Comments on: De Jongh should be centre of attention

By: stormer in a teacup

stormer in a teacup — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 02:20:24 +0000

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.

By: bryce_in_oz

bryce_in_oz — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 01:40:09 +0000

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…

By: lepel

lepel — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:19:46 +0000

@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.

By: lepel

lepel — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:08:16 +0000

@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!

By: Saffex

Saffex — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:58:40 +0000

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

By: stormer in a teacup

stormer in a teacup — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:09:21 +0000

@51. HG. You could almost guarantee. Jeezus boy, you can talk sh it.

By: willievz

willievz — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:56:04 +0000

Anycase, I would like to see him play 12, for reasons mentioned before.

By: willievz

willievz — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:55:27 +0000

@Jeez-3: Does any of our other 12s pass the ball?

By: Heavens Game

Heavens Game — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:32:49 +0000

@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…

By: Heavens Game

Heavens Game — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:29:03 +0000

@stormersboy-34: My opinion wasn’t the entire 2010 Super Rugby season… During that season he played 12… and he played 12 better than anyone else in the country…

And then 2011 came with the arrival of the prodigal MunsterMessiah at 12… (Lets not mention that he is also a 13, no, where he played for half of his rugby career? Or is he definitely a 12?) Nevertheless, lets call him a 12 (a shitone, but a 12 he is now). JdJ was consequently a bench centre… Other than a certain game where he (at 12) and Sadie (at 13) proceeded to rip apart the Blues (I think it was) in the midfield….

But no, you dumbfk Cape Town slopies have labelled JdJ a 13… Because “thats where he plays”….

Yeah right… knobbers

By: Hondo

Hondo — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:27:34 +0000

@rangerman-42: Seeing JdJ facing Jaimie Roberts, Nonu or even that tattooed disfigured young Tulagi at test level is something to look forward to Bring him on!

By: capebull

capebull — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:22:48 +0000

@Jeez-45: I can count the times JDV had cracking games on 1 hand, Fransie made huge impack in WC, no excuse for gameplan.

By: Hondo

Hondo — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:18:40 +0000

The combination of JdJ, Habana and Aplon on defence is a mouth watering one to watch
So much fun

By: pakslae

pakslae — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:16:50 +0000

@ddewet-43: On what basis do you think Sadie will make the Bok 13 jersey his own? He had a few run-outs at wing for the Stormers. I remember him scoring a good try from the wing cutting inside last season. Then he had a good game against the Blues, but so did Juan de Jongh. I have nothing against the guy, he has something about him. It's just I didn't see enough of it during the Currie Cup with WP last year.

By: Jeez

Jeez — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:04:58 +0000

@capebull-36: Thats hardly JDVs fault. Bad gameplans...Defensive gameplans...

By: Heavens Game

Heavens Game — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:04:23 +0000

@Jeez-37: Who's "no-one"...? Those okes peering out of Jean De Villiers Dutpipe...? Ja, okay.

By: ddewet

ddewet — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:03:27 +0000

Although De Jongh might be a very capable S15 player I don’t think he is good enough for Test level. Comparing him to J Fourie is like comparing a Ferrari to a Fiat, and besides, J Sadie will be making the Springbok # 13 jersey his own within the next season or two. At inside centre F Steyn is by far the better option. So unless one or two of Fourie/Sadie/Steyn gets injured I can’t see him starting for the Boks on a regular basis.

By: rangerman

rangerman — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:00:59 +0000

@pakslae-40: agreed. i only mentioned him because of the hype around him but i have yet to be convinced. apparently meyer rates him so maybe thats why? i would probably be more comfortable with jpp at 13 for the boks at present but we have jdj so i would think he will be the natural choice.

By: Robzim

Robzim — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:59:58 +0000

@Heavens Game-33:

You remind me of the Supertramp song:

“Dreamer, you know you are a dreamer
Dream,dream,dream, dream along
Etc..”

Remember that one?
CU later, I am late.

By: pakslae

pakslae — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:57:34 +0000

It’s amazing how some of the journos and posters are already picking Sadie in their Bok teams and squads.
The guy has tremendous potential, but I will personally keep a close eye on him during the Superrugby tournament with the Bulls. He didn’t exactly set the world alight in our sub-par Currie Cup last season with Wp. Maybe he played within himself.