Du Preez reconsiders international retirement
13 Mar 2012
Fourie du Preez says he feels like he has unfinished business with the Springboks.
In a 2011 interview the former Springbok and Bulls scrumhalf told SA Rugby magazine that the 2011 World Cup would be his last international assignment. However, with his mentor Heyneke Meyer being appointed Springbok coach and the disappointment of their quarter-final exit against Australia, Du Preez, who plays for Suntory Goliath in Japan, is reconsidering that decision.
‘When I originally decided to come over to Japan, I thought 2011 would be my target and that getting to the World Cup would be it,’ he told the International Rugby Board’s radio show, Total Rugby.
‘Losing to Australia might have changed that. Coming over has been a lot better than I thought and I’ve been able to get back into shape. Maybe that hunger is back again. It is still too early to say. I haven’t got around it in my head whether it will be good or bad for me. Never say never.’
Meyer is known to still rate the 29-year-old highly and has intimated that he would consider picking foreign-based players. Their would be concerns around the comparatively low standard of rugby in Japan, but Du Preez challenged those perceptions.
‘I see the top games here. It’s faster than what we’ve been used to. The guys are skillful and happy to learn. I’ve been really surprised. A lot of people think it’s easy rugby, but it’s been pretty tough. If you watch any top game the skill and structure levels are top-class. It’s been quite refreshing,’ he said.
Du Preez added that he has adjusted well to life in Tokyo. ‘At first you’re really scared. I’ve lived in Pretoria my whole life, so getting out of there would have taken a huge adjustment,’ he said.
‘It is something really different. As an international player you see the whole world except Asia. Japan is an awesome place. I’ve only been here four months but this has been a life-changing experience.’
103 Comments
13 Mar 2012, 08:45 am
Overthehill Dragon.
Seriously.
13 Mar 2012, 08:53 am
good call,heyneke will get his game back.
13 Mar 2012, 08:55 am
Still think he has alot to offer
13 Mar 2012, 08:59 am
Well there are no 9′s putting up their hands at the moment! So good move!
13 Mar 2012, 09:02 am
what is fdp saying, that he went to the world cup out of shape?
13 Mar 2012, 09:04 am
Not good news, more kick and chase from Boks! Time to move on. Hougaard etc.
13 Mar 2012, 09:05 am
Rather not, Hougaard can do the job if given the chance, in 4 years time he will be excellent and FfP will not.
This is not right am not saying he is not a good player but you need new blood some time and now is the time.
13 Mar 2012, 09:12 am
Maybe the springboks have finished business with him…has he ever thought about that? Players who speak like this display their selfishness as their ambition is locked in wanting to achieve their own personal goal within the team rather than whats actually foir the BEST of the team which may not necessarily be having him at 9
13 Mar 2012, 09:16 am
and trying to big up japanese rugby so as to validate the quality of rugby he’s playing is laughable. If its so great why is that not reflected in the japanese team who are meant to be the best 15 from their little league? please, give me a break
13 Mar 2012, 09:25 am
this is going to upset the keo youth league.
the goodyears will be smouldering before the sun passes the yardarm.
phansi udupreez.
13 Mar 2012, 09:30 am
next bakkies needs to lose a few kilos.
i love it when a plan comes together.
13 Mar 2012, 09:32 am
His availability can only be good news for the Boks.
13 Mar 2012, 09:49 am
Even if the Japanese League makes him a bit rusty, he’d still be a good option off the bench. He’s got the experience to close a game, even if it is now Hougaard’s time to start.
13 Mar 2012, 09:59 am
be awesome for him to stay involved in bok rugby. fourie still has plenty to offer.
13 Mar 2012, 10:03 am
There is no harm in having him in the squad.
13 Mar 2012, 10:06 am
@THE MAULER(THE MAULER)-4: I agree. Beyond Hougaard there is Vermaak, duvenage, Mcleod, Hoffman, Tewis de Bruyn. Not exactly quality. Out of that group Duvenage and Hoffman are the youngest. I hope they develop into great scrummies. In the meantime I wont mind if Hougaard starts for the Boks with Du Preez on the bench.
13 Mar 2012, 10:28 am
Time to move on.
13 Mar 2012, 10:32 am
He turns 30 this month.
That in itself is OK.
