Kruger’s patience pays off
7 Jun 2012
JON CARDINELLI, writing in SA Rugby magazine, says Juandré Kruger, the Bulls, and now the Boks, are reaping the benefits of his decision to stick with the union over the past two seasons.
Patience. There probably isn’t a player in South Africa who appreciates the concept better than Juandré Kruger. True, there have been many who have bided their time as understudies to great Springbok incumbents, but nobody as accomplished or talented who has had to wait as long for a crack at Super Rugby.
When the opportunity finally arrived on 24 February 2012, Kruger certainly made it count. A new-look Bulls pack manhandled their Sharks counterparts, and Kruger turned in a commanding lineout performance worthy of that iconic No 5 shirt. Thus began a promising Super Rugby career, and so ended a long and testing wait.
By his own admission, Kruger has never had much luck with timing. A product of Paul Roos Gymnasium, he came through Western Province’s junior ranks and debuted for the senior side in the 2006 Vodacom Cup. While he featured for WP in the 2007 Currie Cup, his path was often blocked by two promising No 5s in Andries Bekker and Ross Skeate as well as a grizzled veteran in Selborne Boome.
He was contracted to the Bulls in 2008 and went on to help the union’s youngsters win the Vodacom Cup. And yet, there was a similar problem with Victor Matfield holding a monopoly on the No 5 position and other Springbok locks like Bakkies Botha and Danie Rossouw featuring regularly in the Bulls Super Rugby squad.
Kruger returned to Pretoria in mid-2010 after a two-year stint with English club Northampton. He would still have to wait for an opportunity, although he never suspected it would be as long as 18 months before he played his first Super Rugby game. He was included in the Bulls squad in 2011 but didn’t get on to the field; instead he sat on the bench for just one match against the Highlanders. This frustration may have prompted other players to move on, but Kruger kept faith in his coaches and held on to his dream of playing at the highest level.
‘I realised that Victor, Bakkies and Danie were playing ahead of me, and I wanted what was best for the team,’ he remembers. ‘I backed the decision of my coaches but at the same time I was obviously frustrated that I didn’t get one game. I also had a lot of experience having featured in more than 50 matches across the European competitions. It was difficult, but I suppose I learned a lot during that period. It built a lot of character and probably helped me get to where I am today.’
While the Bulls soldiered on in Super Rugby, Kruger captained the Blue Bulls in the Vodacom Cup.
‘The way we fought back in our semi-final against the Lions was a real highlight. It was difficult to go down to the Pampas XV in the final, but overall I gained a tremendous amount from the experience.
‘If I look at the situation as a whole, there have been many players waiting for the chance, or rather the privilege, to start for the Bulls. The facilities, the structures, the culture – this union is any player’s dream. I’m lucky to be part of it.’
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Kruger’s glowing endorsement explains why he stayed in Pretoria for as long as he did. Matfield, Botha and Rossouw were all expected to move on after the 2011 World Cup and the Bulls would need a player of Kruger’s experience during a period of rebuilding. As a regular starter he would enjoy a platform to impress the new Springbok coach, but there was also a great opportunity to work under Matfield, the newest member of the Bulls’ crack coaching staff.
‘Victor helped me develop my decision-making,’ Kruger says. ‘When you get to this level, every player is an athlete and has the ball skills, so it’s good decisions that separate you from the rest of the pack. One thing flows into another in rugby, and a great try can be traced back to one good decision. You have to be making the right calls consistently if you want your team to get momentum and possibly even more success from there.’
One of the reasons Kruger didn’t get game time in the 2011 Super Rugby competition was because Matfield played every minute of that campaign. Viewed as an irreplaceable leader, Matfield was arguably even more important to the team due to his peerless powers at the lineout.
It has been one of the Bulls’ strengths during a golden era where they have won three Super Rugby trophies and two Currie Cups. If they want to succeed without Matfield, however, they will need somebody who can play a similar role at the set piece. Again, it’s a job Kruger doesn’t take lightly.
