The Fury mystery sorted

I have often pointed out that our poor centre play was on Fury. While the lad was quite prolific against weaker sides, he simply hasn't been half the player he is cracked up to be, against better teams. He adds nothing except opportunism....our programmed centre play has declined with the Jean/Fury combination.

That's why in 2008 I found the Jean/Adi combination more constructive. When Jean broke Adi had the nous and pace to be on his shoulder for the key pass. But then with huge public support Fury was pushed back into the Bok squad in the Lions series.....and as luck would have it, scored a crucial try, running over poor O Gara who had been prostrated with concussion seconds earlier. That was enough for most fans and Fury remained the flavour of the day in spite doing almost nothing from then all the way through the RWC.

But even I was puzzled by his inability to keep up with Jean's breaks. Jean looked serviceable off the mark, but no Usain Bolt. Surely Fury could keep up? But 4 breaks by Jean unsupported by Fury in the QF raised the point again. In the Lambie non try break, Fury was well positioned and just fell off the breaking de Villiers.

Well I noted on another site that Jean has apparently run the 40 metres in 4.8, second fastest in the Stormers cap, and apparently faster than Aplon. I can't verify this, but it is specific enough to have the whiff of authenticity. Deceptively fast is the phrase that comes to mind. And with some nice breaks on Saturday and fine defence, he underlined his status as our number one centre, yet again.

And poor Fury? With that high knee pump, like Ndungane he looks like he is really shifting. But I fear deceptively slow, has to be the verdict.

I doubt very much that Jean can run that fast; more hot air like the debates I read in 2005 about fastest wingers in the country. He was placed on the wing in 2010 and was enormously exposed for his lack of pace. There are a few things to take note of here Moz, in 2008 we only had three games where Jean was making prolific breaks; it was after the win over New Zealand in Dunedin. Opponents very quickly shut him down thereafter. Asi was at times good in support play, but not very much elsewhere. It was a very poor centre combination in what was an extraordinarily poor and toothless backline that required one of the worst performances by any Australian side to create the illusion of substance.

Fourie is one of the most under-utilised players we have ever fielded. His running lines and reading of the game is world class. We simply do not bring him into play very much. In 2009 we went five consecutive tests without a linebreak, and that was with Jean bashing up 70% of our ball. Where does Fourie feature as the problem? Fourie had little trouble keeping up with Frans who is considerably faster and more elusive than Jean. So again, your point on Fourie being a player of random try poaching is not very accurate. He is afterall the top South African try scorer in the Tri Nations! So even though he is underused, he still finds ways to be productive and has changed the face of many important tests both on defence and attack.

And if we go further back to Jake's era, Jean was not a very good ball-in-hand 12. He was successful for his defence and intercept ability. Unfortunately his stale, and very muddled play held the Bok backline back until the 2007 RWC. Frans comes in and suddenly our entire backline shifts several gears. We saw it again in the 2011 RWC, Frans comes in and we see our backline playing the best ball-in-hand rugby throughout Peter's reign. It's very obvious here that Jean has been the problem. Granted he had a great showing against Australia, but then how much of that was due to the Bok pack utterly savaging their Aussie counterparts and completely ousting the Aussie half-backs out of the game? Certainly, it was Jean's first adequate showing since the 2006 Tri Nations.

No, Jean is one of those players that escapes media scrutiny because their attention often lies at 10. Morne has taken considerable flak for not playing attacking rugby for the Boks; the real question should always have been "What is happening with the possession that goes Jean's way". Fortunately he has finally been exposed and it looks as though Heyneke will not be looking to Jean for Bok selection. So this has all become a mute point. And four years over due.
 

Sorry Dr Moz and Card I can only give you each  50%. Both Jean and Jaque have had fine interantional careers and both have often been decribed as world class.

As we saw this weekend Jean's internationa lcareer does not look over. I have always said Jean is deceptively quick and these stats prove it.

I give myself 105 % forgetting it completely right an dthen some.

Hahahahahhahahaha

Well we have never had Jean claiming to be the best centre in the game, or the best Bok centre in history. Instead he claims that playing against Nonu, who he rates the best, motivated him on Friday. How refreshingly modest as opposed to Fury's laughable claims. This combination of Jean/Fury has never worked, and I for one, have no doubt where the fault lies.

And lets face it Card, Fransie is not as fast as Jean.....never has been.

Did he claim that or did he say he aspired to be the best center?

Fourie never claimed to be the best, he stated that he aspired to be the best. This in a 2009 interview with SARugby magazine. Frans is significantly faster than Jean, much quicker off the mark as well.

Simply saying you aspire to be the best centre, means you think you are pretty hot. If nothing it was an insult to his senior partner Jean. Pure braggart stuff in some sleezeball magazine. A better 13 than Danie Gerber....you have to be kidding me. This guy is a shameless self promoter in a sport that eschews self promotion.

And Card your views about Fransie's speed versus Jean is counter intuitive. I doubt Fransie can lug that huge mass through 40 metres in under five seconds....Jean did 4.8.  But the more obvious thing you are missing is Jean's long strike tries. You don't score from 50 , 60, 70 metres in tests without having genuine pace. What's the longest try Fransie has scored.... 25 metres?

Fransie doesn't rely on intercepts. Jean is about as fast as an average lock. And furthermore, I don't believe he clocked that time; it is in complete contradiction to his performances over the last five years. And to your point on long distance strikes? What of Fourie's for the Stormers against the Saders. Unlike Jean he never relied on a flukey intercept, he beat several defenders and dotted down ;)

Fransie is without question faster. He was fast enough and mobile enough to completely keep Shane Williams in check. Confident enough to offer him the outside gap and cover it. Nothing at all wrong with his speed. In every area of performance, in every technical ability and in every facet of play Jean is inferior to Frans. Jean doesn't even offer the competitiveness and steely character of Frans. Just a plain old dud that went North with a big reputation (Only in SA) and failed, only to run back to Cape Town with his tail between his legs. Hardly the stuff of greatness.

Assertions without a shred of evidence. Frans scored his try against Wales, an outstanding effort, by handing off Williams not gassing him. Fury's try against the Saders was started by beating a few tight forwards and then running through clear field. Guilford caught him short of the line but couldn't bring him down. Adi's try against England was better.

But Card please continue your tirades against Bismarck, Lambie  and Jean it creates some nice "I told you so" opportunities for the rest of us.

No wa yis Frans faster than Jean.

Was it last year that the Srormers played Jean as a roving wing. It worked very well and he caused havoc. On one occassion he was past Mvovo who tried to catch him some 30 meters out and did not make a meter - try by jean

Nothing wrong with Jean's speed.

Is Frans better than Jean at 12  well maybe he is. But Jean could then move to 13. Jean is still international class.

I like the idea of a Jean/ Frans combo. Jean has silky skills and is wasted banging the ball up. Frans is ideal for that and comes with much more he can offer .

Precisely Hasbeen.....Fransie 12/ Jean 13. Potentially the best centre combination in the game.