However, I fear this is one player who would be picked on reputation alone.
On current form, he is perhaps the 3rd or 4th best option available to the Boks.
13 Mar 2012, 10:33 am
In my humble opion, I don’t beleive Fourie Du Preez should be considered, he has passed his sell by date. It is time to invest in the future and the only 2 that should be considered are Hougaard and Pretorius. If Hienke Meyer is looking for an experienced Captain, he should look no futher than Jaun Smith and play him in the number 4 position.
13 Mar 2012, 10:33 am
The last 4 years have proven that old men should not play test rugby.
13 Mar 2012, 10:36 am
@welcome to my life, hugh…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-2:
You can’t make that assumption.
In any case, I have serious concerns about a player that plays “for” a certain coach and not “for” his country.
Why should the coach only decide if a player “wants” to play internationally?
13 Mar 2012, 10:40 am
We’ve seen enough of this arm-flapping whinyboy at the base of the scrum…
13 Mar 2012, 10:40 am
@garth(garth)-20: True to an extent.
It made me think about the concept of “experienced”.
And I have learned that it is more beneficial to a team to have eager, energetic 24-year olds with 30 test caps than less eager and slower 29-year olds with 75 test caps.
There is an optimal level of caps, after which further caps result in decreasing overall performance.
The balance between youth and experience, as a team and individual attribute, cannot be overemphasised.
13 Mar 2012, 10:41 am
@Budza(Budza)-19:
You know my take on Sarel P. I would select him in my Bok 22.
But, he is 27.
Fourie is 29.
13 Mar 2012, 10:42 am
@willievz(willievz)-21: True.
13 Mar 2012, 10:43 am
@willievz(willievz)-23:
when did you learn this?
13 Mar 2012, 10:44 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-26:
2010 and 2011.
13 Mar 2012, 10:46 am
it will be a pity… imo…
sure he was a great…
but we have not seen hougaard at his best at scrumhalf… i would rather go with hougie and let him settle in… and who knows…
one thing is for sure… going with fourie would not be forward step… imo…
and i can’t see him making the next wc… and then we’ll have to crash an inexperienced hoagie or someone else in as a bandaid measure…
i’m all for winning every game… and believe hougaard will win more for us than he loses… but i really believe he should be allowed to build experience, confidence and leadership so that come 2115 he is in the best possible form and brain-space of his career…
13 Mar 2012, 10:47 am
Du Preez was excellent at his peak, but I doubt that he will reach those heights again. I disagree with those who do not think we have quality scrimhalves to choose from – it is one area where we have a lot of quality.
13 Mar 2012, 10:49 am
if Heyneke Meyer falls for this little prima donna song and dance routine then he’s half the astute wise reader of situations as I may have given him the benefit of the doubt he was.
He obviously has said as much to FdP that if he decides to reconsider his retirement then there’s a shoe in captaincy position for him…
Well there we go.. four more years of dilly dally compromise.. too chicken to bust a gut and bust the dead beat mold..
Too cowardly to invest in a youth policy that brings its even reward from day one.. shows that he reckons scrum half and back line general has no takers for the impending role.. and FdP his last standing messiah who he gonna lay the wreath of expectation around his prima donna nanny boy halo
13 Mar 2012, 10:52 am
@ufo(ufo)-28:
If we are playing a strong, abrasive runner at 13 such as JPP to be utilised increasingly on first phase (which I hope we do), I will select Hougaard on the wing to ensure a quick recycle on the second phase.
Hougaard, for me, provides more options on the wing (for the BOKS, not the BULLS though). In any case, he must feature somewhere in the Bok starting lineup.
13 Mar 2012, 10:54 am
If anyone is even considering selecting FDP, they must watch last year’s RWC,only god knows how he didn’t score that try against Australia when he was practically over the line, I wont even mention his general play on the day.
13 Mar 2012, 10:55 am
The Sharks seem to feel that the clueless Michalak is a better scrumhalf option than Mcleod.
The Stormers are stuck with the mediocre Duvenage.
The Cheetahs have Tewis de Bruyn, who was a backup to Sarel Pretorius.
The Lions have Michael Bondesio – who should have stayed at the Pumas.
Vermaak showed this weekend that he is not a top level scrumhalf.
