Judging Monty
17 Jul 2006
Is Percy Montgomery the greatest fullback to have played for the Springboks?
This is the question SA Rugby magazine put to HO de Villiers, Gysie Pienaar and Andre Joubert – three other No 15s who excelled in the green and gold. Get the new issue, on sale this week, to find out where they put Monty in the pecking order, why they don’t think Jake White’s game plan suits him, and why the Boks would struggle without him.
Also in the mag:
– Schalk’s Bok burnout: Statistical evidence that Schalk has been overplayed at Test level
– Pierre Spies: “I want to be the greatest loose forward in the world”
– Danie Rossouw breaks new ground
– Greg Rawlinson on learning the haka and the prospect of doing it against the Boks
– Dan Vickerman: “I will always be South African”
– Champs to chumps: The demise of England rugby
– Special report on the use of impact players
– We visit Butch James’s new Waterfront apartment
– Keegan Daniel on the U21 World Championship
– Ross Skeate: “I’ve done a lot to get to this point”
– Columns from Naas, Keo and Mallett
89 Comments
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17 Jul 2006, 12:41 pm
50
17 Jul 2006, 12:45 pm
Soda,
……?
17 Jul 2006, 12:46 pm
Percy aka Johnny Bravo is over the hill and part of the backline problem.
Pick Pietersen or anybody else.
Don’t blame Spies for the fact that the coach picked him out of position, Joe v Niekerk out of position and no fetcher!
17 Jul 2006, 12:53 pm
The best must be Andre Joubert, although I am not old enough to have seen Gysie etc play, but Joubert was a hero.
Hope JP Pietersen fulfills his potential and becomes one of the greats, possibly the greatest.
Even WP’s Pietersen is brilliant
17 Jul 2006, 12:54 pm
When Jorrie comes back as fullback you will all eat your words!
17 Jul 2006, 12:55 pm
#47 Quinnyshark, who is Mini-slaptjips? That is an awful backline, but Greef might get in there and also Adrian Jacobs
17 Jul 2006, 13:01 pm
Exactly. Spies hasn’t play No 8 since high school.
17 Jul 2006, 13:01 pm
Percy is the greatest ever!!!
17 Jul 2006, 13:11 pm
Bokfan,
Mini-Slaptjips is Chris Rossouw, who somehow managed to get a call up a few years back…
Hmmm, forgot about Greeff & was close between Jacobs & Bobo!
17 Jul 2006, 13:18 pm
Given the current apparent state of Bok rugby, I would advise against publishing a “Champs to Chumps” article now.
17 Jul 2006, 13:22 pm
Percy is my *****
17 Jul 2006, 13:24 pm
King Percy!!
17 Jul 2006, 13:42 pm
Andre Joubert is the greatest to have ever played for the boks end of story
17 Jul 2006, 13:55 pm
joubert not that i have seen the others that played before him. montgomery doesn’t have an attacking edge that other fullbacks have.
spies thinks he is zinzan brooke by kicking all that ball away
17 Jul 2006, 14:16 pm
Heunis was the most complete full back ever in SA.
Fast, strong and a very good runner. Prolific kicker with both feet and brilliant tactical play.
17 Jul 2006, 14:19 pm
HO sou floreer het in hedenhaagse rugby, hy het moderne heelagterspel in SA geskep (1972-1977). Met daai paar groot bobene en reguit hardloopstyl kon hy dwarsdeur n pak voorspelers hardloop. Die veiligste hande op aarde.
Na hom is dit Jouba en dan Gysie, wat my betref. HO en Jouba was spesialis heelagters, Heunis was ewe tuis op vleuel. As ek reg onthou het beide hy en broer Chris vleuel gespeel vir OP (1980.
So, n man moet ver terugdink om beter as Percy te kry(gee die duiwel wat hom toekom!)
17 Jul 2006, 14:26 pm
LMAO katman (24), ja we probably shouldn’t take the piss, at least he made an attempted tackle, which was a damn sight better than the rest.
Jacques Fourie excluded. Solid as they come.
17 Jul 2006, 14:27 pm
13 Capeflatsboy. Jou pa onthou goed!! Maar hy sal ook onthou dat Lionel Wilson alles in ‘slow motion’ gedoen het. Hy was bestendig ja, maar darem te stadig, hy het n man se senuwees opgemaak met daai jakkalsdraffie van hom. Die ‘Rots van Gibraltar’ onder die hoe bal, dit was hy wel.
17 Jul 2006, 14:34 pm
Whos going to buy a mag that asks such stupid dumb arsed questions as that.
HO Gysie and Joubert must of pissed their pants when asked the question
17 Jul 2006, 14:44 pm
Percy will drop 7 out of 10 high balls
17 Jul 2006, 14:47 pm
Good one budacat
17 Jul 2006, 15:09 pm
I find it quite amusing how many of you seem to recall Andre Joubert as some kind of flawless player that never let his team down.
