David Ribbans: 'It's the reason why I'm here, not still in England'

There was a time when David Ribbans sweated over England squad announcements like the one on Friday inviting 36 players to the October 7-9 training camp ahead of the upcoming Autumn Nations Series. Not anymore. These days, rather than trying to catch the eye of Steve Borthwick (and Eddie Jones before him), the focus is very, very different.

Toulon is now home, not Northampton, and it’s all about doing his very best in the Top 14, not perspiring over whether his efforts for Saints were enough to stamp his international-level ticket. The irony behind his ‘quit’ notice was that after all the false hope of tackle bag holding and making up the numbers on the England fringe without togging on match day, he had finally been capped.

Jones used him on three occasions off the November 2022 bench at Twickenham but when the next Six Nations swung around, Borthwick was at the helm and Ribbans, the South African eligible via an English grandfather, was now surplus again.

His reaction? Pen was put to paper in late February on the tempting three-year offer received from Toulon… yet just weeks later he was making a first England start following the serious injury picked by Ollie Chessum.

What followed was a giddy adventure that took him right through to the Rugby World Cup and a bronze medal finish in Paris. Sixteen days later, though, his 10-cap Test career was very much past tense as he was in the thick of it in Toulon, enjoying a winning Sunday night debut at home to Racing.

“I didn’t really quite realise coming from the Premiership how intense the season is in terms of length and each match is Test rugby. It can be helter-skelter but it’s physical, it’s tough, it’s long and you don’t want to be peaking too early.

“We are on a great run now (three wins from four at the start of this season) and it’s brilliant, but the end is in June so you don’t want to playing your final too early which is something I definitely learned last year. We were sitting in eighth, ninth, crisis meetings in the club – we ended with a shot at being top two if we beat Paris on the last day of the season, so that’s how quickly it can change.

“This season we have a few new English faces in Lewis Ludlam and Kyle Sinckler. I played with Lewis since I arrived in Saints [January 2017], so it’s a long time. We were roommates for the whole of the World Cup, it’s been great to have him. There is a decent foreigner community here, with Dan Biggar who also played at Saints. He was brilliant when I arrived helping me just getting settled in.

“Everyone has been amazing. When arriving you hear stories about France and you are not too sure how the divide will be between foreigners and the French because there is no hiding, language is tough. You often find in the heat of the battle sometimes you just say what you have to say and the French goes out the window. With enough swearing and shouting and using your hands, you generally get your points across in rugby.

“But it has been fantastic here. The integration between French boys and the foreigners is amazing. We spend a lot of time with the French boys off the field, so maybe Toulon’s history of having a lot of foreigners in the past has helped. It’s an amazing group of people, a family and community feel.”

The fans play their part, especially the goose-bumping tunnel they create when players step off the bus and walk to Stade Mayol. “I can’t really put words on it. It’s something quite special for club rugby. My first time experiencing it, I was blown away. It was one of the first things I told my parents. It’s like something I have never seen before. Every home match is a crazy experience.

“We recently played away at Stade Francais in Paris and I have never seen travelling support like that for us. Flares going off as we arrived and banging on the bus. It’s special. You cop it a bit when you lose but you get serious highs and rewards when you win so you have to deal with it. There are amazing fans and it gives you a lot of energy that’s for sure.”

Overall, Ribbans feels blessed, particularly as he is now playing for the same club as his retired idol Joe van Niekerk. “He was a hero. I used to play eighth man and really looked up to him and think he was an amazing player. I got a signed photo when I was a youngster, I could have been six or seven, maybe a little bit older.

“His face is dotted around all over town, all over the campus. Unfortunately I missed the legends hall of fame reunion before I arrived. It would have been great to have met him in person but I’m captaining the club which he used to do.

“That is fantastic. I’m not trying to be him or anything like that, but we have followed a little similar pathway. He didn’t get much love in South African rugby, went off and made this massive name here in this town. I’ve had a lot of support and love from the supporters so far and the club, and I’ve extended my stay. I feel very loved by everyone.”

Ribbans has excelled despite the tightening regs where match squads must include a minimum 15 French-qualified players. “There are some issues with Jiff numbers putting more pressure on coaches to play more French players. We are obviously struggling a little bit with that at the moment. It’s tough for our coach Pierre Mignoni to manage week in and week out who can and can’t play.

“That is where the landscape of French rugby is changing but in terms of the appetite for rugby, a World Cup boosts it that bit more and it definitely did it last year. There is such a love for it here, really deep passion for rugby. When you win you are the king of the town and when you lose it’s best to stay in and have dinner at home. That’s Toulon for you.”

Ribbans’ parents were recent visitors with his sister. When he first moved to England, the travel in each direction was more frequent but his last summer break was the first time he was back in Somerset West outside Cape Town in two and a half years. When the Investec Champions Cup draw was made in July in Cardiff, he was tickled by the prospect of facing the Stormers in his home city.

However, a fixture clash means his December family and friends reunion will happen 750kms east along the South African coast. “Unfortunately we are not playing in Cape Town which is a real shame. Everyone wanted to come but there is Cape Town SVNS the same day we play Stormers, so we are moving to Port Elizabeth. Cape Town would have been a real 360 for me. Last year I went to play Northampton and now it’s Stormers which would have been pretty special but we will have to settle for Port Elizabeth.”

Ribbans never played for the Stormers. Western Province was as far as he got when he left for England as a 21-year-old. Might we ever see him don the URC franchise’s jersey? “To play in South Africa, you never say never as the opportunity might arise but I am here now for another four years. I’m starting to get a bit older in my career. Maybe we will favour a little stint there but it is not on the immediate cards.”