So basically, SA has a wing/scrumhalf who is still learning the ropes as it’s best bet, and little to choose from after that.
How is Du Preez’s possible availability NOT a good thing for the Boks, given all of the above?
13 Mar 2012, 10:56 am
First glance one may suspected FdP of entitlement, of the assurance he owns the No. 9 Boks Jersey and it’s up to him to hold onto it or otherwise, just Like JP and Habana own the 14 & 11 jerseys with no need to score tries (against the top 8 test teams)
But that’s not the case, it’s simply about HN who doesn’t trust Hougaard at that level or so it seemed, Hougaard in fairness hasn’t done enough at the scrummie position -he did more than well at the 11 position though – during 2010-2011 to counter HM preference.
My preference would be Pienaaar and then Michael Claassen, but that will not happened.
13 Mar 2012, 10:56 am
@willievz(willievz)-31:
can’t and won’t argue the point willie… he is a very talented player… and would do as you say no doubt…
my point though is that he hasn’t had the time to show what he can do at scrumhalf… i don’t believe anyone can say with certainty what options he may provide there… give him the extended run to show us…
then we compare apples and apples…
13 Mar 2012, 10:58 am
skopskiet said in 2009 get shot of FdP his better days had come and gone.. he also said change the model from kick chase to ball in hand and play the attacking inside center channel game, use a bust it up fly half like Grant.. not a deep pocket slot machine like Steyn and play the front foot game….
No the scribes and pundits said.. stick to what we know.. what Jake the Fake had instilled in John Smit and FdP and Schalk Burgers head.. keep playing the kick chase percentage game and lo and behold we’ll ram home another lucky packet fluke success…
Well it didn’t happen,, from Eoyt 2009 to WC 2011 under John Smit and FdP JW garbage game style strategic genius with Rassie Erasmus making Schalk Burger the inside channel first receiver ball carry distributing go between forwards and backs.. Boks won 3 tests from 13 where it actually counted.. our tri nations record with Smit and FdP at the helm through 2010-2011 was played 10 lost 8.. and the only time we ever won was when Smit was gone…
Now FdP is the walk on water messiah that gonna lead us back to that 2007 promised land… if he couldn’t do it through 2009-2011 how they thinking he can do it this time around?
Why not bring back Smit and Botha and Matfield too while we about it?
13 Mar 2012, 11:07 am
no the pundits never said kickchase was the way forward.
some ppl said it was the way forward, others said using the forwards to maintain possession was the way forward, and others didnt quite know what to say, they just liked to say something differfent. we aint got any real playmakers or strikrunners, grant is probably the best of the bunch but he aint no dan carter.
13 Mar 2012, 11:08 am
Hougaard – Duvenhage will do the deed with an all rounder distributing and kicking general like Goosen at 10 with Lambie as back up..
Duvenhage got enough strategic gifted kicking game from 9 as FdP had in his heyday.. and he a far better running 9 to boot.. Hougaard got the outright attack style athletic attributes of joost Vd Westhuizen.. depending on horses for courses strategies.. between Hougaard and Duvenhage we are covered while we scout around for younger able bodied replacements like Shreuder / Groom / hoffman and the juniors coming through the systems.
Play Hougaard, Goosen, at 9-10 and we be fine.. we do not need our back line general dictating terms from base of scrum because then the back line will not develop for another 4 years.. same way as it hasn’t done sine 1999..
13 Mar 2012, 11:10 am
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-38:
Seriously Skop. You have many passions, but Duvenage is the most ridiculous.
His every move screams “mediocre”.
13 Mar 2012, 11:12 am
i’m not so sure about duvenhage, u reckon he’s the next best thing since sliced bread, until when will he fall out of flavour tho?
nah, hougaard the way forward imo, too much bustle and strength and pace, shouldve played at 2011 RWC.
13 Mar 2012, 11:12 am
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-36:
It’s up to the Boks coach to pick the Scrumhalf whom he assessed will give him the best chance to win in 2012-2013
If the Boks fail again, the looters will appoint AC in his place pretty fast.
So, FdP doesn’t have to be the best scrumhalf available for the Boks, all it takes is for HM to believe so
13 Mar 2012, 11:13 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-33: And Ruan Pienaar??
13 Mar 2012, 11:16 am
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-36:
who is this skopskiet fellow?
he sounds like a motherfuckin’ genius.
