‘I never got a chance to prove myself’
19 Nov 2010
England’s South African-born-flank Hendré Fourie wants to make a statement against the Boks, writes GAVIN MORTIMER in SA Rugby magazine.
You know Hendré Fourie is well on his way to becoming a fully-fledged Englishman when he starts salivating at the mention of fish and chips and Yorkshire puddings. And he’s also partial to a pint of warm beer.
It’s been five years since the 31-year-old Fourie packed his bags and headed to England, taking up the offer of a part-time contract with Rotherham, a Yorkshire club then in Division One. Two years later he joined Leeds – becoming a full-time professional in the process – and what has happened since has been, in Fourie’s own words, ‘a fairytale’. He was first selected for the England A team in February 2010 and his ball carrying and fierce defence then earned him a call-up to the senior squad for the June tour to Australia and New Zealand.
‘It was a complete shock,’ admits Fourie. ‘Me and the missus had gone to the cinema in the evening and halfway during the film I saw my phone flashing. I didn’t answer it because I didn’t want to disturb people but I looked at the number and didn’t recognise it. As we left the cinema I said to my wife, “What are the chances it’s [England manager] Martin Johnson?” Then I listened to the message and it was him, congratulating me on making the England squad.’
Unfortunately for Fourie things didn’t quite go according to plan once in Australia. A niggling calf injury flared up during the first game – England’s 28-28 draw with the Australian Barbarians – and he was replaced at half-time to play no further part in the tour. But it wasn’t all doom and gloom.
‘I probably played some of the best rugby I’ve ever played in that first half against the Baa-Baas,’ he says.
Johnson clearly agreed with Fourie’s assessment because when he announced his 32-man elite playing squad in July, Fourie had made the cut. He won his first Test cap against New Zealand two weeks ago, and nothing would give him greater pleasure than to line up against the Springboks next Saturday.
‘That would be special,’ he says with a laugh. ‘And if I could be involved in scoring the winning try it would be even better as it would show South Africa they were wrong to let me go.’
The words are spoken in jest but one senses that Fourie, by nature a cheerful, easy-going man, stills feels the bitter pang of rejection by South Africa. Born in Burgersdorp and educated at Free State University, he played for Shimlas before representing the Free State Cheetahs in the Vodacom Cup. When he missed out on selection for the Vodacom Cup squad in 2005, Fourie decided to try his luck in England.
Reflecting on that difficult period of his life (Fourie considered quitting rugby and putting his degree in software development to better use), he says: ‘I think South Africa could improve the way they go about identifying talent at an early age. I appreciate that there’s a vast pool of talent in the country but I feel I never got a chance to prove myself and I know there were many others like me.’
Fourie’s other disadvantage was his size. At 1.83m and 108kg he’s not the biggest flanker in world rugby and though the likes of Neil Back, George Smith and Serge Betsen have all proved to be world-class openside flankers, the tradition in South Africa is to select players who are 1.90m plus.
‘When I left school I was told I wasn’t big enough to play flank,’ Fourie explains. ‘So I spent three years as a hooker. Eventually in about 2002 I reverted to playing flank but there’s definitely a trend in South Africa to pick big opensiders. I was delighted to see Heinrich Brüssow break through last season and show what he can do despite being smaller than me [Brüssow is 1.81m and 105kg].’
At Leeds Fourie has come under the wing of one of the great opensiders of recent times, Neil Back, another small man but one whose heart lacks nothing in size. Nor does his brain, and already Fourie says he’s learnt a great deal from the 66-Test veteran.
‘He’s done so much to improve my game,’ Fourie says. ‘He gives me small tips, little things you might not think are that important, but they are and they’ve made me so much better as a player. But it’s also his advice on my lifestyle – from what I eat to how I prepare for games – that has helped.’
The respect is mutual and at the start of the English Premiership season Back declared that he was expecting great things from Fourie this year.
‘For me, Hendré was the standout openside flanker in the Premiership last season,’ says Back. ‘He was doing everything slightly better than some great players in the Premiership … if he plays as well as he can this season, he can get that starting role with England.’
Far from heaping pressure on Fourie’s shoulders, the assessment has given him a greater incentive to force his way into the England team.
‘When a player like Neil Back says that about you it can only give you a boost because if he believes it, you must be doing something right. I certainly believe I can do it [play for England]; my armoury is good enough and if I play well for Leeds every week I don’t see why I can’t play for England. It should be the ambition of every player to be No 1 in his position and I’m no different.’
