COLUMN Heyneke leans on his Pretoria 'Old Boys'

By Trevor Cramer

With his hand forced by injuries to both Victor Matfield and Jean de Villiers, Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has handed the reins to the cool-headed Fourie Du Preez, to marshal the troops from the base of the scrum against Scotland on Saturday.

 

Meyer admitted to the media earlier this week that losing two experienced captains in one week had been a severe blow. At the same time, however, he was quick to hail Du Preez as "one of the best scrumhalves in world rugby for a long time."

 

If anyone knows just a bit about Du Preez's tactical genius and ability to read the game, it is Meyer.

 

While it seemed pretty clear cut that Meyer would opt for Matfield as his logical choice, in the veteran lock's absence, he went for Du Preez.

 

What is the common thread you probably asking?  Du Preez and Matfield were both members of his all-conquering Bulls Super Rugby championship-winning side in 2007 and also both went on to taste victory again in 2009 and 2010.

 

The Bok mentor has always been big on loyalty and it shouldn't be forgotten that it was Meyer himself who spotted Du Preez's immense talent at just 19 years of age and had enough faith in him to launch the young scrumhalf's Currie Cup career at that stage.

 

Coach Meyer also had Duane Vermeulen, Schalk Burger, Bismarck du Plessis and Francois Louw at his disposal, all players with a rich rugby pedigree, but I am inclined to believe that he leaned heavily on the core individuals who made his Bulls side virtually invincible in 2007, when the Pretoria men captured their first of three Super Rugby titles.

 

Nelspruit-born Meyer has spent the bulk of his provincial and franchise coaching career in Pretoria and the capital city is deeply embedded in his veins. And just like coach Meyer, so too Fourie du Preez has passed through the corridors of the strong Bulls rugby factory, Tukkies (University of Pretoria).

 

Divisions along provincial lines has always been a big issue for South African rugby fans over the years and still remains to a point today, as the form team of the

Currie Cup, the Golden Lions, failed to produce a World Cup representative.

 

Then there is the Affies factor -- another well-known rugby factory.

 

The landmark Afrikaanse Seuns Hoerskool opposite the iconic Loftus Versveld in Pretoria has pruduced some of the finest sportsmen that this

country has seen and has reason to rejoice in that on Saturday again.

 

The 95-year-old boys high school, known simply as Affies to most, is the alma mater of South Africa's 56th rugby captain Fourie du Preez, who leads the Boks

into battle against the Bravehearts of Scotland in a crunch Rugby World Cup Pool B clash in Newcastle.

 

The school has also produced the likes of cricketing stars AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis and Jacques Rudolph, while former Bulls captain and Springbok Pierre Spies

and former Springbok midfielder Wynand Oliver can also be added to the list.

 

Tennis players Johan Kriek and Danie Visser also walked the corridors of the school, so too Unlimited Titans wicketkeeper-batsman Heino Kuhn.

 

There is also a long line of athletes in various disciplines whose names are inscribed on it's honours board.

 

Springbok fans and players alike are still hurting from that opening defeat by emerging nation Japan amd that loss was put into perspective when the Boks' opponents

on Saturday, Scotland, ran riot against the Brave Blossoms.

 

Not only has Du Preez been handed the responsibility of ensuring the Boks' take another step closer to the playoff's following that mugging a fortnight ago against

Japan, but also the next phase of his country's rugby redemption.

 

Providing Matfield returns to full fitness, Du Preez might find he has to join Bok teammate Schalk Burger on a list of players who have captained the Boks on just a single occasion.

 

Or -- who knows -- it may yet be the year that Fourie Du Preez joins Francois Pienaar and fellow Pretorian John Smit on an even more illustrious list -- World Cup-winning Springbok captains.

 

 South Africa vs Scotland

 

Key Statistics (Supplied by SA Rugby):

 

The first Test match between South Africa and Scotland took place in Glasgow in November 1906. The score in that match was 6-0 in favour of Scotland. Since that day at Hampden Park, 24 Test matches were played against Scotland with South Africa victorious in 20. The four matches won by Scotland were all played at Murrayfield in Edinburgh. Saturday’s Test will be the first time that the two teams will meet at a neutral venue.

 

· The Springbok record against Scotland is: P: 25; W: 20; L: 5; PF: 652; PA: 270. Win% = 80%.

 

· The most points scored in a match by the Springboks were 68 when they achieved their biggest winning margin against Scotland, winning 68-10 at Murrayfield in 1997. Ten tries were scored by the Springboks on that occasion.

 

· In Rugby World Cup tournaments, the two teams only met once before. In 1999 the Springboks’ first pool match was against Scotland at Murrayfield which the Springboks won 46-29.

 

· The total Test caps for the Springbok starting line-up is 716. There are 304 caps in the backline with 412 caps among the forwards. On the bench there are a further 266 caps.

 

· Jan Serfontein could make his World Cup debut from the bench.

 

· Bryan Habana will extend his record as the most-capped Springbok wing, with 111 caps in this position. He is the most experienced Springbok backline player with 112 caps and only Victor Matfield (125) has played in more Test matches for South Africa.

 

· If Habana scores a try he will extend his own record of 60 Test tries for South Africa. Habana also holds the Springbok record for most career tries (11) in World Cup tournaments. Jonah Lomu of New Zealand is the World Cup record holder with 15 career tries.

 

· Habana need two tries to equal the world record for most Test tries as a wing. The current world record holder is Daisuke Ohata from Japan with 62 tries in the wing position.

 

· Habana needs one try to equal Joost van der Westhuizen’s career record of 4 tries against Scotland.

 

· JP Pietersen scored a hat trick of tries in the match against Samoa which elevated him to third on the list of tries in World Cup with 7 career tries.  Jaque Fourie (9) is second with Habana (11) in first place.

 

· Ruan Pienaar is co-holder of the World Cup record for most conversions (6) in a Test match. Should he be used from the bench he will equal Ollie le Roux’s record (43) for most capped substitute.

 

· Schalk Burger will play in his 75th Test as a flank, South Africa’s most capped Springbok flank.

 

· Saturday’s Test will be his 16th World Cup Test to join Victor Matfield and Os du Randt as second most capped Springboks at the World Cup. John Smit played in 17 World Cup Tests. He is also the Springbok record holder for most tries as a flank (13) as well as a forward (15).

 

· Jannie du Plessis and Tendai Mtawarira will play in their 39th Test as props in the starting line-up.

 

· Bismarck du Plessis is the Springbok record holder for most tries (10) in Tests as a hooker.

 

· The front row of Jannie du Plessis, Bismarck and Tendai Mtawarira will appear in their record 20th Test starting line-up.

 

· Jannie and Bismarck du Plessis will play their 46th Test match together.

 

· The referee is Nigel Owens of Wales. It will be his 13th Test involving South Africa. Of the previous 12 South Africa have won seven and lost five. His last appearance in which South Africa played was earlier this year in Brisbane when South Africa lost 24-20 against Australia.

 

· The venue is St James’ Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, home to Newcastle United Football Club since 1892. It has a capacity of just more than 52 400 seats. It is the second biggest sports ground in England outside of London. Apart from football-related uses the stadium is also used for concerts, international rugby league and rugby union matches.

 

 

Jacasport