13 Mar 2012, 11:16 am
habana and fdp as brilliant as they were, have unfortunately become too precious, u cant have players that drop when touched, they used to be the opposite, which is a broken leg wouldnt have prevented them for competing for the ball, they;ve gone soft with their success, and as a result are no longer the players they once were, brussow also started the whole acting scene, but appears to have got back to his tenacious best.
13 Mar 2012, 11:18 am
@ufo(ufo)-35:
I just think with Sarel at 9 and Hougaard at 11, we can be so much more threatening in the close and wide channels.
But certainly, Hougaard deserves a fair shot at the 9 berth.
13 Mar 2012, 11:19 am
@cab(cab)-40:
Hougaard at scrumhalf position for the Boks was rather mediocre there in 2010-2011
And he brings plenty mayhem and speed with him which the slow thinking, retarded Bok pack cannot adjust to.
If HM believes FdP is his best bet, it’s his prerogative, remember AC is waiting around the corner for his stumble,,,,
13 Mar 2012, 11:19 am
@willievz(willievz)-45:
thats a v good point too, he was damn good potgieter, wonder how he’s doing at NSW?
13 Mar 2012, 11:21 am
@Hondo(Hondo)-46:
jeezuz hondo, what kind of self-respective verkrampte are u? whats wrong with the vokmaarvoort pack, its been the mainstay of bokke rugby up until readmission when viljoen and duplessis decided it was time for some backline magic, that went down a treat on the scoreboard…
13 Mar 2012, 11:25 am
I wish these “has beens” would just fark off, he’s not world class anymore and won’t make the next WC anyway.
13 Mar 2012, 11:26 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-39: Skop has developed an unhealthy manlove for the Duvenhage/van Aswegen Axis of So-So. But not to worry, he will hook up with Gossen again just after lunch.
13 Mar 2012, 11:28 am
I have no problem with FdP slotting back in to the Bok set up, considering our lack of options.
Hougie is still very much on the learning curve and everone else doesnt even warrant a mention.
My biggest problem is that if Fourie does return, he will more than likely be paired with M Steyn.
There is something seriously wrong with Morne, not just the one game vs Blues. He wasnt great against the Sharks either and Im not only talking about his kicking game.
Heyneke choosing Morne will be by far the bigger selection mistake.
13 Mar 2012, 11:29 am
@cab(cab)-48: Ja, this oke is letting the cause down. Next he’ll probably denounce the Liefling song.
13 Mar 2012, 11:31 am
Allow me to predict a Bok team under Heyneke captained by Spies, with du Preez at scrunhalf, Morne Steyn at flyhalf and Hougaard coming off the bench as a devestating impact player to land the knock out punch in the last 30 minutes.
13 Mar 2012, 11:31 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-52:
hehe, not sure who Hondo supports, could be the bulls or lions?
13 Mar 2012, 11:33 am
Sorry Tac but captain will be FDP or Smith or maybe Schalk never Spies…
13 Mar 2012, 11:34 am
@cab(cab)-48:
Nothing wrong with them, they play to their strengths, but speed isn’t their strength nor their style, that’s why they don’t recycle the ball from the rucks too often but rely on FdP to gain territory for them or going for a maul.
Last we saw a fast, mobile Boks pack was in 1998-2000 with Garvey, Kempson/Vissagie, Drotsky, Erasmus, Skinstadt and Andrews with Honibal at 10 dictating.
A quick and multi recycling is not the current Boks style, Hougaard’s too impatient for them.
13 Mar 2012, 11:35 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-53:
hell dunno if that is the way forward, spies played v well on sat but its so rare, he still does not have the effect that vermeulen and alberts do imo game after game. Morne is a good flyhalf, but he’s defence at the RWC was v suspect and he’s not hitting the gainline or getting the backline going tho i was not sure if the problem was he or JDV at 12, since whenever frans steyn played at 12 our backline seemed a different animal.
13 Mar 2012, 11:36 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-53:
Heyneke will select those, and Wynand at 12.
13 Mar 2012, 11:37 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-53:
Do you mean Hougaard’s not good enough at 11 or 14?