‘I travel to Loftus on a Monday knowing that I’m as well prepared as I can be, and that’s what gives me confidence. Rugby’s like business,’ he says, referring to his background in the business world. ‘When you are well prepared for a meeting you will go into that meeting with confidence. It’s the same in the build-up to a game. Sure, it’s a massive responsibility, but it’s one that I relish.’
Kruger also recalls his time in England as career altering in that he was forced to play a more confrontational game. During his stay at Northampton, the Saints won the European Challenge Cup. Competing against the best players in Europe on a weekly basis also pushed him to take his existing strengths to the next level.
And when the time came to make a decision about his future and a possible return to South Africa, there was only one team Kruger had in mind.
‘It was never a hard decision to rejoin the Bulls. If you are a forward and you want to push for a Test position, the Bulls pack is the place to be.’
The performance of the Pretoria-based side in the early rounds of the 2012 competition would have surprised those who felt that 2011 marked the end of an era for the once mighty side. Not only did they lose Matfield, Botha and Rossouw at the end of last season, but two other Bok forwards in Gary Botha and Gurthrö Steenkamp.
Most teams would have struggled after such a significant drain of their forward resources, but the results will confirm that the union still boasts quality in reserve. Forwards coach Johan van Graan says the hard-nosed showings against the Sharks and Cheetahs were expected, although he admits that he was very pleased with the results.
‘We are proud of our structures at the Bulls, and most of the forwards have come through the ranks. Juandré may not have originally come from the Bulls, but he has spent time in our systems and knows what we want to achieve on the field.
‘He took it well when he was told that he would sit behind those Bok locks. He used that time to soak it all in, to learn from the best in the business, and he is realising the benefit of that education now.’
Van Graan has also noted a marked improvement in Kruger’s game since he rejoined the Bulls in 2010.
‘He’s learned how to make the right call at the lineout and which tactic will work against a particular opponent. He’s also become an important figure at the kick-off. If you look at that first game against the Sharks, they tried to put us under pressure in the air, but Juandré was excellent.
‘The No 5 is also expected to hit a lot of rucks, it’s a big workload. That’s what some people didn’t realise about Victor; he was an excellent lineout manager but he also got through an impressive amount of work at the breakdown. Juandré has now taken on a similar role.
‘All in all I’d say he’s taken ownership of that No 5 jersey. I think Flip van der Merwe is in the same boat, having had to sit behind Bakkies and Danie for all those years. Both have made a big impact this season and complement each other well.’
There are always going to be great expectations when you’re replacing the best second-row combination of all time. Fortunately for the Bulls, Van der Merwe and Kruger have come into the 2012 season with experience as a unit. And long before they were packing down for the Bulls in the Currie Cup, the two locks enjoyed a healthy rivalry at the lower levels.
‘Flip and I have been great mates since our school days,’ says Kruger. ‘Our friendship goes all the way back to the U14s when I was at Paul Roos and he was at Grey College. We also played against each other at junior provincial level, Flip for Free State and me for Western Province. We’ve always enjoyed the challenge of playing against each other, and I’m now enjoying the privilege of being his team-mate at the Bulls. Our wives are also best friends.’
The Bulls are still in a rebuilding phase, but Kruger hopes to play an important role in a trophy-winning campaign, if not in 2012 then in the near future.
‘Somehow I’ve managed to miss all of the Bulls’ successes,’ he says. ‘I arrived here in 2008 when the Bulls didn’t do well in the Super 14, and was an unused substitute when we lost in the 2008 Currie Cup final to the Sharks. I played most of the games in the 2011 Currie Cup but lost in the semis. I want to change that; I want to win trophies with this Bulls side.’
Towards the end of Matfield’s career, Bekker had begun to close the gap between himself and the lineout legend. Bekker is the natural successor to Matfield at Test level, although it would seem that for the first time since Matfield’s retirement, another genuine contender has emerged.
As shown by his patience and determination to claim that coveted position at the Bulls, Kruger doesn’t give up. If the Bulls pack performs consistently, he may receive a call from Heyneke Meyer sooner rather than later.
