Fourie du Preez and SA's no 9

[Sker]

I think this deserves it's own thread.

I thought Pienaar played really cacky, I don't rate him at all anymore. I liked him at 10 back in 2008/09 and I like him at 9 for Ulster, but not for the Boks.

Holy ****e when FdP came on. Wow, just wow. Maybe it was the weak performance by the Pumas, maybe it was because our team was running on momentum. But FdP looks like he is back with a vengeance.

By the 70th minute I was praising his every single move and I have discovered my latest no homo rugby mancrush (tm).

What do you guys think, will he prove to be our first choice, and if he does, will he make another world cup?

edit: I might be slightly drunk

 

[TRF_heineken]

I think this deserves it's own thread.

I thought Pienaar played really cacky, I don't rate him at all anymore. I liked him at 10 back in 2008/09 and I like him at 9 for Ulster, but not for the Boks.

Holy ****e when FdP came on. Wow, just wow. Maybe it was the weak performance by the Pumas, maybe it was because our team was running on momentum. But FdP looks like he is back with a vengeance.

By the 70th minute I was praising his every single move and I have discovered my latest no homo rugby mancrush (tm).

What do you guys think, will he prove to be our first choice, and if he does, will he make another world cup?

edit: I might be slightly drunk

Lol!

Welcome to the fanclub! He's like red wine, with age and maturity, he's actually better.

He was brilliant when he came on, that passes of his looks so smooth, its like watching art.

 

[big ginger 8]

I will never get the South African opinion on Pienaar he played well yesterday.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I will never get the South African opinion on Pienaar he played well yesterday.

He did. He played very well... But then again, every springbok played well. But his service is still slow, and when Fourie came on there was a sort of natural flow that our team was missing.

 

[big ginger 8]

He did. He played very well... But then again, every springbok played well. But his service is still slow, and when Fourie came on there was a sort of natural flow that our team was missing.

I'm just after rewatching extended highlights and I can't agree that his service was slow it was quite sharp. No matter what match or how Pienaar plays he gets criticised by a sizeable collection of you guys. You forget it's a lot easier for FdP coming on in the situation where your alread over 30 points up against an Argie team who'd had 2 sinbinnings and were at altitude. This made it simple to get over the gainline and that just brings quick ball with it.

I just feel Pienaar gets a lot of unfair stick off S.A. fans probably becuse in your head you guys are comparing him to prime FdP.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I'm just after rewatching extended highlights and I can't agree that his service was slow it was quite sharp. No matter what match or how Pienaar plays he gets criticised by a sizeable collection of you guys. You forget it's a lot easier for FdP coming on in the situation where your alread over 30 points up against an Argie team who'd had 2 sinbinnings and were at altitude. This made it simple to get over the gainline and that just brings quick ball with it.

I just feel Pienaar gets a lot of unfair stick off S.A. fans probably becuse in your head you guys are comparing him to prime FdP.

Fair enough, but who critisized Ruan so much for this game?

I think more people were just impressed at Fourie's crispness. For a guy who last played international at the RWC2011.

Ruan has been in the bok-fold ever since and has had some poor performances, so there are merits in the frustration by bok-fans.

And is it necesarily a bad thing to compare Ruan to FdP? To be the best you have to best the best. And for many saffas FdP still is the best scrumhalf in world rugby after Joost van der Westhuizen's era.

 

[Draggs]

I am not a big fan of Pienaar, but yesterday was not his worst performance.
He tends to play too slowly and kick very poorly.

 

[psychic duck]

I am not a big fan of Pienaar, but yesterday was not his worst performance.
He tends to play too slowly and kick very poorly.

Some scrum halves suit some gameplans better and can't adapt to others.

Mike Phillips for example can play Gatlandball, but when he was in more tactical gameplan which requires more kicking from the 9 at the Ospreys, he was abysmal and one of the worst wastes of money the region has had. Perhaps Pienaar is similar to Phillips in that he can only thrive in certain teams' styles of play.

 

[Draggs]

Some scrum halves suit some gameplans better and can't adapt to others.

Mike Phillips for example can play Gatlandball, but when he was in more tactical gameplan which requires more kicking from the 9 at the Ospreys, he was abysmal and one of the worst wastes of money the region has had. Perhaps Pienaar is similar to Phillips in that he can only thrive in certain teams' styles of play.

Exactly. Pienaar is outstanding for Ulster, but not for the Springboks.
Phillips is suited for one gameplan and can execute it well.

 

[Patchey]

Exactly. Pienaar is outstanding for Ulster, but not for the Springboks.
Phillips is suited for one gameplan and can execute it well.

Agreed, in part. I also think the role of a player within the team can often be a factor. In this regard I think Ruan is a lot like Piri Weepu.

Its been said quite a lot about Weepu that he has always looked his best when he, not whoever is playing at ten, gets to run the show. This was most evident at the 2011 RWC when, after Carter was injured, he was given charge of the backline with first Cruden (not the player he is now) and then Slade outside him. Similarly this season at the Blues with Noakes and Kerr outside him, both young and inexperienced fly halves, he's played much better for having the ability to marshal the game more. No surprise then that Hanson sited Weepu's difficulty in fulfilling the role of a 'second fiddle' nine whose main priority is supplying quick ball to the ten as the reason for dropping him.

Pienaar is in the same position at Ulster, where he has much greater license to run the show from the base of the ruck. During Ulster's Heineken Cup run there was a lot of lazy chat in the press about how Pienaar was individually winning them games. While that wasn't strictly speaking true he was in great form, the kind of form he hasn't shown for the Boks where his role is more to provide quick and accurate service to the first receiver. If South Africa keep playing off ten the FdP is a much better option, if they want to get the best out of Pienaar then the emphasis for playmaking is going to have to be shifted to nine. That doesn't seem likely, especially with Steyn playing at fly half.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

There is a vast difference between starting a match and ending a match with an already beaten opponent especially one so comprehensively beaten. That said FdP did show signs of his old marshaling self and the speed of his decision making and execution was faster than what the other younger 9's have shown over the last 2 years. I was happy to hear of FdP's semi-return with my only reservation being the fact that he is based abroad (like so many others ATM).

 

[sifplay]

It was no nice to see a 9 running things with that flat passes to a wing a in space. Flat pass here pass back to Steyn. Some pin point tactical kicks oh did we miss him. Never seen a international 9 clear a ruck as quick as FdP.

Steyn also looked more relaxed and we so Morne flick some inside balls ala Jantjies to someone in space.