You sound the Party Line on quota affairs
13 Mar 2012, 11:39 am
@Hondo(Hondo)-56:
That was the style we should have adopted in 2008 instead they went all the way back to the JW drawing board when Smit insisted on FdP and Butch as his half backs.. and the kick chase game was entrenched for the following 4 years.. which if anybody is brave enough and honest enough to own up and acknowledge the fact abysmally and utterly failed…
13 Mar 2012, 11:39 am
@Hondo(Hondo)-56:
yp maybe, good points, i hoped quick multi-recycling with energetic pack was their style.
13 Mar 2012, 11:47 am
@willievz(willievz)-21:
a bit harsh though dont you think, williev.
i’m sure fdp desires as much to play for his country as he does ‘his’ coach. is just a fact of life that players will have personal preferences which make them more excited in/about one coach over another.
also, i actually do believe that heyneke is the type of coach who would get extra mileage out of a lot of players (irrespective of their affiliations).
13 Mar 2012, 11:48 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-53:
Seems like a reasonably astute suggestion to me.
And I concur with your previous post re there being daylight between Hougaard’s test-lvel value and the other scrummies currently operating in SA.
I’m pleased you didn’t mention Pienaar as an option.
I don’t think I’ve seen a more over-rated and disinterested Bok player.
However, why Sarel Pretorius’s name isn’t mentioned more often is a mystery to me.
Yes, his defensive game needs work.
But that can be rectified.
The guy SCORES TRIES for whatever team he’s in.
With Hougaard settling in as starting scrumhalf, Pretorius would make an unbelievably impact off the bench.
I am happy for Du Preez to be part of the set-up for another year or so.
But thereafter I’d like to see Hougaard and Pretorius in the pound seats.
13 Mar 2012, 11:51 am
I’d like to see Pretorius get a look-in for the same reason that I want Basson to get more game time at Bok level.
Basson’s a game breaker and he SCORES TRIES.
He is incredible in the air.
Yes, his defence needs work.
But I have already seen an improvement in that department since last year.
Rectify Basson’s defensive issues and the Boks have a genuine TRY SCORING threat on the wing.
13 Mar 2012, 11:51 am
@puff(puff)-63:
Because we don’t want to encourage more players to go and play in Australia.
Pretorius is now a non-option.
13 Mar 2012, 11:53 am
@puff(puff)-63: I’ve posted on a few occassions that us Saffas are guilty of trying too hard to find faults with our players.
For example:
“Schalk Britz is not powerful enough in contact”
“Brent Russell is too small”
“Aplon is too small”.
And now, “Sarel can’t defend”.
We are our own worst enemies. We should wake up and smell the coffee.
13 Mar 2012, 11:54 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-65:
Much like FDP then…playing in Japan
13 Mar 2012, 11:55 am
@willievz(willievz)-67:
He would have to come back to be eligible for selection. A couple of games in the latter part of the Bulls S15 campaign should do the trick.
13 Mar 2012, 11:57 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-65:
Sarel has a deal with the Waratahs for S15 rugby (for how long, I’m not sure).
But he will be back playing Currie Cup rugby, I believe.
13 Mar 2012, 11:57 am
Fuckthisisfunny:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWjFkbNCX4c&feature=related
Jan Spies.
“Vies kerel? bekak homself….”
I actually “lol”ed at this.
13 Mar 2012, 11:58 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-65:
life is cruel and you are right in this regard.
south africans are too easily tricked by the ‘nice’ things the foreigners say to them, into applying for citizenship of these countries after time spent there.
there must be a stick to beat the carrots.
13 Mar 2012, 11:58 am
@willievz(willievz)-66: the aussies know cooper can’t defend so they come up with a plan to remedy that and still have the brilliance of cooper on the field. in SA you better have it all unless you’re a blue bulls player, you can slide with standing too deep & kicking away possession and being useless in defence.
13 Mar 2012, 11:59 am
@willievz(willievz)-66:
absolutely…
it’s far easier to focus on a perceived weak point to bolster an argument, than to acknowledge the good points too, particularly when then are far more good points than bad…
13 Mar 2012, 11:59 am
@cab(cab)-57: I am worried that both Strompies and Sharkies play Vermeulen/Alberts at 7 , if they are so good why not play them at 8
I agree with you on Morne something is wrong , I think the Bulls young Venter was the problem , when Wynand played 12 with JJ at 13 things went better
When Frans played 13 not JdV it went better. Why is it that every-one is talking about Morne ,yet JdV is part of best centre combo in world ????? Does it show , me thinks not.