When Fourie returned home from the cinema with Johnson’s message still ringing in his ears, one of the first things he did was phone his dad in South Africa.
‘He was so proud he was almost in tears,’ recalls Fourie. ‘All my family have been supportive of me and when I was back in South Africa in July for a few weeks my friends were congratulating me. I’ve had nothing but positive feedback.’
It’s unlikely that Fourie’s dad will make it to Twickenham in November (getting a visa at short notice is difficult – even for the father of an international rugby player) so he’ll have to content himself with watching the matches on TV. But Fourie believes his dad will see an England side coming to the boil just in time for next year’s World Cup.
‘The balance of youth and experience is now there in the squad,’ says Fourie. ‘Martin Johnson has shown faith in the players and that’s given us the confidence to go out there and play the way we can. If players feel they have the support of the coach it makes them much more secure and that will show in the way they play.’
England’s results on their mid-year tour to Australia and New Zealand were mixed: played five, won two, drew one, lost two, but the most significant result was the 21-20 victory in the second Test against Australia, only their third Test win Down Under in 47 years of trying.
‘I wasn’t surprised by the win,’ says Fourie, ‘because even though we’d lost the first Test there was a positive attitude running through the squad and we knew it was just a question of making the odd tweak here and there.’
England’s win against the Wallabies was more than South Africa managed in Australia in this year’s Tri-Nations, but Fourie doesn’t believe that there’s too much wrong with the Springboks.
‘I wouldn’t be too worried,’ he says. ‘The margins in Test rugby are so narrow that one missed tackle – as happened against New Zealand [in Soweto] – and the game is lost. South Africa beat New Zealand three times in 2009 and this time it’s the other way round.’
Fourie has been impressed by what he’s seen of the All Blacks this season, though a wry smile escapes his lips as he lavishes praise on Richie McCaw and his boys.
‘They have been awesome, haven’t they? But then they were like this the year before the previous World Cup and then they faded come the tournament. It’s all looking a little bit familiar.’
As befits a man of Fourie’s positive outlook, he’s quite happy to state that he has every intention of playing in next year’s World Cup – particularly as his family would have time to get visas – but he knows there’s a lot of work to be done between now and then. First he needs to get a good season under his belt at Leeds, one of the Premiership’s smallest clubs in terms of finance and resources. This year they’ll be bolstered by the presence of one of John Smit’s great adversaries, England’s World Cup-winning hooker Steve Thompson, and at lock there’s the formidable bulk of Marco Wentzel, the former Blue Bull.
‘Marco is the best lineout technician I’ve ever seen,’ says Fourie. ‘Last year he got the most steals in the Premiership and the work he puts into organising attack and defence moves in the lineout is amazing.’
The calf injury that forced Fourie’s withdrawal from the tour to Australia has been fixed and he’s eager to impress now that the season has started. The English winter is already on its way so it won’t be long before Fourie’s knee deep in mud in the teeth of a raging gale. All a long way from his days playing for the Cheetahs, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. After all, Bloemfontein’s not known for the quality of its Yorkshire puddings …
– This article first appeared in the November issue of SA Rugby magazine. The December issue is on sale next week.
76 Comments
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19 Nov 2010, 10:13 am
pom dragon
19 Nov 2010, 10:14 am
Cannot remember this guy at all.
19 Nov 2010, 10:19 am
‘Marco is the best lineout technician I’ve ever seen,’ says Fourie
I should introduce you to a guy I like to call “Big Vic”.
But congrats on getting selected, all the best. Just not against the Boks though.
19 Nov 2010, 10:23 am
People “couldn’t remember” Kevin Pietersen either. Obscure guy from KZN somewhere. Fringe provincial player. And then…
19 Nov 2010, 10:26 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler) : And then he hit the shlt out of the Kiwi bowlers. See, even our rejects are giving you okes sticks!
19 Nov 2010, 10:26 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler) :
The same guy that many wants dropped from the English side now?
19 Nov 2010, 10:30 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler) : And then? What? What’s his win/loss record against SA?
19 Nov 2010, 10:55 am
KP is just going through a slump.
As much as I dislike him he is averaging 47 in tests and this after his average was in the mid 50′s.
19 Nov 2010, 11:03 am
@wpw(wpw) : Hashim Amla: 47.11
Graeme Smith:51.35
Jacques Kallis:55.69
Ashwell Prince:43.02
AB de Villiers: 45.07
We dont miss him.
