The following report from News 24:-
"Jaque Fourie’s unexpected and sudden decision to retire from international rugby is a massive blow to the Springboks’ plans to win the Rugby World Cup next year, the supersport.com website reports.
The midfielder announced his retirement from international rugby on Thursday, ironically at the same time he extended his lucrative contract with Japanese club Kobelco Steelers and shortly after turning down an offer to play for the Cell C Sharks in next year’s Vodacom Super Rugby competition.
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It is a decision that has taken the Bok camp by surprise and one which has thrown coach Heyneke Meyer’s plans into question.
It is no secret that Meyer envisaged a role for Fourie in the team to go to the Rugby World Cup.
Returned from injury
Fourie's appearance last year in the end-of-season tour highlighted that and Meyer has been consistent in praising Fourie and his influence on the Japanese league since his move there.
With no specialist 13 centre chosen for the current tour, the Boks were operating under the belief that Fourie would be available when they needed him, so much so that they even decided not to call him up for this tour on the basis he had only recently returned from injury.
Meyer met Fourie on the Bok management’s recent visit to Japan when they were visiting sponsors Asics. It was clear from conversations with the Bok management that they had decided not to push him to tour this time to ensure they have him available for all the camps leading up to the Rugby World Cup.
The Boks are currently playing two specialist 12s in the midfield, with Jan Serfontein growing in stature as he and captain Jean de Villiers are slowly building a formidable partnership. But while they have been devastatingly solid on defence, on attack their cohesion needs some more work.
JP Pietersen is seen as the natural backup to the duo at 13, with Damian de Allende – who is on the bench this weekend – the Boks other option.
Meyer has made it clear by his selections that he is looking for a big, powerful 13 to fulfil the role in the midfield, which means that those punting DHL Western Province captain Juan de Jongh for the position are likely to be disappointed. De Jongh has, apart from a brief appearance in squads in 2012 and 2013, never featured in Meyer’s plans and less than a year away from the World Cup that is unlikely to change now.
Massive contribution
Fourie said he had thought long and hard about his decision to retire.
“After much consideration with regards to my current career status, I have decided to not make myself available for any international rugby and have chosen to remain focused on continuing with my current club, Kobelco Steelers.
"The decision to retire from international rugby was not an easy one but I am looking forward to what the future holds for myself and my family,” he said through his agents Union Sports.
But the underlying tone of the statement was that his club contract had trumped his international duty.
Sources in Japan point to a possible clause put in by the Steelers which ultimately forced Fourie to retire from international rugby if he was to extend his contract, and with the money topping R5m a year at the moment, it isn’t difficult to see this as a massive contribution to the decision.
Available
However, in Bok terms, Meyer has not lost both Fourie and Frans Steyn – the latter never likely to put on a Bok jersey again – both due to circumstances beyond the Bok coach’s control, there is some concern now that the Boks may have painted themselves into a bit of a corner in terms of midfield selection, only to be dropped by Fourie’s decision.
While no guarantees were ever given from either side, anyone who has heard Meyer speak over the past few years would know that if Fourie was fit and available, the Bok coach would choose him.
Yet further than this, it also rules out Andries Bekker – who similarly extended his contract with the same club – from the Rugby World Cup and also poses some massive question marks about the future of Boks playing in Japan, especially with Pietersen, Fourie du Preez and Schalk Burger all still under contract there.
All three are well into their careers but are likely to be available for the World Cup. After that, it is anyone’s guess.
DISCUSSION
The Fourie Issue
This is mostly a lot of twaddle - highlighting the deficiency in proper planning of Meyer insofar as the cricitcal no 13 position is concerned. The mere fact that Meyer was thinking of Fourie as the key player in that position - is seriously problematic.
Fourie played at 13 last year and his appearnces was seriously problemativ. In teh first test against Wales Davies twice ran around him as if he was not there - and the saving grace for Fourie was Davies had to leave the field with an injury after about 15 minutes . The problem here had a lot to do with Fourie's serious pace deficiency.
Fourie for the rest defended well in all three tests - but he showed zero in attacking ability. After being out of rugby for nine months there is no indication that Fourie will not be in a seriously-problematic physical codition.