13 Mar 2012, 12:00 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-68: @puff(puff)-69: As Puff said, Sarel still plies his trade domestically in the CC.
So he is by all means eligible for the Boks, regardless of your stance on the overseas player debate.
13 Mar 2012, 12:00 pm
I’m with Tacitus on the “you leave you lose” principal of no longer being eligible.
But not on the FDP still being good enough.
Time to move on.
13 Mar 2012, 12:00 pm
@puff(puff)-69: don’t worry FdP can go play in japan it’s ok but Sarel can’t got play in Aus, then he is a “non-option”
13 Mar 2012, 12:01 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-76: “principle” surely?
13 Mar 2012, 12:03 pm
@willievz(willievz)-75:
You need to play here BEFORE being picked in a Bok team.
So if Sarel is back in the Currie Cup, he can be considered for the end of year tour.
To play in the June internationals, a player would have to play some S15 rugby prior to June.
13 Mar 2012, 12:04 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-78: Ja that too
13 Mar 2012, 12:05 pm
Come on, guys
Gurthro Steenkamp
Gerhard Mostert
Francois Louw
Fourie Du Preez
Francois Steyn
Jacques Fourie
I’d want to see at least half of these players in Meyer’s Bok set-up.
I don’t care where they play.
Players will play here or play “over there” – it’s simple economics.
13 Mar 2012, 12:05 pm
“Their would be concerns around the comparatively low standard of rugby in Japan, but Du Preez challenged those perceptions.”
There are concerns about the comparatively low standard of journalism in South Africa.
13 Mar 2012, 12:05 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-79:
Right, now I understand.
Where is that written?
13 Mar 2012, 12:05 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-79: and Francois Steyn?
13 Mar 2012, 12:07 pm
Time to move on Fourie.
You made your mark and achieved a hell of a lot including annoying the **** out of some of the, sh it for brains, bloggers on this forum.
Do not tarnish a magnificent career with a potentially weak last couple of years. Phone up Barney and ask him what it’s like.
13 Mar 2012, 12:07 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-79:
So you don’t think Meyer will give Bakkies a swansong against the Brits then?
Or Daniesaurus?
You don’t think he’ll bank on Steenkamp, Frans Steyn and Jacques Fourie for the games against the Enlgish, considering he hardly has any time to get a new squad to gel?
13 Mar 2012, 12:07 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-84:
Same thing.
@willievz(willievz)-83:
Meyer hasn’t indicated exactly what his stance is on this issue. But in general, that’s been the rule that’s been applied, with one or two exceptions.
Certainly, that’s what SARU have been aiming at, based on their stance on the issue.
13 Mar 2012, 12:09 pm
@puff(puff)-86:
I don’t know. Meyer seems to lean more towards picking some overseas based guys, from what he’s hinted at so far.
But I wonder if that is not specifically because so many of his former Bulls stalwarts are there and he has very little time to pick a new squad.
In the long term the views may well be different.
13 Mar 2012, 12:10 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-53: Allow me to then predict a lot more pain for the Boks.
13 Mar 2012, 12:28 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-43: Lol.
13 Mar 2012, 12:44 pm
I can’t help but lose respect for players that come out of retirement for another shot at glory. Occasionally it works, but 99% of the time they come across as desperate and pathetic, and end up destroying the legacy that took them years to create.
13 Mar 2012, 13:08 pm
@puff(puff)-81:
i have checked through your post three times. i am certain john phillip botha’s name is not on that list. is this a typo? yes it must be a typo.
13 Mar 2012, 13:44 pm
Speaking of Bakkies, anyone know how the old toppie’s form is over there in France?
13 Mar 2012, 13:44 pm
@welcome to my life, hugh…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-92:
Heh.
Look, Bakkies was my favourite player alonide Juan Smith for years.
But I haven’t seen him play an imposing game in a Bok jersey for some time.
Of course, injuries and suspensions had a lot to do with that as it robbed him of consistency and momentum.
