Smith draws positives from testing time

Smith draws positives from testing time

11 Jan 2012

Injury-plagued Springbok and Cheetahs flank Juan Smith says his hunger for the game is stronger than ever.

Smith ran for the first time in 10 months on Tuesday and is set to participate in their pre-season friendlies. Smith has been sidelined with a serious Achilles tendon injury, which compounded a miserable year in which he also lost his father.

However, training by himself for the meanwhile, he ran relatively freely and is optimistic about his chances of recovering sufficiently to be included in the Cheetahs’ warm-up fixtures.

He admits that the period out of the game was mentally taxing but he gained perspective eventually. ‘Every player approaches an injury differently,’ Smith said. ‘I was depressed, especially when I couldn’t go to the World Cup.

‘But I went away and thought about it. I could continue to feel sorry for myself or I could see it as an opportunity to extend my career by a year. My hunger for the game is back and stronger than ever. I hope and pray I can play all the matches I’m selected for.’


119 Comments

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  • 101.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    11 Jan 2012, 13:39 pm

    @ufo-73: There are some classic predictive text “fails” on the web. Some of them had me in stitches.

  • 102.the artist formerly known as gunther: Reply to this comment
    11 Jan 2012, 13:42 pm

    And whilst I am solving the worlds problems we need look no further than hilton lobberts at lock.

  • 103.au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir...: Reply to this comment
    11 Jan 2012, 13:44 pm

    @H-79:
    bakkies is 124kg

  • 104.grant10: Reply to this comment
    11 Jan 2012, 13:45 pm

    @the artist formerly known as gunther-93: no man dont wish that on me

  • 105.>^..^< katman: Reply to this comment
    11 Jan 2012, 13:45 pm

    @the artist formerly known as gunther-102: Fckin A.

    Alongside a recalled Willem Alberts.

    Thanks for playing.

  • 106.ufo: Reply to this comment
    11 Jan 2012, 13:49 pm

    @stormersboy-101:

    :lol:

    yeah…

    some hilarious stuff… i’ve had quite a few pearlers myself…

    thing is it’s an apple thing… on my laptop now, not my mobile, and it’s happens on the computer too…

  • 107.the artist formerly known as gunther: Reply to this comment
    11 Jan 2012, 13:52 pm

    Indeed katters.

    Even if we lose the game we will win the body count.

  • 108.>^..^< katman: Reply to this comment
    11 Jan 2012, 13:52 pm

    @>^..^< katman-105: Am I on drugs? I meant Albert van den Berg. Fck multitasking.

  • 109.stormersboy: Reply to this comment
    11 Jan 2012, 13:54 pm

    @ufo-106: It’s does???

    :D

    :D

    :D

    sorry couldn’t resist.

  • 110.ufo: Reply to this comment
    11 Jan 2012, 14:00 pm

    @stormersboy-109:

    hehehe…

    let me just change feet and shut up… !!

    :lol:

  • 111.willievz: Reply to this comment
    11 Jan 2012, 14:08 pm

    @H-79:

    How do you think the scrum will be affected with a 12cm gap in lock heights?

  • 112.mshiniwami: Reply to this comment
    11 Jan 2012, 14:12 pm

    My pack was moe of a wish to see them playing in those positions. Especially Coenie at 3 who has been laying tighthead in CC and Smith who HAS played lock in both senior and junior rugby. He was a lock first when he came into the national spotlight with Jake White’s u21 WC winning team in 00.And he played lock for Cats as well.

    Now Bakkies is 32 years but has plenty of mileage on that body.He hasnt looked himself for the last 18-24months.Saw him playing for Toulon-he doesnt seem to be even first choice there at the moment.Great player but it time we look to the future.

    For one case that became a failure: Mallett changing Andre Venter into a lock and it not working-FAIR enough but I can give you a few other cases where a blindside has been changed into a lock and thrived.Example:

    -Matt Cockbain
    -Owen Finnegan (interchaned inbtwn for years)
    -Nathan Hines
    -Coutney Lawes (originally a 6,he is going to be a freak at 4)
    -Abdel Benazzi
    -Brad Thorn (came from league to play 6,started out there then soon movd to 4)
    -Jannes Labuschagne (was a blindside first,became a Bok as a 4)
    -AJ Venter (4/6/7/8 throughout his career-enforcer 4)
    -Steve Atherton

    There area few more.

  • 113.NZINCHINA: Reply to this comment
    11 Jan 2012, 14:19 pm

    @Michael-92:

    Who isn’t whacked for 6 when they coach Wales.

  • 114.Skeppie: Reply to this comment
    11 Jan 2012, 14:58 pm

    Best thing that ever happened to Juan Smith, no-one can play the way he does and last. This injury has probably extended his career by two years.

  • 115.H: Reply to this comment
    11 Jan 2012, 15:38 pm

    @willievz-111: Ag, I was just playing with the stats since I like Juan so much. We have of course done much sillier things with the Springboks over the years, so this experiment seems tame in comparison.

  • 116.willievz: Reply to this comment
    11 Jan 2012, 15:55 pm

    @H-115:

    And I was just trying to play devil’s advocate.

    Scrummaging is something I know very little about, but I always wondered why teams featuring a very tall lock partnered with a “considerably” shorter lock (such as the Stormers) seem to struggle at scrum time…

    So I am just wondering if the built of players needs to be considered when stringing together a forward unit?

    Another thing I’ve noticed is that shorter hookers with narrower hips, in general, appear to be more effective at scrumming, as this forces the two locks to pack down closer to one another.

  • 117.Lorenzo: Reply to this comment
    11 Jan 2012, 22:23 pm

    Great news. Welcome back Juan!!

  • 118.Sydney Bok: Reply to this comment
    12 Jan 2012, 05:20 am

    Awesome news on Smith. Will put a smile on my face to see him back on the field. Absolutely colossal player. I would be kakking myself if I was the opposite number facing Juan. This oke doesn’t give an inch. If he remains injury-free make him Bok captain. We need a player that leads by example. Smit was a politician that made fancy ‘Braveheart’ speeches but did f all on the field. Bok players will be more inspired seeing Smith smash his opposite number than some ridiculous this is ‘do-or-die’ kak from a pot-bellied captain who flops around the field like a wet fish!

    Trial Smith as Bok captain. He cannot do any worse than Matfield or Smit. He has in my opnion the tactical nous to do the job. He is respected by his own team and feared by the opposition. Just because he’s not an eloquent, little prissy boy like Smit, it doesn’t mean he can’t lead the team. The Boks need a hard edge and Juan is the man for the job.

    I also agree on that oke touting Alberts as no.8. Too many okes on here were saying that he is too slow to be an 8 but really do you need a 100m sprinter or a battering ram that takes some effort to bring down and will do the dirty work like cleaning out rucks and putting in solid defence? Alberts is another player in the same mould as Smith. Doesn’t give an inch, gives 100% every time. Imagine a loose trio of Brussouw, Smith and Alberts? Spies just looks the part but doesn’t deliver. Yes he has speed but seriously when was the last time you saw Spies breakaway from a scrum and motor 50 metres to score a try. Put him on the wing is what I say. Boks have got serious problems at wing. Habana is on his way out and JPP just isn’t interested. Who else do we have? I sense a painful year ahead.

  • 119.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    12 Jan 2012, 08:26 am

    I saw Ryan at Newlands on Day 3….looks like he lost the weight he put on in New Zealand! lol

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