19 Nov 2010, 11:08 am
I have nothing against this guy’s decision. He needs to earn a living too. He has shown no disrespect to the Bok..
19 Nov 2010, 11:09 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler) : Your SA neighbours don’t remember you either.
19 Nov 2010, 11:15 am
@Tegejo(Tegejo) : But in all fairness, even Bangladesh destroyed the Kiwi bowling attack. So nothing to write home about, really.
19 Nov 2010, 11:16 am
I literally have never heard of this guy.
are they giving poms south african names to make them sound more intimidating?
sneakyfuckers
19 Nov 2010, 11:26 am
@gunther(gunther) :
Now there’s a conspiracy theory of note! I said “conspiracy theory”. Poppa should be along any moment now.
19 Nov 2010, 11:35 am
stills feels the bitter pang of rejection by South Africa
What a load of rubbish. This oke didn’t make the side. He wasnt good enough. Brussouw is better. No debate.
19 Nov 2010, 11:39 am
South Africans have an un natural obsession with players who never cut the mustard here, and then leave to foreign markets and become a success.
Sowerby, Gerard Vosloo, Daan Human, this oke, the oke who supposedly was going to play lock for Waratahs, the Sharks flyhalf who played for Perpignan – you name it. These okes are all average and doing well where they are. Good for them. I am happy for them.
But not for SA thanks. They are not good enough.
19 Nov 2010, 11:42 am
Someone enlighten me please…is this worth reading?
Because if it’s another South African oke who has gone abroad because he felt unwanted in his homeland (sound familiar?), and now feels the need to vent his opinion having ‘made it’ then I really don’t want to be wasting my precious life away reading it.
19 Nov 2010, 11:45 am
@wpw(wpw) : A 3 year slump?
19 Nov 2010, 11:46 am
this @Cheetah Champs(Cheetha Champs) : this chap doesn’t play like brussow but what i’ve seen of him is impressive.he is one powerful boy and is probably on the same level as alberts if not better.naturally he is a million miles away from schalk burger!
19 Nov 2010, 11:48 am
@bluejay(bluejay) : A million miles away? In which direction?
Just kidding, Schalk is legend.
19 Nov 2010, 11:54 am
Just because you made the England squad doesnt mean you are good enough for the Springboks.
19 Nov 2010, 12:03 pm
@Tbozknows(Tbozknows) : he can earn a decent enough living without playing for England!!! He is not even close to being an Englishman???
19 Nov 2010, 12:05 pm
PS: Who remembers when Steve Meyer quit rugby… and sharks’s world was falling apart, losing 3 world class flyhalfs in 12 months… then lambie came along
19 Nov 2010, 12:07 pm
@Oxy moron(cjgrove) : Please name those 3 world class flyhalfs they lost? Surely Steve isnt included in this count of yours?
19 Nov 2010, 12:07 pm
Shouldnt be allowed – 5 years – the English team is becoming more cosmopolitian than ice cream – they need a chinese guy in their team just for their BEE status
19 Nov 2010, 12:13 pm
Not even good enough to be noticed in SA and yet plays for England? Good on him but it asks some serious questions about our training and coaching if average players can, after a few years away, front up against us. Maybe not win, but still play.
With our natural talent in SA we really don’t have any excuse, we should be everyone every week.
19 Nov 2010, 12:14 pm
@Oxy moron(cjgrove) : And why Meyer ‘quit’ we don’t know either… odd.
19 Nov 2010, 12:36 pm
The race for presidency at the moment looks to be between current president Cheeky Watson and Harlequins president Willie Blundin, who has made himself available.
Blundin claims to have the backing of a number of rural clubs who apparently feel neglected by the Watson administration.
If blundin takes over from Cheeky then EP be in his moer again… don’t these people ever learn? FFS!
19 Nov 2010, 12:37 pm
@Tomatoboy_ralepelle(quota_conrad_jantjies_is_jorrie_muller) : They are both as dodgy as old prawn curry.
19 Nov 2010, 12:41 pm
Cheeky got EP a Boks vs NZ test … he probably will get EP/Kings a Super Rugby place
.. he got EP a decent coach and some decent players ….