I also thought the way he exited the World Cup was gutting.
So the sentimental side of me would dig to see Bakkies in the Bok squad against the Roses.
But my practical side sees youngsters like Van Der Merwe, Mostert, Elstadt and Etzebeth performing well.
There’s also the option of Pakslae who last I saw was in better condition than Bakkies.
Or, when fit, I would be fine with Juan Smith shifting to number 4 – a role he played at junior level.
My point is… play the likes of Bakkies, Du Preez, Rossouw et al for the June tests because they have the experience and there is so little time to get a new-look squad to gel.
But beyond that – unless the vets are chomping at the bit and ravenously hungry and super-conditioned like Brad Thorn – their roles should be finite or redefined to offer the youngsters more opportunities.
13 Mar 2012, 14:11 pm
@Cordo(Cordo)-93:
ag its so so really, he played a full game at number 5 (go figure) for toulon in their win against montpellier 19-6 on the 2nd of march but certainly looked laboured in the loose and was docking overtime slouching off at the back of rucks most of the last 20 or 30, just not making any effort to get to the next breakdown. he was out injured in toulon draw against perpignan 22-22 on the 10th.
he looks a little overweight to me and will certainly need to lose some kilos if he wants to make the run on bok team. he’s listed at 124kg on the toulon website so the bok conditioning coach needs to look at that and see what’s best in terms of weight to power to mobility ratios.
@puff(puff)-94:
fair enough, you are absolutely right. there can be no more sentimental ‘going on 2007 form’ fbc type picking of boks anymore. its just not viable in the long term even though it solves very real problems for heyneke in the short term.
so ja, maybe pick pakslae or bakkies along with bekker and any combo of the new prospects. the coach can just decide if he wants to send the oldies on first to post a winning score and then the laaities to just go bos without any worries about losing or vice versa the laaities first and then the oldies when the game slows down or the score is against us.
13 Mar 2012, 14:40 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-88: Good point re it being a short term solution. I still want Hougaard in the starting lineup – always. Hopefully FdP doesn’t overstay his welcome leading to Hougaard becoming frustrated. Meyer has shown in the past that he knows how to manage these situations so I’m not worried.
Flyhalf is a much bigger problem. You cannot discard Steyn because he has been a good servant and is dependable. Maybe 1.5 more years with him and then Goosen?
13 Mar 2012, 15:18 pm
Capebull 74,
yeah but don’t they play interchangeably at 7 or 8 depending on who is available. Vermeulen more in zinzan mould, whereas alberts more like palu who gives lot of go-forward off tge back if the scrim both very moble and get thru alot of work.
Yip morne is a tough one, but he got some stiff competition. Goosen kicks bombs from 60m big and fast – can’t ignore that. Always thought WO was better than ppl made out, louden rated him highly, but sometimes a bit 1D, I think he could try beat his opposite no more often or get hands thru gap.
13 Mar 2012, 17:33 pm
Captain du Preez
13 Mar 2012, 18:01 pm
Mark my words, IF FOURIE IS AVAILABLE AND FIT, HE WILL BE THE NEXT SPRINGBOK CAPTAIN!
13 Mar 2012, 18:49 pm
@zub(zub)-91:
Yeah at 29 he’s way past it.
13 Mar 2012, 18:51 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-60:
Your coach was an ignoramus. Lets just all admit it.
14 Mar 2012, 23:38 pm
I used to rate him highly but I don’t have time for his primadonna showings flailing his arms all over the place at the ref each and every ruck whilst our ball gets pilfered.
How about this FDP, when you’ve d e c i d e d if you still have the hunger, why don’t you come back and we’ll see if we still want/need you anymore.
14 Mar 2012, 23:56 pm
You really have to question what type of motivation FDP would bring to a relatively new-look Bok side at this stage. Most players would give their left nut to play in a Bok jersey. FDP is still deciding if he even has the hunger to play for the Boks anymore. And all of that after he already intimated that he was done with Bok rugby. Do we really want that type of touch-and-go attitude within the team dynamic? And all of this from a player who looked no better than most of local 9′s the last time he played in a Bok jersey. Any time he spends in a Bok jersey now, is time lost for a new developing 9. I say we cut our losses and move forward. I’d only consider him if the injury list is substantial by the end of the S15.
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