De Jongh should be centre of attention
14 Feb 2012
JON CARDINELLI says Juan de Jongh has completed his Super Rugby apprenticeship and is ready to fill the void left by Jaque Fourie.
Remember Juan de Jongh? He impressed as a 21-year-old in his debut Currie Cup, so much so that he was selected for the subsequent Springbok tour to Europe. He helped the Stormers to their first ever Super Rugby final in 2010, and made his Test debut against Wales a month later.
While De Jongh looked destined for great things he never let the plaudits go to his head. He accepted that Jean de Villiers (back from a season with Irish club Munster) would partner Jaque Fourie in the 2011 Super Rugby competition, a reunion that ultimately relegated the younger player to the bench. He continued to work and wait for an opportunity, which eventually arrived when Fourie announced his move to Japan.
A lot was said about Fourie’s decision to leave the franchise, as it left the Stormers without one of their most pivotal players. Much was written in 2011 about the loss of Johann Sadie, an incredible prospect who moved to the Bulls because his path was blocked by the likes of De Villiers, Fourie and De Jongh. Most recently, it was said that Bryan Habana had the experience and skills to offset the loss of Fourie, while the talented WP duo of JP du Plessis and Michael van der Spuy would also come into their own as 13s for the Cape franchise.
Why is it that there’s been so much excitement around every prospective midfielder in the Cape bar De Jongh? If anything, the 2012 season should be a massive one for the outside centre with the aggressive tackling style and deceptive sidestep.
With Fourie no longer in the mix, De Jongh will enjoy an extended run at No 13, a crucial position in the Stormers’ attacking and defensive system. He will play the big games alongside De Villiers, and providing the pair enjoys success at Super Rugby level, they should continue that partnership into the Test season.
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee selected Habana at outside centre last week, explaining the move as one that would have long-term benefits for the team. Coetzee said that Habana would shift from wing to centre in the event of injury, as was the case when the Cape franchise played the Kings in Port Elizabeth. Habana was picked at No 13 because De Jongh had sustained a jaw injury in an earlier warm-up game against the Lions.
At this stage, De Jongh is still expected to start against the Hurricanes in the Stormers’ first game of the season. As Coetzee has clarified, De Jongh is the first-choice outside centre in the squad while Habana’s move to the midfield is a work in progress.
Habana may have started his career in the centres, but it was on the wing that he excelled for the Bulls and the Boks. One of his worst performances in a green and gold jersey was at outside centre, and after that forgettable performance against Ireland in 2006 he was never played in midfield again.
The Sharks are also currently trialing JP Pietersen, Habana’s wing partner at the Boks, at No 13 in their warm-up matches. While there may be merit in boosting the depth at the respective franchises, it’s madness to talk about Habana or Pietersen as prospective Test centres when there are already existing centre options. Yes, De Jongh and a player like Sadie will need to show consistency in the coming tournament, but Habana and Pietersen aren’t even in the midfield pecking order just yet.
De Jongh is only 23, but has experienced two Super Rugby tournaments and a World Cup. He’s grown into a fine player and yet there could be more to come.
If he is handed an extended opportunity at Super Rugby level and allowed to mature alongside De Villiers, he may eventually reach a point where he can challenge the likes of Fourie for the mantle of best 13 on the planet. He’s always been tipped as something special, and with Fourie no longer standing in his way, he may finally realise his full potential.
Follow JC on Twitter
Follow SA Rugby magazine on Twitter
59 Comments
Pages: « 1 [2] Show All
14 Feb 2012, 10:32 am
@capebull-48: With you there 100%… If that was Frans Steyn who made the linebreak I could almost guarantee that Lambie would not have got a forward pass – it would have been right in the breadbasket – straight….
The Aussies targeted Donkey… they targeted the midefield – not because of M Steyn, but because of Donkey and his defensive frailties – known worldwide outside of the Cape Town bubble…
14 Feb 2012, 10:55 am
@Jeez-3: Does any of our other 12s pass the ball?
14 Feb 2012, 10:56 am
Anycase, I would like to see him play 12, for reasons mentioned before.
14 Feb 2012, 12:09 pm
@51. HG. You could almost guarantee. Jeezus boy, you can talk sh it.
14 Feb 2012, 18:58 pm
de Jongh is a handy little player, but the cruz is that he is little, far too little to play test rugby. The world game just does not have 85kg centres. His tackling technique is good, it has to be given his lack of size, but his lack of size means he is unable to impose himslef physically on attack or in defence – he will never knock a player back, he might cut him down at the ankles and he will always have to rely on gile, speed and a step to beat his man………..all great attributes to have as a centre, when coupled with size – something de Jongh lacks.
Good player, but too small
14 Feb 2012, 22:08 pm
@Heavens Game-51: You seem to know absolutely nothing about rugby, right? Forget what JdJ has actually played so far (even though most of his rugby life was spent at 13 where he came to prominence in the first place).
Time for a lesson!
A 12 needs to be able to impose himself physically, something JdJ is never going to do OR a 12 needs to play like a Flyhalf and be an excellent distributor. Again, something JdJ isn’t especially good at. JdJ is good enough that, despite not fitting the mold, he still did well enough.
When JdJ REALLY excels is when he is allowed to run in a somewhat wider channel where he can use his pace and elusiveness. In 2010 he did really well because Bekker was playing the inside center so often allowing JdJ to run a bit wider.
In fact, if you analyse their game plan, they often had a split attack where both JdJ and Mossie were technically playing in a typical 13 style. Their forwards played the linking role of a 12.
That said, I agree wholeheartedly that JDV is a terrible terrible player. The most overrated Bok in history. The problem is, Stormers have 0 inside centers worth mentioning. Everyone, ‘cept for Klaasen, coming through is a natural 13.
Thus ends your lesson.
SO, stfu and let the people who know rugby talk.
Thank you!
14 Feb 2012, 22:19 pm
@Saffex-55: James O’Connor is lighter than him and he seems to be doing OK. Matt Giteau was a superstar for quite some time and considerably smaller.
The important thing with the smaller guys is that they can’t seem to have prolonged careers. If they are sharp enough they’ll cause more cumbersome guys a helluvalot of trouble, but eventually they loose their speed and nippiness (like Giteau) and fade away. So they can do well, but not into their 30s (or even late 20s). JdJ is fine to go to 2015 WC still, but after that his smaller stature might start becoming a problem.
That’s just my opinion here…
PS: Guys like Conrad Smith aren’t THAT much bigger. He has 8 kg on JdJ.
15 Feb 2012, 03:40 am
De Jongh will never have the skills of Matt Giteau or James O Connor so that’s the 12 argument closed… at 86kg’s the Smith’s have 10 plus kilo’s on him… he should have been a wing… whether he’s better than the other POC’s playing there for the Bok’s is another argument…
Wingers have evolved into requiring the skills of a 15…
15 Feb 2012, 04:20 am
Far from it. Giteau and O’Connor are not your classic 12s. In fact O’Connor is better suited to 10. Using them as a yardstick is pointless. De Jongh is a hard running, hard tackling centre who holds his own against any opposition. Easily the best 12 in the country after JdV.
Pages: « 1 [2] Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.