Fourie Du Preez - The Springbok Talisman

ex supersport.

Du Preez – possibly the most honest player in the squad – said plainly that he didn’t feel he was 100% ready at this moment to go to the World Cup, but was confident that with two more weeks he would be okay.

“It was a freak accident at training, it was quite a big setback for me and I had to work really hard to get back into contention for the World Cup. If I had to be honest, I’d say I’m not 100 percent but I’ve worked so hard to get here and to be here, that I will give my all.

“I should be ready in two weeks and that is my goal. It’s a process and I’m confident I will get there.

"From previous experience of coming back after long lay-offs, I only need about 20 minutes to pick up the pace and rhythm of the game again. I’m not as confident this time, but if you ask me that question with two more weeks of training, I might be able to say with confidence I’ll only need a short time on the field to be up to speed," he said.

"The World Cup is a long tournament and hopefully I can get an opportunity to play in the pool stages to build towards the quarterfinals and get into the form I want to reach."

Meyer is of the firm belief that all these players will pick up form quickly, and if they do, the Boks will be bolstered by their presence, and stronger by the time they reach the playoffs.

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Du Preez and Vermuelen are perhaps the 2 key players in the Bok game plan. Hopefully they both get fit and stay injury free.

I didnt realise Dupreez was injured in training.

 SB
The problem with Du Preez is he is chronically unfit since he moved to play in Japan, where they play matches every fortnight.  He came back for 4 tests in 2013 and all four were in succeeding weeks.   In the Wallaby test he was top class - the week later against the AB's he was bog ordinary.  Same sequence in the Wales test he put in a very good performance - the next week against Scotland he was basically absent from the game.
In 2014 he played in Japan till the end of February and then did not play for near to 4 months.  His tests in June was very near to average, with very little to praise him for.  He lasted 2 tests and was injured in the third.  his knee injury could at best be described as the effect of not being fit enough.   He just walk off the field during the game - there was no clear sign of any reason for an injury and was laid off for the rest of the year.   
He played a few games for his club in Japan in January and February - the last one being on 26 February 2015.  When he went back in June for pre-season training he was obviously unfit after a lay-off of four months and injured the same knee again. Again the real reason for the injury was chronic unfitness.  Since then he had no game time at all - in other words his last game he was involved in was on 26 February 2015.
Playing in Japan has seriously detrimental effects on fitness levels of players.   They are at the best of times not fit enough to play rugby on succeeding weekends and in the case of Du Preez it must be borne in mind he is nearing 34 years of age - when it is even harder to keep fit and still perform well in rugby.
Recent photos showed a more stout and fatter player tha n Du Preez ever was in the past.  Meyer justified his selection on the basis that he knows what Du Preez is capable of - but the real question about that statement is, is Du Preez at present still capable of what he was capable of in the past?
I have my doubts whether Du Preez will deliver the goods in the WC and that he even would survive the first match he plays in.   
     
       

du Preez, like Pienaar offer nothing more than a pass and a boot these days......how pathetically boring.....we dont have a 9 in the squad who offers anything with ball in hand

 Dave,        Never fear my friend.        We always have Burger with his accurate wild passes and if that was not enough we have the great #10 Victor to deliver the goods.        Jannie will ensure that we never lose possession and then we have Morne to score 5 pointers so the Protea's should easily go all the way with this type of class on the field.
        Just watch!!!!!!!!

Still the best scrumhalf we have. 
I'd happily accept his service and kicking ability but put up with his lack of sniping and deficient attack just because he's a rugby genius. He see's things others don't and gives any flyhalf he plays with extra time to use, he isn't a runner like Reinach and Hougaard and he isn't a plodder like Pienaar, he's a tactician. 

True we have old Vic to throw a pass.......for that is all he fucking does these days

 Shezza
I hope you are right - but I think there is about a 5% chance that he would be as g ood as he used to be.  

 
He WAS a tactician with an awesome kicking game and a good pass ... 5 years ago.

Now he's an out of shape hasbeen ... a shadow of his former self ... and to add to it all, he hasn't seen any game for a year. 

His kicking game no longer exists. We've all seen that.

Sniping attacks is no longer part of his repertoire.

So of what use is he? A pass??

Give me a break!!

We have the likes of Faf who has it all ... but he's being excluded because he's not a personal friend of the coach.

That's the only reason Du Preez's going to the WC.

He hasn't been selected on merit ... nor because of any kind of form shown in recent months.

There is nothing for Meyer to go on ... other than his friendship with Du Preez and what he saw him do nearly a decade ago.

It's the same absurd reasoning he used in wanting Fat Fransie.

Nah ... it's the exchange of Christmas gifts at the end of the year that secured him a place in the squad.

Nothing else!!!