Firstly who can blame jaque at 29 from securing his fute with the 22 million he wil learn fo rtwo years work!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So no trashing of Jaque via cheap comments please.
Ex keo
CARDINELLI writes that while South Africa has some exciting centre options, no player is as complete and as well suited to the Springbok pattern as Jaque Fourie. (True or false?)
Fourie has announced that he won’t be available to the Boks for the next two years, citing his commitment to Japanese club Kobelco Steelers as the reason. The news will come as a blow to Bok coach Heyneke Meyer. Juan Smith has been ruled out for the entire season and Jean de Villiers’ hand injury could preclude him from the June Tests against England. With Fourie unavailable, Meyer has lost another key cog in the Bok machine.
The Bok coach has said that he won’t change much in terms of structure for the three matches against England, and that he will lean heavily on the existing senior core. Plans are afoot to restore Victor Matfield, Danie Rossouw and Fourie du Preez, and Meyer would have hoped that other leaders like Schalk Burger, Smith, De Villiers and Fourie would all be available for his first series as Bok coach.
Burger will return from injury in the next fortnight, but the extent of De Villiers’s ailment is not yet known. What is certain is that Smith won’t feature for the Boks in 2012, and neither will Fourie. These absences won’t cripple the Boks, but they will make them a less imposing prospect, especially on defence.
It seems likely that Burger will resume his role at blindside flank, a position he played at the 2011 World Cup. This will offset the loss of Smith. It will also allow a genuine openside in Heinrich Brüssow to start at No 6. Meyer should pick a big and abrasive pack, and he would have hoped to select two strapping midfielders as well.(With spiesies and brussouw in it?)
Frans Steyn’s impending return to South Africa is significant, and nobody is more aware of the fact than De Villiers himself. Meyer is keen on starting Steyn at No 12, as aside from his attacking and defensive strengths, he provides the team with further tactical and goal-kicking options. It is for this reason that De Villiers, who at 31 is seven years older than Steyn, has upped his game in 2012. He knows that his position is under threat.
De Villiers is currently in doubt for that series against England meaning Steyn is in line for the No 12 jersey. De Villiers and Fourie have formed a remarkable partnership over the years, but so too have Steyn and Fourie. The latter pair helped South Africa win the 2007 World Cup, and also started the big matches at last year’s global showpiece.
But now that Fourie is unavailable, Meyer will need to look at another option. The new Bok coach has made it clear that he considers Fourie the best defensive centre on the planet (DR Moz mightnotagree), which is why the recent news will come as a heavy blow.
The Boks are set to play a game of pressure in 2012, with tactical kicking and defensive excellence holding sway. For this game plan to work, Meyer will want players that best suit the strategy.
Juan de Jongh has been in the Springbok mix since 2009. He has enjoyed success at the Stormers at No 12 and 13, although he has made it clear that outside centre is his preferred position. His quick feet and acceleration make him an attractive attacking option at No 13, and he played a big part in a Stormers side that topped the defensive stats in 2010, 2011 and the current season.
Another outside centre option is Johann Sadie, one of Meyer’s favourites. Sadie produced some impressive attacking cameos for the Stormers in 2011, and while not as potent for the Bulls, he has settled into their defensive structures.
But are either of these youngsters in the class of Fourie? Fourie’s value to the Boks was not limited to individual ability. A veteran of 69 Tests, he was also renowned for his communication and organisational skills, which as any defensive coach will tell you, are crucial to defensive success.
While Fourie is better know for his defensive exploits, he is also one of South Africa’s better finishers with 32 Test tries to his name. When he was at the Stormers in 2010 and 2011, he topped the try-scoring stats for the Cape franchise. He has what many coaches prize, that is speed, vision, and that indispensable trait at the highest level: physicality.(Dr Moz again might not agree)
In a pre-season conversation, De Jongh told me that he’d been working hard on his physicality in the tackle. He’s a smaller player than Fourie, and while it is not an issue at Super Rugby level it may be used against him in Test rugby.
In the past, his aggressive attitude has compensated for a lack of size, but he also appreciates that further steps need to be taken to ensure he dominates his Test opponents.
Meyer will have one week to work with the Bok squad as a collective before the series against England. With Fourie no longer an option, and De Villiers in doubt, he may opt for a midfield combination of Steyn and De Jongh, two players that haven’t enjoyed a great deal of game time together but ironically could become the preferred centre pairing for the next year or so.
Fourie will be missed in terms of his experience and what he brings to the defence. It won’t prove costly against a rebuilding England, but it will be crucial that Steyn and De Jongh settle as a combination ahead of the more demanding battles with Australia and New Zealand in August.
This is a fairly limited view on matters?