‘The players realise that if the team does well in Super Rugby, individuals are going to be in line for higher honours,’ says Van Graan. ‘There’s still a long way to go, but if the forwards continue to play well, guys like Juandré and Flip will come into contention. You are playing against quality opponents every week, so if you can be consistent you can make a statement.’
– This article first appeared in the May issue of SA Rugby magazine.
159 Comments
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7 Jun 2012, 09:06 am
I was thinking yesterday, if Allistair Coetzee currently only has 3 ‘worthy’ Boks to work with, he must be the best coach at the moment in South Africa. In the same vein, John Plumtree must then be the worst coach as he as 7 Boks to work with.
7 Jun 2012, 09:07 am
@blueboy(blueboy)-42:
I’ve also stated before Bekker has some sort of a mental block as he’s never got the better of Victor in a game whereas even the likes of McCaw has been beaten by Brussouw on occasion.
Kruger’s maybe not as devastating with ball in hand as Andries at his best but no doubt he’s a quality lock and can only get better from here.
7 Jun 2012, 09:09 am
the great thing about juandre and eben is that they both possess the skills and athleticism of the traditional no 5 lock… and both possess the physicality and power of the traditional no 4 lock… and could mix-match-and-rotate plays/duties/strategies depending on on what the situation calls for…
as a pair they could redefine lock play in the future…
the other lock that imo will become a regular member of the bok squad in a year or twos time… and is a similar player to both these guys…
is quinn roux…
who… Brig… is an affies boy having his salary payed down in cape town…
7 Jun 2012, 09:09 am
@RugbyStudent(RugbyStudent)-51:
That is quite obvious I think. Just look at the log…
7 Jun 2012, 09:10 am
@Gumboots(Gumboots)-49:
7 Jun 2012, 09:11 am
@ufo(ufo)-53:
Quin not our own! Could he be that good then?
7 Jun 2012, 09:13 am
Actually potentially the best lock we had we let go, and i mean after Bakkies and Victor, Bok Sharks and Boks let Mostert go, just when the young fella started showing his true potential
7 Jun 2012, 09:13 am
When do the predictions start? It will be fun to see who gets the score right…
7 Jun 2012, 09:13 am
@ufo(ufo)-53:
Juandre is not a physical 4 lock. Never has, never will be. He is a Matfield type player and hangs around the centres and wings quite a bit. Go look at the tries he has scored for the Bulls this season.
7 Jun 2012, 09:14 am
Once again I hate to be the I-told-you-so guy, but I was calling – beseeching – for his return since his first season with Northampton. I’m not sure exactly what gives me this uncanny eye for talent, but I recognised him as a Bok star back then. But please, this is not about me.
7 Jun 2012, 09:16 am
Just like I went against my side last week and how Smit went with England and then retracted it, I go with:
England by 4… I might retract later, depending on my gut feeling…
7 Jun 2012, 09:16 am
Springbok Team: What the Past Coaches Think
by Sean Wilson on June 6th, 2012
The Springbok match 22 has been selected to face England in the first test in Durban on Saturday. Here’s a list of the 22, along with comments made by some past Springbok coaches.
15. ZANE KIRCHNER
-Jake White: “Lambie is very unlucky not to make the starting team. Big call from Heyneke.”
-Nick Mallett: “Bad selection. He tries to join the backline too much, he can’t kick with his left foot and he clearly doesn’t use Lambie’s shampoo enough.”
-Andre Markgraaf: “I hate him.”
-Peter de Villiers: “Most of us were expecting him to pick Lambie, but it seems Heyneke has pulled a bull out of a hat. But Heyneke must be careful, because pulling a bull out of a hat is not magic. That is why God made rabbits.”
14. JP Pietersen
-White: “Has been the classiest, most consistent right wing in the country for years.”
-Mallett: “Bad selection. He’s been playing at centre too much this year, he doesn’t communicate enough and sometimes he wears coloured boots that puts his teammates off”.
