Back where he belongs
15 Jun 2010
After a difficult period at tighthead prop, John Smit has returned to hooker. And he wants to stay there.
In the latest issue of SA Rugby magazine, on sale this week, Smit reveals how he feared for his safety when he was moved to tighthead prop in 2008, and how the constant media attention on the positional switch drove him crazy.
He goes on to explain why hooker is his best position and says he plans to finish his Test career in the No 2 jersey.
Smit also talks about how his leadership role has changed since 2007, why he doesn’t like to be rested, working with Os du Randt, and having to shed weight to play hooker again.
Also in the new issue:
– Super 14 wrap: We rate all five South African franchises, and pay tribute to the champion Bulls. Eddie Jones, in his first column for the magazine, looks back on the Soweto final and where it was won and lost.
– New Springbok scrum coach Os du Randt on what went wrong with the set piece last year, his ideal front row, and bringing back South Africa’s overseas stars
– Springbok assistant coaches Gary Gold and Dick Muir have had a major influence on the team’s playing philosophy
– Zane Kirchner is ready to establish himself at fullback for the Springboks
– If there’s one thing the All Blacks fear ahead of this year’s Tri-Nations, it’s getting caught out again by the Springboks
– When Will Genia arrived in Australia a decade ago, he hadn’t even heard of rugby union. Now he’s one of the world’s most dangerous scrumhalves
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– Dan Carter on his Super 14 struggles, why the All Blacks will pose a serious threat in the Tri-Nations, his ideal halfback partner, and next year’s World Cup in New Zealand
– SA Rugby magazine looks at the evolution of Super Rugby from the first instalment in 1996 to the competition’s new format in 2011
– Southern Kings CEO Stephan Pretorius on Saru’s empty promises, Alan Solomons’ role as director of rugby, and transformation
– Butch James: ‘I want to play in another World Cup’
– Mike Catt heads into retirement as one of England’s greats, writes former team-mate Will Greenwood
122 Comments
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14 Jun 2010, 15:53 pm
Someone’s gonna be grounded after all of this…
14 Jun 2010, 15:54 pm
@The Dude(RaynoG)-99:
no linguistic expertise?
a lisp?
cannot use vowels?
I give up, tell me!
sorry – that was the last one…
14 Jun 2010, 15:57 pm
@Frankly speaking(Frankly speaking)-101:
14 Jun 2010, 16:11 pm
@ DOOMSAYER
You dont listen do you? I respectfully asked you to stop being boring. Maybe you’ll listen to your mother. I’d tell her but she just loves it under the sheets. I guess she cant get enough of my BIG LEBOWSKI
14 Jun 2010, 16:18 pm
@The Dude(RaynoG)-104:
You know the Big Lebowski was a middle-aged, half-limp, could-not-get-up-to-work sorta guy, right?
14 Jun 2010, 16:23 pm
also, doing a momma joke is the same as grunting and flinging poop
kindergarden stuff
14 Jun 2010, 16:23 pm
Nothing limp about mine
14 Jun 2010, 16:29 pm
@The Dude(RaynoG)-107:
if you gonna defend it, there is usually some truth to it…
own up Dude, you eat viagra with your kellogs for breakfast, every morning you are like NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM as you throw those little blue bad-boys down your gullet…
14 Jun 2010, 16:32 pm
now, since I have made you my prison b!tch, I formally request you change your nick to Doomsayer’s Prison B!tch and all is forgiven
14 Jun 2010, 16:46 pm
DOMSAYER
U r k*k vissin
14 Jun 2010, 23:06 pm
So after vilifying every blogger critical of John Smit at 3, especially Grant, now it seems that we were not that wrong after all.
Kak 3.
Very good 2.
Great captain.
But every dog has it’s day, and John’s days are every shorter.
Such is the life of a professional sportsman. No shame in that. And certainly no shame for John Smit, an all time great Springbok.
15 Jun 2010, 07:27 am
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-111: LOL
Soda….perhaps i took it too far…..but i really felt strongly that our WC hopes would be be under pressure with a makeshift 3……
and you were 100 % correct when you once commented that you feared for smits safety.
Anyway, its water under the bridge…..thankfully the experts saw it our way.
15 Jun 2010, 07:58 am
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-111: everyone knew Smit’s best position was hooker, however some also knew he is capable of doing a job at tighthead – and he did, for 15 tests to the tune of 12 victories and two major trophies culiminating the Boks best year since…?
15 Jun 2010, 08:00 am
must say he looks very tight and slow in the legs in that video
15 Jun 2010, 08:02 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-113: and if it was up to you and some other morons on this site he would still be at 3 turbo reversing…..
15 Jun 2010, 08:06 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-113: and coming from a country that has always prided itself on your scrumming prowess you should be bloody ashamed of yourself…..
attempting to convince us of the merits of TURBO REVERSE SCRUM….BLOODY DISGRACEFUL…..YOU DONT THINK ALL SAFFAS ARE AS DOF AS THE SMIT APOLOGISTS ON THIS SITE DO YOU?
15 Jun 2010, 08:06 am
@grant10(grant10)-115: come now
you know most would have Smit at 2 with BDP out
The debate was never about Smit’s best position, it was always about whether he was the best 3 in SA and to be honest with BJ in the NH and factoring in his leadership, he probably still is!
15 Jun 2010, 08:08 am
In fact BH….instead of trying to weaken our scrum i suggest you attempt to influence the poms on how to win a test match….for that matter it appears there football team needs a bit of assistance too.
15 Jun 2010, 08:09 am
@grant10(grant10)-116: chill g10, it’s too early to get into a turbo-reversing tailspin
Scrums can be important, but winning is even more important. We had all the scrum dominance last weekend and lost!
15 Jun 2010, 08:10 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-117: end of debate…..you are so delusional now this is less than boring……
Smit better get into tip top shape….a certain B D P is starting to play again in August!
We will not tolerate 2 nd best anymore…..we are farken deadly serious about defending Bill.
The new wave is here….smashing on the door, all and sundry need to prove they are the very best.
klaar
15 Jun 2010, 08:13 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-119: you know that argument is utter kak…..trying to convince that a turbo reberse scrum is in any way acceptable is a defeatist, weak kneed response and is nothing less than contemptible and the weakest message of all time!
Perhaps reflective of your rugby team, not ours……
We had a problem, a glaring one….thank fark we big enough to admit and fix it…..never again do i want to see a replay of the 2009 scrum fiasco.
outta here
15 Jun 2010, 08:14 am
@grant10(grant10)-120: I’m not convinced about the new wave of SA players just yet, tougher tests await them. I think the ABs might well take it this year, Boks might well have lost too many star players to win in NZ. Should be interesting.
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