EP no longer the laughing stock and also a few star players waiting to sign …
What a disaster it will be if he is replaced
19 Nov 2010, 12:51 pm
@Tomatoboy_ralepelle(quota_conrad_jantjies_is_jorrie_muller) : And all at the expense of rugby… the whole notion is foolish. It’s like expecting Arkansas to become the new hollywodd because the people of Arkansas feel ‘left out’.
Not going to happen
19 Nov 2010, 13:30 pm
Ok so soon the joke will be:
Q: Where do the English Rugby team stay when they tour SA
A: With their parents!
19 Nov 2010, 13:40 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy) : And where do the WP boys stay? With their boyfriends LOL ha ahahahah sorry couldn’t resist.
19 Nov 2010, 13:48 pm
Good luck big guy, take your opportunity wherever it presents itself.
19 Nov 2010, 14:43 pm
@goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2) : 26
That is a very important point.
Imagine our pool of talent nurtured in better coaching and training structures.
But in most SA high schools, the onnie who looks the toughest (usually with a beard, but not compulsory) is handed a whistle and a rugby ball. His advice to the backline at halftime is usually “to tekkel”.
19 Nov 2010, 14:51 pm
as he says he left because he couldnt make it into the cheetahs vodacom squad.he also states there are many players like him.it is all about getting opportunities and taking them.being in form when a great player is injured and so on.unfortunately thats life.well done on not quitting but dont blame south africa for not giving you a chance.good luck with your career and may you never win against south africa!
19 Nov 2010, 15:10 pm
The thing is, like many talented players who showed potential, there are only so many teams to play for. At the moment, Loose forward is a position that is well covered. Think of the guys that went overseas that DID make provincial, Super Rugby teams like Joe, Robbie Diack, Justin Melk, Shaun Sowerbey. Many of those guys showed even more promise than him and still couldn’t find a future here, internationally speaking.
Having said all that, all the best to him, go and show them how it’s done fella!!
19 Nov 2010, 15:24 pm
31 years of age, what a talent.
19 Nov 2010, 16:25 pm
Good on yer Hendre Fourie. He’s made his opportunities as a pro rugger player instead of taking the victim quota route.
Its also notable that he has developed far further as a player in England than he would have in SA…
Its either not a good advertisement for SA player development or just demonstrates the extent of raw talent that exists in Bokland.
19 Nov 2010, 16:41 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game) :
It is both, really.
Even though I think the pendulum tilts towards the raw talent bit.
19 Nov 2010, 16:48 pm
@willievz(willievz) : 40. Ja, Willie. I agree with you.
So many players who do not shine in SA, really do well in other countries.
Its almost a case of not fitting the “mould” or ideal player type in SA, but when not shackled by this orthodoxy seem to develop in countries with different systems and different outlooks on the game…
19 Nov 2010, 16:56 pm
Very similar article to this was in the Sunday Times in June/July. They also had the call-up in the cinema story at the top. Original, SA Rugby!
Fourie’s nothing special really. Bok fans have nothing to fear from him.
19 Nov 2010, 17:22 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game) : 41
In addition to those points you mentioned, players applying their trade abroad also rediscovered the joy of playing rugby.
They enjoy their rugby a lot more without the added pressure of having to perform in their own backyard and pleasing their own media & Keo bloggers.
And, of course, they enjoy the added coin.
I recommend an overseas excursion for any person, rugby player or not. I am living and travelling abroad at current and enjoy myself thoroughly; I can just imagine how some rugby players enjoy themselves!
19 Nov 2010, 17:24 pm
@willievz(willievz) : I agree with you Willie
and dont worry about HG..
apparently he travels to France quite regularly..
19 Nov 2010, 17:26 pm
@poppa69(poppa69) :
Hehe, it is about time we agree
19 Nov 2010, 17:28 pm
@willievz(willievz) :
been fortunate myself to travel the world, it really is the best education one can get…
19 Nov 2010, 17:30 pm
@willievz(willievz) : 41. Yeah, likewise. Its a big world of different outlooks and cultures, but at the same time everything is close: Nothing more than a flight, train, phonecall or videocon away.
“Broadening your horizons” comes to mind…and pro rugby is no different to other professions in that way.
Ja, enjoyment is key.
19 Nov 2010, 17:31 pm
@poppa69(poppa69) : 44. Not as often as I would like, knobber
19 Nov 2010, 17:32 pm
@poppa69(poppa69) : 46. Yeah, I suppose travelling to Pitcairn and back does broaden the horizons somewhat…
19 Nov 2010, 17:34 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game) : you and me both
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