You must have very short memories to not remember the dismal games (and seasons) that Andre Joubert had.
In losing teams that performed poorly, Andre Joubert looked just as bad as Percy did on Saturday.
And if you’re going to critisize Percy’s defence then you really shouldn’t be mentioning Andre Joubert, because I dont think there has ever been a worse defensive fullback in Springbok history.
I’ll never forget Andre Joubert leaking tackles in countless games because of poor defensive play and a lack of courage/commitment in the tackle.
Reality check people – Andre Joubert had a few good seasons just like Percy, but when Joubert was bad….he was VERY bad…
Percy Montgomery looked bad on Saturday just as every other player in the team did. When you’re constantly on the back foot, under preasure, and trailing by 20 or more points, you’re always going to try overcompensate, and this is just going to lead to even worse play.
It wouldn’t have mattered who was playing fullback on Saturday.
Also keep in mind that in a position like Fullback you are more exposed than any other player and you’ll always be forced to clean up the mess made by other players – so when your wings, centres, flanks, etc. are missing tackles you’re going to be left with the job.
Percy puts his heart into every match he plays and he might not be perfect (critisism of him under the high-ball is fair), but he’s still the best 15 we have, and when the rest of the team does their job and he can play his own game, then he consistently delivers.
Dont have such short memories and stop trying to romantisize players of the past era as though they were perfect.
They weren’t – they were just as flawed and they never played at the same level of profesional competition as today. Gysie, HO, Andre….they would have all looked bad on Saturday.
Cheers
17 Jul 2006, 15:20 pm
thanks for that neil montgomery, when is boetie retiring ?
17 Jul 2006, 15:27 pm
Well said Neil.
I agree with you 100%.
Monty has played every position in the backline,was coached at school by HO De Villiers and has been chosen by every Springbok coach if my memory serves me correct.
Form is temporary,class is permanent.
And as Danie Craven would say..check the scoreboard and see how many points he has scored for the Springboks.
17 Jul 2006, 15:50 pm
Neil, one of the best ever comments I have ever read to shut up the anti-Percy, pro Roets crowd.
17 Jul 2006, 16:07 pm
TGHM QD !!!
17 Jul 2006, 16:07 pm
The answer is NO he aint the best.
17 Jul 2006, 16:41 pm
No!!!!! Percy`s one of Jake White`s GAT GABBA`s!!:smile:
17 Jul 2006, 16:52 pm
He’s the blondest.
17 Jul 2006, 17:28 pm
en waarskynlik die domste…
17 Jul 2006, 18:59 pm
All you guys forget about oorle Gerbrand Grobler, now there was a complete fullback! RIP.
17 Jul 2006, 19:43 pm
I am the best Fullback we ever had!
I played outside centre for the thirds and came on once as fullback for the seconds.
I was unstoppable.
The opposing 10 kicked the ball downfield, I gathered on the second bounce.
I sidestepped, I swerved, I Handed Off and I evaded a tackle.
I beat a few Props and Locks for pace and chrashed throug the tackle of the scrummie.
Then I passed.
Out.
17 Jul 2006, 22:52 pm
Geez must be a **** mag to ask such a dumb question on it’s front cover. Percy can kick, but is very average elsewhere. Joubert was the greatest and built like a perfect # 15!
18 Jul 2006, 16:29 pm
Joubert also had his flaws!
Monty was one of the main reasons for the Sharks success in the S14 & sure he wasn’t in best kicking form but 7 tries is speak for themselves even if they are intercepted.
Monty is not being properly
I haven’t seen monty get a proper ball in a backline move at speed since the first scotland test when he scored!
I’ll vote for monty…
19 Jul 2006, 12:23 pm
Is Pissy the greatest 15 ever for SA – Hell no!!
Is Pissy the gayest 15 ever for SA – Hell yes!!
24 Jul 2006, 13:59 pm
Mag sucks (This is my sour grapes taking over)
Simon, why do you only put Grrr, London shark etc in the mag….is our opinion that dull?
If I dont see my name in the next issue, I will stop buying it!!!
2 Aug 2006, 10:24 am
Percy seems to be only choice at moment, would have liked to see some one else tried vs World XV.
Pity Jake has no Faith in Brent, he worlds best finnisher! Percy best Kicker by far, byut Finnisher, he is not.
Jake listen to great rugby minds, Pick Brent
7 Aug 2006, 19:49 pm
Monty wouldn’t be afganistan’s best ever fullback
31 Aug 2006, 12:57 pm
jake, open your eyes, johan roets is the best fullback ever, even for a bulls player
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