Brisbane will get hairy
11 Jul 2006
Joe van Niekerk’s proud revelation about how one of George Smith’s dreadlocks came into Springbok possession raises the question of what our national side’s priorities are.
Smith is one of the few players who has maintained his dreadlocked hairstyle throughout his career, and as Big Joe will tell you, having long hair at the breakdown can be a big mistake.
Van Niekerk has broken the silence of a story involving a bet amongst the Springboks during a Vodacom Tri-Nations match, where the man in possession of one of Smith’s matted extensions at fulltime would receive a monetary reward. Werner Greef allegedly took the prize, but there’s more to the tale than that.
“It was AJ Venter who said he would give $100 (about R700) to the man who came off the field with one of Smith’s dreadlocks,” Van Niekerk told the Cape Argus’s Dale Granger. “AJ himself then surfaced from one of the rucks with it, but somehow it ended up in De Wet Barry’s pocket. Afterwards he came into the dressing room smiling and said: ‘Guess what AJ. I’ve got his dreadlock.’ Thereafter I’ve got no idea how it ended up with Werner.”
The Springboks and the Wallabies have always maintained a fierce and physical rivalry, but the pulling out of an opponent’s hair does appear to be a bit much. Things are obviously intense at rucktime, and while nobody expects players to quiz each other on Western ettiquette or exchange quiche recipes, there has to a line that is drawn somewhere.
Rugby will always be a rough game, and it’s players will always be subject to injuries, but physically removing appendages from an opponent’s body? What’s next on the Springboks hitlist, Richie McCaw’s fingernails? Or perhaps one of Nathan Sharpe’s teeth?
Van Niekerk’s comments will do little to help the Bok cause, and could inspire an Aussie onslaught. Already one of the best fetchers in the modern game, Smith doesn’t need much inspiration to get out onto the park and perform to his potential, but the flapping of Big Joe’s tongue could add an intensity to the Wallaby flanker’s game that might cost the Boks dearly.
“He’s one good sharp player,” Van Niekerk admitted, “a beauty who’s been there for some time as a standout.”
This is not the first time that Van Niekerk has opened up verbally ahead of a crunch match between these two countries. When he was selected at No.8 for the last Vodacom Tri-Nations game held in Brisbane in 2003, he told the media how he could not wait to have a go at the Aussies.
On match day, scuffles escalated into brawls, and this fixture is where Bakkies Botha obtained his reputation as a dirty player amongst the Australian rugby public.
Van Niekerk may wear the No.6 jersey for the third time this season on Saturday and in doing so will go up against Smith. He has played in the position against the Wallabies before.
“I played No 6 against Australia in our first Tri-Nations match at Loftus last year (South Africa won 22-16) so it’s not entirely new to me. I would say it’s a pretty straightforward position and it’s quite clear what your job is.
“Having said that, the role of fetcher is not something you can just jump into. You play more direct, as opposed to having a roving brief. It’s not the friendliest position in the world, but I’ve got a job to do there. I’ll throw my head in there as long as it’s for the (good) of the team.”
Van Niekerk was also optimistic about the inclusion of 20-year-old Pierre Spies in the squad, even though this selection places more pressure on him as the senior member in the back row. Like Van Niekerk, Spies is a player with a surplus of speed and handles the ball like an inside back.
“He’s got all the attributes to be world class and he’s a huge talent,” he said. “He may not have played at this level, but as a pack we’ve got tons of Test experience now, so I don’t think it will be a problem.”
82 Comments
Pages: « 1 [2] Show All
11 Jul 2006, 16:35 pm
4Q2 – Van Niekerk told the Cape Argus’s Dale Granger….read the story properly you plonker !
11 Jul 2006, 16:35 pm
4q2- what happened to Riaan Loots. That happened on the field, you happy with leaving it at that?
11 Jul 2006, 16:37 pm
Ok, just found it will be Paul O’Honiss – the guy who told John Smit to talk to his team whilst he let the Irish played on and scored a try!
11 Jul 2006, 16:38 pm
4Q2, so what about the handbag ad the aussies used to get to the AB’s?
And every yr the NZ and Aussie media do the same. Who gives a toss?
11 Jul 2006, 16:43 pm
Joe you idiot, these stories are supposed to be put in your autobiography when you retire. Not to be brought up the week before a test match. If the Aussie press get hold of this you guys are ##$#$#@$.
11 Jul 2006, 16:48 pm
WPW, the handbag is the aussies getting at the Kiwi’s, not the Kiwi’s getting at themselves. The incident occurred in public, therefore you can bet it will be known, but the Kiwi journalist was as big a plonker as IG.
Ig, I know Granger wrote the story. It was JC that published that shite.
JC, death on the field and underhand tactics are 2 different things. Get Real.
11 Jul 2006, 16:55 pm
Actually the Argus printed/published it – we reproduced it.
