Jaque heats up with tryline fever
15 Oct 2012
GARETH DUNCAN looks at the Saffas who impressed in the leagues around the world over the weekend.
In the Japanese Top league, there are two teams that are starting to edge away from the pack at the top of the standings. Ironically, both sides have two South Africans playing key roles in their squads.
They are scrumhalf Fourie du Preez and lock Danie Rossouw’s Suntory Sungoliath and outside centre Jaque Fourie and flyhalf Peter Grant’s Kobe Steelers. Both clubs are unbeaten after six rounds.
Over the weekend, Fourie starred during the Steelers’ 70-24 win over Kyushu Kyuden Voltex. The Springbok midfielder grabbed a hat-trick as Kobe scored 10 tries in total. Grant also displayed a flawless performance with the boot, kicking all seven of his conversions.
Fourie has now scored seven tries in six league appearances.
Du Preez and Rossouw’s Suntory downed Toyato Verblitz 25-22 away from home to hold first place on the log. The former did well in the No 9 jersey before being substituted in the second half.
In other results, inside centre Wynand Olivier scored his first try for the Ricoh Black Rams to help them record a 36-19 win over the NEC Green Rockets. The Black Rams now feature in mid-table after back-to-back triumphs.
In the European Cup, there were several Saffas who impressed in round one.
Lock Bakkies Botha delivered a strong individual performance in Toulon’s 37-16 win over inside centre Paul Bosch and lock Drikus Hancke’s Montpellier. The Springbok second-rower scored a try, rushed 27m with ball in hand, completed an offload, made six tackles and won three feeds at the lineouts.
Flank Josh Strauss scored his first try for Glasgow Warriors during their 24-15 defeat to tighthead prop Brian Mujati and loose forward Gerrit-Jan van Velze’s Northampton Saints.
Strauss was the lone star in the Scottish club’s pack. On attack, he gained 18m with ball in hand and beat two defenders, while he also made four tackles on defence. Mujati enjoyed an impressive 66-minute performance.
Leinster hooker Richardt Strauss was a stand-out in the Irish club’s 9-3 win over the Exeter Chiefs. He won 32m in five ball carries and made six tackles. Loosehead prop Heinke van der Merwe also ran on off the wood for the victors in the second half.
Wing Hanno Dirksen scored a brace in the Ospreys’ 38-17 victory over tighthead prop Bees Roux and scrumhalf Tobie Botes’ Treviso.
Ulster captain Johann Muller and reserve scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar made telling contributions in the team’s 41-17 thrashing of tighthead prop Michael Coetzee, No 8 Pedrie Wannenburg, reserve scrumhalf Rory Kockott and replacement flank Antonie Claassen’s Castres.
Muller marshalled the lineout battle and made 11 tackles, while Pienaar scored Ulster’s bonus-point try at the death by beating the defence with a great run. Reserve hooker Rob Herring also played for the victors.
Saffa-laden Saracens thumped prop WP Nel’s Edinburgh 45-0 at Murrayfield. The victors fielded seven South African-born players as inside centre Brad Barritt, hooker Schalk Brits (who received a yellow card in the second half), tighthead prop Matt Stevens and lock Mouritz Botha started, while front-rowers John Smit and Petrus du Plessis, and scrumhalf Neil de Kock featured off the bench.
Hooker Gary Botha and loosehead prop Gurthro Steenkamp fronted Toulouse’s 23-9 win over the Leicester Tigers.
In the European Challenge Cup, wing Sam Gerber scored one of Bayonne’s 11 tries during their 71-7 smashing of lock Meyer Swanepoel’s Mogliano. Second-rowers Rob Linde and Dewald Senekal also played for the victors.
Outside centre Rudi Coetzee crossed the whitewash in Grenoble’s 59-3 crushing of Cavalieri Prato. The French club also fielded reserve prop Albertus Buckle and midfielder Ronnie Cooke.
Director of rugby Gary Gold’s Bath cruised to a 40-17 win over Romania’s Bucuresti Wolves. Gold fielded a second string side, with Springbok flank Francois Louw being an unused sub on the bench.
Fullback Stefan Basson scored all Rovigo’s points via four penalties as the Italian side suffered a 79-12 drubbing at the hands of Perpignan.
Lock Marco Wentzel and flank Ashley Johnson delivered strong 80-minute performances in the London Wasps’ 38-25 win over the Newport Gwent Dragons.
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21 Comments
15 Oct 2012, 07:46 am
“Lock Bakkies Botha delivered an strong individual performance in Toulon’s 37-16 win over inside centre Paul Bosch and lock Drikus Hancke’s Montpellier. The Springbok second-rower scored a try, rushed 27m with ball in hand, completed an offload, made six tackles and won three feeds at the lineouts.”
do it heyneke
just do it
go get the dragon
15 Oct 2012, 07:48 am
flip, this guys jump looks amazing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHtvDA0W34I
why dont we start sending people into space this way?
15 Oct 2012, 07:55 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-2:
The balloon alone cost R1.75m Bakkies, rather build a school or three.