-Markgraaf: “I hate him.”
-De Villiers: “Hopefully he’ll get some ball that will enable him to attack, because attack is the best form of defence. Except tackling, of course. That’s much better defence.”
13. JEAN DE VILLIERS (Captain)
-White: “Was one of my most trusted senior players and he fully deserves to be captain.”
-Mallett: “Too much of a maverick to be captain and even though I haven’t seen him play outside centre for 10 years, I know he’s too slow for the position.”
-Markgraaf: “I like him.”
-De Villiers: “I’m happy for him. He has the same surname as me and people often ask if we are related. That makes Jean laugh. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because I’m much shorter than he is.”
12. FRANCOIS STEYN
-White: “Heyneke’s just copying my World Cup selection.”
-Mallett: “Bad selection. What if he tries one of those huge drop kicks that hits the post, bounces back so far it lands in our 22 and puts us under pressure? Liability.”
-Markgraaf: “I like him.”
-De Villiers: “We had our differences when he wanted to stay in France. I told him that if God wanted us to live in France, why can you buy croissants at Checkers on a Sunday?”
11. BRYAN HABANA
-White: “I taught him everything he knows about wing play.”
-Mallett: “His peripheral vision is not up to scratch, he doesn’t cover his fullback on defence and he eats too many carbohydrates on match day.”
-Markgraaf: “I hate him. Wait…I like him. Wait…ag, I don’t know. They must bring back the Race Classification Council because some of these ohs are bladdy confusing.”
-De Villiers: “People have been critical of him in the past because they expect so much of him. I told him not to worry, because people also expected us to win the World Cup, and look how that turned out. It just goes to show that sometimes people are wrong.”
10. MORNE STEYN
-White: “He’s been playing well and has a history of kicking well under pressure.”
-Mallett: “His defence is shocking, his distribution’s appalling and I’ll bet that if you tell him his faults, he’ll cry just like Gaffie did.”
-Andre Markgraaf has been forcibly removed due to his inappropriate outbursts
-De Villiers: “People say that the way he plays isn’t pretty. But beauty is only skin deep. Ugly goes right down to the bone.”
9. FRANCOIS HOUGAARD
-White: “Can’t find any fault with his play.”
-Mallett: “I can. His box kicks aren’t effective enough. One day he’s going to drop the ball during one of his ’swallow dives’ over the tryline. Too many tattoos.”
-De Villiers: “Has had to bide his time, but good things come to those who wait, and if you wait long enough for delivery, the pizza will be free.”
8. PIERRE SPIES
-White: “Magnificent athlete.”
-Mallett: “His tackling is weak, his running with the ball is mindless and he gets homesick.”
-De Villiers: “I treated him like a bull in a china shop. He didn’t understand why we were talking about Bulls in China when he wants to talk about the Bulls playing in Japan. He has a lot to learn.”
7. WILLEM ALBERTS
-White: “Has all the attributes fill the void left by Juan Smith.”
-Mallett: “He’s too slow, he doesn’t link with the backs and the players don’t know whether to speak English or Afrikaans to him.”
-De Villiers: “He was disappointed that I kept picking Schalk Burger ahead of him. I told him that if he wanted to play in a Springbok team without Schalk in it, then he better buy a tutu and play in a ballerina outfit. Then he understood, and told me that he didn’t like the Bulls away strip either.”
6. MARCELL COETZEE
-White: “Sorry, I didn’t hear you. Who’s the other flank? I was too busy asking Heinrich to fetch me a beer.”
-Mallett: “Earlier I said he would be my pick, but it’s different now that he’s actually been picked. Bad selection.”
-De Villiers: “Heinrich is very unlucky. That’s the way the ball bounces sometimes. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but it doesn’t make the ball rounder. That’s why he’s been dropped.”
5. JUANDRE KRUGER
-White: “I hope they’ve updated the line-out calls. ‘Een, twee, drie, Victor!’ isn’t going to work any more.”