11 Jul 2006, 17:00 pm
Just talking about motivation, I think the Aussie media actually threw the 1st klip this year, check out Dan Crowleys comments, he implies the Bokke are too thick to dominate the scrum. But Joe is a current player and should have known better.
11 Jul 2006, 17:06 pm
if comments like that motivates you as a player, you should never play the game.
things like this is simple media tactics to create a buzz around a match for fans, no-one else.
11 Jul 2006, 17:11 pm
Let the mind games begin…
#########################################################
11 Jul 2006, 17:17 pm
why edit my post?
11 Jul 2006, 17:17 pm
this is from rugbyheaven, Michael Foley:
“Their scrum performed very well against Scotland [in Tri Nations lead-up matches], but France definitely got the points decision,” Foley said. “So maybe that’s Jake’s way of interpreting the circumstance, that he wants to fire his front row up to take us on. So he’s going to try and get the best performance out of them. And it’s easy for Jake in the situation [after the Wallabies' loss last weekend] to sit there and look at that game and try and draw a focus and potentially try and create a panic attack. But irrespective of what Jake says we’re determined to address the issue we had last weekend.”
11 Jul 2006, 17:44 pm
Get some balls people. I can guarantee you that we are not going to lose a game just because of a stupid comment. We need all 15 players to play the game to win the game.
11 Jul 2006, 17:53 pm
Ai, die Sodomiete.
Ipv om op die bal te konsentreer, konsentreer hulle op die ander manne se hare.
11 Jul 2006, 18:40 pm
i am worried about the game come on boks only clever play and no missed tackles will win thisgame
11 Jul 2006, 18:51 pm
Stan,
Wat is ‘n Sodomiet????
11 Jul 2006, 19:08 pm
Oom Ronald is baie sweterig.
11 Jul 2006, 19:38 pm
Oh, how solemn must we be. What is wrong with some levity and let’s face it – there couldn’t have been much light-heartedness in Straeuli’s regime.
Good for them. If a guy plays with dreadlocks, he is looking for trouble. How stupid can one be. I feel so strongly about this, that I might pay the Boks to pull out a few more.
Anyway, they snap off quite easily at times. I plucked a bit of dreadlock off my friend’s jersey just this morning.
So, my offer is R50 per dread.
11 Jul 2006, 19:38 pm
The full dread.
11 Jul 2006, 20:05 pm
Go the bokkies
11 Jul 2006, 21:26 pm
Oom ronald is ‘n proffesor bedags en pedofiel snags….
11 Jul 2006, 21:39 pm
Die korrekte spelling is professor, Skim ou seun, en in rugbytaal is ‘n pedofiel ‘n keurder wat o/21 spelers kies voordat hulle hulleself tussen die groot ooms bewys het.
11 Jul 2006, 21:43 pm
Lang Giel, Het jy ‘n lang piel?
12 Jul 2006, 05:23 am
you see this is what happens when uninformed KIDS get to write for this site. JC, ive read better stories coming out of a grade 4 class than this sh*t you wrote!! Dry your eyes you soft ****!!
BOKKE – unleash hell on the aussies!!
Bring back more dread locks, and if anyone can produce teeth from the mouth of Australia’s biggest waste of space (Nathan Sharpe) then i’ll personally produce $100 for the player!!
12 Jul 2006, 06:14 am
I must say I find this storey pretty amusing and the only people who get revved up by these comments are the media and supporters. If you honestly think that George Smith and his Aussie muckers are going to suddenly raise their game on the back of these comments then quite frankly you are not to sharp yourselves. AND If the Aussies have to rely on comments in the media to raise their game then they do not deserve to be proffessional sportsmen.
Anyone who has played rugby will find this amusing – snapping off a brittle dreadlock is as bad as ripping someones shirt!!!!! A speartackle or clothesline tackle or raking to the head or punching etc these are 10 times worse than a bit of hair snapping!!
12 Jul 2006, 06:30 am
I am hoping someone will get a handbag when we play the all blacks.
12 Jul 2006, 08:13 am
Baas naas,
***** en Gomorra?
Soos in die groot boek?
12 Jul 2006, 10:17 am
Keo, you should sanction comments like those of Skim. Freedom of speech is one thing but the scribblings of a raving lunatic is another. I don’t think Media24 wants this type of trash on one of their sites.
On the other hand, if verbal sewage is going to be the standard, let the games begin.
12 Jul 2006, 10:27 am
Media 24 don’t own us ????
Careto mention the number fo the comment thats bugging you and i will have a llok at it !
Cheers
Ig
12 Jul 2006, 12:43 pm
Giel,
Sê net nee, en dan sal Skim jou uitlos.
Hy is n WP ondersteuner…
12 Jul 2006, 15:01 pm
Ig, no 73, but I think Stan has got it right. I know Media24 doesn’t own you but you are a permanent link on their English partners drop-down menu.
12 Jul 2006, 18:53 pm
All so complicated. Go the bokkies
Pages: « 1 [2] Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.