Exceptional guest of 100% rugby this Monday, the third line of Aviron Bayonnais Uzair Cassiem spoke for the first time since his arrival in the Basque Country. Championship, communion with the public, upcoming meeting against Mont-de-Marsan this Friday and his new life in Bayonne, everything goes. A colorful character who is unanimous in the stands and in the locker room, the former Springbok with eight selections has only one regret: “Not having come to Bayonne sooner.“Interview:
France Bleu Pays Basque: after a two-week break, you resume this Friday with a clash against Mont-de-Marsan. Is there any revenge to take after the defeat at home in the first leg?
Uzair Cassiem: Mont-de-Marsan is maybe half a class above us, thanks to the way they play and have built their team. They won a lot when their team was full of confidence and have a lot of X-factors. I think we solved the problems in the first leg, it was mostly our own mistakes that caused us to implode in the second half. We looked into that, we fixed that, and we want to make sure it doesn’t happen again. It will be an important game. We shouldn’t put pressure on ourselves. All there is to do is get out there, and do the right thing at the right time. And I hope we will bring home the victory.
– Michael Viala
After the victory against Oyonnax, you are again 2nd in the championship. You are finally in your goals…
The championship is made in such a way that finishing first does not guarantee getting into the Top 14. For us, game after game, the objective is to play good rugby to get to the final with confidence, because the last game of the season is the most important. We have a phenomenal team, with a lot of young people, but also a lot of experience.
The atmosphere at Dauger? Phenomenal!
How to explain that Bayonne is struggling to chain the good performances?
It’s true, once you win, once you lose, it’s a mix, win, lose, win, lose. But if we’re ready and focused for 80 minutes, we can beat anyone. It is when we lose this focus that we put ourselves under pressure, and we can also lose. But we learned from it and we’ll make sure we don’t make the same mistakes in the last six games to come.
You quickly created strong bonds with the public. Aviron Bayonnais is different from the other clubs where you have played (Cheetahs, Scarlets, editor’s note)?
Everywhere I’ve been has been amazing, with amazing people. But what I live here… I love it! 10,000 people in the stands every weekend, I haven’t seen it anywhere else. I had already tasted the atmosphere of Jean Dauger when we met Bayonne in the Challenge Cup, but it was against me. But to play here now… It’s phenomenal. I couldn’t explain it. It’s probably the best audience in the world, even if the other side of the coin is a certain pressure. You know, it makes you want to make the crowd proud of your performance, so you want to give it your all on the pitch, not only for the crowd, but also for the team. I love that. I really love it.
– Gerhard Steenkamp
Did the presence of Shaun Venter, also South African, and Torsten Van Jaarsveld, Namibian international, help your integration into the team?
I don’t think many people know this, but we’ve known each other for 14 years now. We started together, and played Cheetahs together. I didn’t come because they were there, but it gave me great pleasure to find them. Communications on the pitch were easier too, especially with Shaun playing 9, we need to talk to each other a lot. But in seven months, I learned to communicate with everyone.
We saw you dancing with the supporters, but it also seems that you make a lot of jokes, is that true?
I’m a little extroverted, it’s true. I think a rugby dressing room is a place that doesn’t exist anywhere else, it’s something phenomenal. I don’t want to say too much, but what happens in a rugby locker room… It comes from another planet. You will not see it anywhere else in this world. It’s something… The pranks, the jokes, everything that goes with it… In fact, there is a time for everything. When you go out there you are focused and serious, you have to do what you have to do and you try to do it the best you can. And then as soon as you get out of the field, behind the white line, we can have fun, smile and enjoy life again. You can’t think about everything, waste energy and think about what just happened. You can fix it when you get back on the pitch, but the rest… You just have to enjoy it.
Stay as long as I can.
How do you feel in the Basque Country?
In fact, before coming here, I had the opportunity to come to France three years ago, and that’s the one and only thing I regret in my career. I said “no” because I was thinking about the language, because I didn’t speak French. But now, three years later, getting here, living here and experiencing the people, the vibe, the culture and everything, I’m like, “why didn’t I come three years ago?” My family is very happy here, my children adapted quickly even if it was more difficult for the eldest at the beginning. I would like to stay as long as I can!
– David Davies
The Springboks, for whom you played, occupy first place in the world ranking of teams, just ahead of France…
I knew you were going to tell me about it! Fabien Galthié, like Rassie Erasmus, are extraordinary coaches. Both managed to transform their team in a short time. But you know what ? We’ll see what happens in November, during the tour. It’s going to be a huge game, but I think the South Africans will win. Do we take bets?