-Mallett: “Doesn’t do enough in the tight loose, isn’t strong enough in the scrums and he doesn’t understand why South Africa has three capital cities.”
-De Villiers: “On debut, you must put your hand up and come to the party. The coach must tell him that even if the fans are expecting him to turn water into wine, he must relax because everyone’s drinking Powerade.”
4. EBEN ETZEBETH
-White: “Awesome physical power.”
-Mallett: “It’s wrong to have two locks on debut. His work at the line-outs is weak and he’s too young to remember when I was coach.”
-De Villiers: “He’s a huge lock, like the tower of Babel, which is why the coach must speak different languages to him. At first you speak English, and he’ll understand. Then you speak Afrikaans, and he’ll understand. Then you speak to him in Xhosa, and then he won’t understand. That’s when you say ‘That is why I am the coach.’.”
3. JANNIE DU PLESSIS
-White: “I only picked tighthead props with initials instead of first names.”
-Mallett: “His discipline is poor, he should get murdered at the scrums and there’s a risk he’ll undermine the team doctor.”
-De Villiers: “I used to tell him that even though he’s a doctor, laughter is the best medicine. Unless you have a headache, then laughter is just a moersa lotta kak.”
2. BISMARCK DU PLESSIS (VICE-CAPTAIN)
-White: “They should have brought back John Smit.”
-Mallett: “Him and his brother are a 5-penalty package. I would never have picked a hooker with such bad discipline. James Dalton was a saint.”
-De Villiers: “He would always get upset that I didn’t start him. I told him that there’s no difference between starting and being on the bench, except that starting feels better. It didn’t cheer him up.”
1. TENDAI ‘BEAST’ MTAWARIRA
-White: “On track to being the new Os.”
-Mallett: “He’s not lifting his jumpers at the kick-offs properly. He’s doing it just to show off his strength to the crowd. When the crowd shouts his name it makes me jealous…I mean, it makes the players jealous.”
-De Villiers: “He was always my first name on the teamsheet, because I started the team with ‘Number 1?.”
RESERVES:
16. ADRIAAN STRAUSS
17. COENIE OOSTHUIZEN
18. FLIP VAN DER MERWE
19. KEEGAN DANIEL
20. RUAN PIENAAR
21. PATRICK LAMBIE
22. WYNAND OLIVIER
-White: “Well, I hope he’s got the team right. If he hasn’t and we lose the series, I’d like to coach South Africa again. If he gets it wrong and they give England a hiding, I would like to coach England. We’ll see, because I’d also like to coach Australia, but my loyalty is with the Brumbies.”
-Mallett: “There’s not enough positions covered on the bench. Wait, I’m getting an sms from Andre Markgraaf… it says ‘I like the whole bench.’”
-De Villiers: “It’s not the team I expected. Fool me once, and shame on me, but if the little boy who cried wolf leads the horse to water, I shall not drink. For I am not a sheep. I am the walrus.”
7 Jun 2012, 09:16 am
@>^..^< katman(katman)-60:
I have always thought you would be a good talent scout! As a Lion you are at least unbiased…
7 Jun 2012, 09:18 am
@RugbyStudent(RugbyStudent)-51: Many Sharks will not disagree with you on that one
7 Jun 2012, 09:18 am
I guess its easy to say Juandre is so fantastic when the only person to take his position is injured. I still think Bekker is better.
7 Jun 2012, 09:18 am
@RugbyStudent(RugbyStudent)-51:
Yip, the best franchise not to have won ANY trophy in 16 years in Super rugby and 11 years in CC. Shame…..the log means ******* all if they dont win it this year. When it come to play off games, these poor fudgepackers are as fragile mentally as they are physically.
The powers that be at SARU obviously sees it as a disgrace that one of the so-called top 5 in SA rugby could win nothing in a decade when even the lowly lions have there name on a trophy. That and the fact that they are bankrupt and that a home semi or final will boost the coffers has a lot to do with the instruction to refs to let the poor buggerers win at all cost.
oh to have a Bulls/Briesies semi or final at Newlands…….i know who my money will be on.