Present Combination
If anybody cannot see that the present conmbination fo De Villiers is from n attacking perspective not working - they must get new glasses. Both players are playing exactly the same style of rugby - both are more crashballers than space creators - and neither has produced near to zero in attacking play.
To work on that one is seriously problematic - especialy since De Villiers form this year was not good enough - he lost a lot of form since last year. I am not saying that Serfotnein ultimately may not become a useful 13 - but indications are to the contrary.
Alternative Options
Three alternative players are mentione - namely JP Pietrsen, Damien De Allende and Juan De Jongh.
If a statement is made about the lack of pace and physical defects of Fourie - then the same can be said about Pietersen. He has a most shocking pace deficiency and there is no way that he would overcome that playing "soft" rugby in Japan.
De Allende - since his school days never played at 13 - and Meyer used him twice in that position and then either left him out completely from the day squad or in the upcoming Wales Test put him on the bench. The first game was played in the mud-bath in Peretoria and was not really a good enough test for the player. Howevr, unlike the other players De Allende did show some attacking ability. Meyer has recently asked the Stormers to play De Allende at 13 - to give him an opportunity to settle into that position.
What was said about De Jongh is also twaddle. He was given the opportunity to play at 13 in two tests in 2012 and into selected since then as a squad member. The real reason is not what is indicated in the article - namely his size - but rather is the result of an absolute disgraceful performance in those two tests where he effectively went AWOL. Another issue of importance is that for the past two series in Super 15 De Jongh was the worst defending center in the whole competition. Anybody thinking of him as an option - must have his head read.
Other Japanese Club Players
Lets look at the condition of players from both the Japanese and French clubs first before dealing specifically with the Japanes club players mentione in the article. Other than Goosen, there is not a single of the French club players who did not physically go backwards after leaving to join French clubs.
When Francois Steyn came back from France in April 2012 he was in a shocking physical condition - he was grossly overweight and apparently unfit. He played in the June tests and 4 tests in the RC and he was at the best of times a seriously poor performer. There can be no doubt that his physical conditin was part of the reason for the serious injury that put him out of rugby for the remainder of 2012.
He then came back to the Sharks in 2013 and was even in a worse physical condition and in the first four Super 15 matches in 2013 he was so poor - Plumtree sacked him from the team and said publicly that Steyn is no center. He played two games at outside center later in 2013 - was then injured and out of rugby for the remainder of 2013.
This year he was still over--weight and an absolutely useless crashballer at 12 - equally useles at 10 I may add. Evalauation of his stats indicates that he should never have been near the team on Super 15 level. His attack was with only one exception - non-existent - his defense was nearly as poor as that of De Jongh. His ball possession losses in games was pathetic to say the least.
Other than Goosen, none of the French club players who came back to be in the Springbok squad was any good this year - that includes Bakkies Botha, Gurthro Steenkamp, Juan Smith and Morne Steyn. All of them flop badly at times - some more than others.
If we think the French Club players were inadequate - the Japanese Club players are worse. After playing "soft" rugby for a season - they come back in a horrible condition:-
The article mentioned other Japanese Club players as well - but I am afraid they may be available for th Springboks - but they are in such poor form - they should npt be considered.
* Francois Steyn - was poor after playing in France - is likly to be worse after a season in Japan - it would be difficult to imagine that he could be slower than he already was - but that is a real possibility. The article is right about Steyn not playing for the Springboks again - but wrong insofar as the reason is concerned - his performances on Super 15 level was so bad - only a lunatic would consider selecting him
* Fourie du Preez has been playing somee tests for the Springboks over the past year and all that became clear is that he is not a shadow of the player he used to be - and tha at this stage his selection is based on reputation - not on adequate performance Being also in poor physical form - he ahs lost speed and hsi latest injury is likely the result of poor physical condition.
* JP Pietrsen - is a joke in bad taste. No pace to speak of and totally non-descipt performances - both in Super 15 and on test level.
The joke is on Meyer - who keeps on picking the under=performing layers based on reputation - but that can take us nowhere fast.
