t be heard when RTÉ’s pre-match build-up turns its focus on Richardt Strauss tomorrow evening.

You don’t have to speak much French to know that “Je ne regrette rien” is tailor-made for a man who, whatever about his innermost thoughts, has all but dismissed the significance of making his full Test debut against his native country this weekend.

“I made my commitment to Ireland three years ago and I’m just very happy to get this opportunity,” the Leinster hooker said yesterday. “For me, it’s probably more special just to run out for Ireland than anything else. I would have taken it if it was against an U13 ‘B’ team.”

Never the most illuminating of interviewees, Strauss met almost every enquiry with a straight bat, including one about whether he would feel any emotion when ‘Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrika’ is played before the game.

“No,” he replied. And that was that.

His reticence was disappointing but Strauss’ is a story that needs little in the way of narration this week and the fact that he will pack down opposite his cousin Adriaan at Lansdowne Road just adds to the rich tapestry.

The relations have met on the field before, back when Richardt was still a hooker with the Bulls and hoping to become a Bok and his elder cousin — by two months — was a Cheetah, but any stories of familial conflicts remain locked behind sealed lips for now.

It is only when the queries drifted away from his South African roots that the 26-year old began to loosen up and he was happy to reflect on the seismic decision to leave hearth and home behind in 2009.

“I was only 23-years old, very young and inexperienced. The toughest thing was to know you’re saying goodbye to your family, basically. Once I got here — and got used to the weather — I was pretty happy.

“I couldn’t really complain about anything. My wife and myself have been very happy in Ireland, enjoying every moment of it. Being settled in, it’s actually the best thing that could have happened to us.”

Whatever about the pros and cons of the IRB’s residency rulings, Strauss is clearly grateful for the life Ireland has afforded him and he spoke about his desire to become a citizen one day.

It has certainly been good for his rugby.

“Oh yeah,” he said with something approaching enthusiasm for the first time. “I’m a completely different player, just with the amount of coaching and technical support you get here, it is something I never got in South Africa.

“My ball skills, my throwing and scrummaging have improved and then my decision around the tackle, when to go into the breakdown and when to stay out, all these things that you can’t really coach specifically.”

The plan now is to repay that faith in much the same manner he has for Leinster this last three years and those club colleagues on international duty with him this month have no doubt but that that will be the case.

Cian Healy described the comfort of knowing Strauss was beside him in the defensive line while Jamie Heaslip talked about the hard edge Strauss has brought to the front row, the professionalism he has displayed in honing his skills as a hooker and his workrate.

“He’s a divil for getting the poaches,” added the new captain. “I’m raging when he robs some of the back row poaches, he’s unbelievable. He makes himself a real nuisance, really explosive onto the ball. All these elements he brings, it’s great. It’s another great player to have on the field.”