7 Jun 2012, 09:19 am
#50 the sharks dog food You may have a point there who knows i dont think the pretoria press ever wrote that he is the best No8 in the world (correct me if i am wrong) that would have been foolish to write that as he is deffinately not the best No8 in world rugby.I just hope he can regain the form which made him ONE of the best No8`s world rugby which would benefit both the bulls and the boks.
7 Jun 2012, 09:19 am
bekker is worthless
7 Jun 2012, 09:20 am
@Gumboots(Gumboots)-61:
” He is a Matfield type player and hangs around the centres and wings quite a bit.”
Er… you need to study much much harder…
Victor was in the top 3 for all South African forward stats in 2011… particularly tackle and ruck stats in the S15, the 3N and the RWC… so if Kruger is half as good this test season then the Boks will benefit…
7 Jun 2012, 09:20 am
@Xkreni-WP(Xkreni-WP)-66:
Huh! Have you been watching rugby lately? I wouldn’t put too much on it though…
7 Jun 2012, 09:21 am
@BULLET(BULLET)-62: That is k@k funny
7 Jun 2012, 09:21 am
@BULLET(BULLET)-62:
Bullet, you obviously have lots of time on your hands
7 Jun 2012, 09:21 am
@Xkreni-WP(Xkreni-WP)-68:
…and you are priceless…
7 Jun 2012, 09:24 am
Got to tell you I am really impressed with the way Heinike has gone about his business it reeks of professionalism.
For starters the way he had those meetings with the players to buy into his way of thinking,his media dealings, he seems a man of serious purpose this team he has chosen is one he has put together to do a certain job,and man is it going to do the job I think they are going to be awesome and I think the poms are going to cop a hiding of note.
There is none of this airy fairyness that was so common to his predecessor everything is meticullous even down to the way he explained Heinrics omission from the squad.
I am fishing Moreton bay on saturday,then hopefully braaing my catch then watching rugby back to back to back,public holiday here(Aus)on monday so no worry about feeling rough come monday for work cant wait.GO THE BOKKE.
7 Jun 2012, 09:25 am
@blueboy(blueboy)-42:
Look, Kruger might become better than Bekker for many reasons, but your arguments are all so Bulls flavored it’s hard to take anything you say seriously.
If Bekker stays injury free it will be hard to decide between the two.
Bekker at his best is very physical, driving players back in the tackle.
7 Jun 2012, 09:26 am
@Gumboots(Gumboots)-56:
hehehe…
he is our own…
7 Jun 2012, 09:28 am
@Xkreni-WP(Xkreni-WP)-66:
Wow, who invited the village idiot?! I did not compare franchises. I compared coaches and the talent at their disposal.
I’m sure Allistair would win more competitions if he had Beast, Bismarck, Jannie, Lambie, Pietersen etc to also choose from.
Your argument is pointless and plays out only in your head.
7 Jun 2012, 09:29 am
#66xkreni wp Wp fudgepackers i like that the fudgepackers from slaapstaad hey it gets better.A friend of mine sent me a photo on facebook it was a cars registration and it is XKRENI WP and it also showed i think EK BLY `N BUL.That has to be your number plate.
7 Jun 2012, 09:29 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-69:
Well go look at his videos this season. Where did you get your stats from? My argument was that he is not a number 4 lock. Are you saying Matfield was a number 4 lock?
7 Jun 2012, 09:32 am
@RugbyStudent(RugbyStudent)-79:
Dislexia confuses mate!
7 Jun 2012, 09:33 am
@RugbyStudent(RugbyStudent)-59:
of course you’re entitled to your opinion…
even if it is a silly opinion…
7 Jun 2012, 09:34 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-50:
@blueboy(blueboy)-67:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UEkR6WbTDJE
7 Jun 2012, 09:38 am
@@BULLET(BULLET)-62:
that was hilarious. Thank you!
7 Jun 2012, 09:39 am
@Gumboots(Gumboots)-70: No. It’s hard for him to see the TV while going down on his brother.
