 Abbott played for South Africa at under-23 level. |
At the start of the summer, South African coach Rudolf Straeuli was confident he could coax Stuart Abbott into the fold for the Springboks' World Cup preparations. Straeuli had reason to be confident.
Abbott had been born in Cape Town to a South African father, spent the first 23 years of his life there and represented the land of his birth at under-23 international level.
But when Straeuli made enquiries about Abbott's availability ahead of the Springboks' summer warm-up games, the Wasps centre's answer came as something of a surprise.
Abbott, who qualifies for England through his Mancunian mother, said: "When Rudolf Straeuli rang I was only thinking of England even though I hadn't even been picked for the England tour at that stage.
"It was a bit of a chance to take."
Although a risk it paid off in style. Abbott shortly afterwards booked his flight with the England squad to Australia and New Zealand.
 | ABBOTT FACTFILE DOB: 3/6/78 Position: Centre Club: Wasps Former clubs: Western Province, Stormers Nickname: Silent assassin |
While he did not feature in either Test, he played in England's impressive 23-9 win against the New Zealand Maori before winning his first Test call-up for Saturday's game against Wales at the Millennium Stadium.
Abbott's route into England's starting line-up has hardly been the most conventional.
As well as playing for South Africa under-23, he played for Western Province and Super 12 side the Stormers.
In 2001, he decided he was not being used to his potential in South Africa and sealed a move to Wasps. But it was not his first sojourn in England.
He explained: "Back in 1999, Leicester had a lot of players out of the World Cup and they signed me for two months.
"I really enjoyed it and jumped at the chance to come back when Wasps showed an interest.
"But when I left South Africa it was a big decision. I wasn't thinking about playing for England then. I was going to play for a club."
Despite his recent choice of country, he insists his South African father and his friends back in Cape Town have been continually supportive.
|  I've still got to give 100% against Wales to earn a call-up for the World Cup |
He added: "My mum was really pleased with my choice, while my dad was not too fussed about me giving the Springboks a miss.
"As for my friends, they've all been quite supportive. I can't think of anyone who's given me any hassle."
That, however, may all change come 16 October when England take on South Africa in their second match of the World Cup.
"That's some way off," insisted Abbott. "I've still got to give 100% against Wales and earn a call-up for the World Cup. But that's not going to be easy with 43 players going for 30 places. It's down to how I perform."
Performance looks unlikely to be a major issue.
With his incredible ability to find the gap, he was integral as Wasps won the Zurich Premiership final last season as well as the Parken Pen Cup.
And England boss Clive Woodward said: "Stuart's clearly an immense talent who has his chance on Saturday to prove what he can do.
"I'm not close to finalising the squad yet so he, along with a lot of players, really have a chance to stake a claim."
Whatever the reaction in South Africa, Abbott will be relying on one Springbok die-hard for their support.
He added: "Should I get picked for the World Cup, my dad'll be cheering for us against South Africa."
MMIX
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