15 Oct 2012, 08:29 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-1:
I would love it if Meyer recalled Botha
If he did he would have to justify his decision, irrespective of Test standard form. he would be compelled to have him on the bench as a bare minimum.
Joy oh joy if he had him as a run on. Much like SA would rejoice if Shag recalled Thorn.
It would amount to filling the ranks with a hopeful nostalgia trip rather than getting on with the main job of continued improvement.
15 Oct 2012, 08:31 am
@Slartibartfast-3:
true slart, if i had to choose i would choose schools.
it shouldn’t have to be this way if iguvament just did its job within reason, no more no less. oh well.
15 Oct 2012, 08:36 am
@Slartibartfast-3:
Or maybe.. renovate a few politicians houses?
15 Oct 2012, 08:46 am
@Brads-4:
you see apples i see peaches.
ab’s took a trick out of the skpringbok tactical book by recalling woodcock as loosehead for their wc campaign.
smart tems stand to gain by having one or two old dogs who’ve been there and done it all before in the squad ranks. provided the player commands his place and puts in the performances, youngsters stand to gain more even if their time playing is delayed just a little bit in my opinion.
besides, bakkies is 32 whereas thorn is 37, big difference. also, he would not be used to go all the way through to the next wc but just to transition the younger locks better.
15 Oct 2012, 09:01 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-7:
There is no comparison between Woodcock and Botha.
Woodcock never “retired” as an All Black and was only 30 last year so he was in his prime.
Considering the rest of the planet (including SA) has this ridiculous premium above all else on winning the RWC, which I don’t share, why would you recall a retired player who has no chance of lasting another 3 years.
15 Oct 2012, 09:21 am
@Brads-8: How old was Simon Shaw on the 2009 British and Irish Lions tour? and how many injuries do we get in a season? Etzebeth is good enough, but if he gets injured then we do not have a good enough nr 4 lock in SA to play test rugby.
15 Oct 2012, 09:29 am
@Slartibartfast-3:
the goevernment spends more money on education in SA than any other government in Africa yet we are amongst the worst educated nations on the continent.
Someone needs to point the finger at the muppets holding the chalk.
we should start training some decent teachers.
15 Oct 2012, 09:31 am
@Horings-9:
2 years ago the lay of the land was NZ had the best back line players but SA owned the engine room.
2 years on, NZ has a whole new set of backs they can call on that would comfortably dovetail into the team pattern, an engine room that is comfortable against all opposition, while SA are desperate for forwards in key positions.
What does that suggest?
15 Oct 2012, 09:40 am
I hate the use of the gridiron term “rushed”. The english connotation is rather less intentional.
15 Oct 2012, 09:58 am
@Brads-8: Bakkies never retired.
15 Oct 2012, 10:22 am
@gunther-10: True in a sense , but also the system doesn’t favor the student and the amount of paperwork compared to teaching is too much. I’m a teacher and some of us work hard, but the background of the students and economical setbacks we have still play a role. Some student though are just lazy
15 Oct 2012, 10:36 am
@groen-14:
yes it must be the lazy poor students.
15 Oct 2012, 10:47 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-2: it’s “in space”, but not in orbit. At that height you still require a lot of power to escape the earth’s gravity. I suppose you could try and float satellites on balloons, but ultimately all balloons leak since both Hydrogen and Helium are small (di)atoms.
15 Oct 2012, 11:13 am
@Taahirah-13:
Neither did Jerome Kaino
But as good as he is, he would still not be eligible for AB duty until he completed a season of domestic rugby., not would I want him to be selected.
These guys need their poor training drilled out of them.
I know Percy was recalled direct, as was Frans. Has there been any decent forwards called into the Bokke directly from playing in Europe or Japan.
As for the selection of Percy and Frans, is this an indicator of the dearth of talent being produced by the SARU system that they need to go offshore to be educated.
And if so, how did they perform?
15 Oct 2012, 12:06 pm
@H-16:
yes, but my thinking is float the astronaut or payload as high up as possible in this manner and then use a 2nd stage rocket (or other) propulsion method to go the rest of the way?
surely it will still be cheaper and easier to do for a ‘minor’ space nation?
15 Oct 2012, 16:46 pm
Somehow this writer overlooks some of the pools of the heineken cup. What about players like anton van zyl, ethienne reynecke, wicus blaaw and andries van schalkwyk? Get some interest duncan. You probably rush to finish this article on a sunday eve so you can go down to caprice and try and impress some poor girl by telling her you work for keo.
16 Oct 2012, 17:18 pm
@sundaypete-19: GARETH DUNCAN looks at the Saffas who impressed in the leagues around the world over the weekend.
Key word: Impressed
If you had a good weekend, you’d feature in my piece. Otherwise, every weekend wrap would look the same.
31 Oct 2012, 22:05 pm
Bakkies Botha, Justin Marshall, Fourie Du Preez, Jacque Fourie, Andre Joubert, Os Durandt, Henni Le Roux, Martin Johnstone, Danie Gerber, Dan Carter. No shackle-draggers all LEGENDS
Wtf is the problem…let Bakkies play, stupid coach Meyer.
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