7 Jun 2012, 09:40 am
@BULLET(BULLET)-62: Brilliant.
7 Jun 2012, 09:42 am
Bekker’s value:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQIt_GRipzI
7 Jun 2012, 09:44 am
@RugbyStudent(RugbyStudent)-79:
Nor is Jaundre Kruger so your argument is moot… not that I pigeon-hole locks either… every forward should have some enforcer in him, just as every forward should have a high work-load in the modern game…
It just so happens Victor had better work-load stats than all of the 5′s and all bar Brussouw in 2011…
Study this… http://www.rugbystats.com.au
7 Jun 2012, 09:44 am
#75 wpjoulekkading I am sorry you see my comments as biased but i can only comment in what i have seen with my own eyes i do not take anybody`s word on these matters.I stated in a previous post that bekker got a real hiding in the lineouts when he played against matfield in super rugby or in CC games and i still say that is a fact.Along with his back injury maybe his confidence took a beating when playing against matfield that it affected his play.I am not saying he is a bad lock,all i am stating that at his best he always came second best to matfield.
7 Jun 2012, 09:45 am
@Xkreni-WP(Xkreni-WP)-66:
“….these poor fudgepackers are as fragile mentally as they are physically.”
What is it with bulls and sharks supporters and their obsession with rear gunner ***? Seriously. Maybe there is a psychiatrist on this blog that can help with an answer.
7 Jun 2012, 09:45 am
@ufo(ufo)-53: I agree. first time I saw Roux play was when he came on for the last few minutes against the Bulls last weekend. He was very impressive.
7 Jun 2012, 09:46 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-87:
Please read the following from which my argument stems. Keo bloggers are like goldfish.
53.ufo said:
7 Jun 2012, 09:09 am
the great thing about juandre and eben is that they both possess the skills and athleticism of the traditional no 5 lock… and both possess the physicality and power of the traditional no 4 lock… and could mix-match-and-rotate plays/duties/strategies depending on on what the situation calls for…
as a pair they could redefine lock play in the future…
the other lock that imo will become a regular member of the bok squad in a year or twos time… and is a similar player to both these guys…
is quinn roux…
who… Brig… is an affies boy having his salary payed down in cape town…
7 Jun 2012, 09:47 am
look you can cry about Bekker all you like.
but I have a feeling supersport will be measuring him up for a blazer soon.
7 Jun 2012, 09:47 am
@62 BULLETT
Top Draw!!!
The saffas in my office are wetting themselves.
7 Jun 2012, 09:49 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-92: Between Kobus and Bekker, that’s a lot of navy Polyester.
7 Jun 2012, 09:50 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-92:
which reminds me of the ‘caps being too small to on their heads fiasco’ by supersport. what a kockup.
7 Jun 2012, 09:51 am
@XV(XV)-90:
yeah… strange how life is sometimes… he was ahead of eben in the pecking order until he got injured… now eben has taken his chances and proved he’s a legend in the making…
quinn is still an excellent player though… and if they can both stay fit will be a formidable group of locks with de kock and andries (should he also stay fit) at the stormers… quinn’s more a number four but played 5 for the VC team… so another lock with overall attributes and skills…
7 Jun 2012, 09:52 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-92:
agree…
said the other day that, sadly, it looks like his career may, for all intents and purposes, be over…
i hope not… but it does look that way…
7 Jun 2012, 09:53 am
@RugbyStudent(RugbyStudent)-86:
Interesting… that entire clip is of Andries taking ball from fly-half, centre or the wings (something you incorrectly chastised Matfield for above?
(I doubt many disagree fully fit he’d be starting this weekend… but he rarely is come test season)…
7 Jun 2012, 09:53 am
It’s funny how the Tshwane bunch are so obsessed with terms like “fudgepackers” and “brokeback boys”.
There must be a lot of pent-up latent homosexuality there.
7 Jun 2012, 09:54 am
@RugbyStudent(RugbyStudent)-91:
and your point is…?
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