JP off the mark in style
9 Sep 2006
Springbok debutant JP Pietersen showed that he has a future at Test level with a solid performance at fullback at Ellis Park.
Apart from a single dropped high ball that led to a penalty and three points after flank AJ Venter deliberately played the ball from an off-side position, Pietersen did everything that was expected of him.
But as is expected of a player making his Bok debut, he didn’t get much rest last night. “I didn’t sleep much last night,” Pietersen said. “This morning I was still up. I went to the toilet a lot. But it in the end it was a great thrill to have played my first Test.”
The senior players helped calm his nerves and he showed a maturity way beyond his 20 years. At one stage he also showed his pace, winning the race to the ball that had been hacked ahead by the visitors. He was first there and then managed to earn a scrum for his efforts.
“The older guys made it much easier. It was really like playing a game for the Sharks and was actually much easier than I expected. I was really comfortable and felt really good.”
As the Wallabies had warned, Pietersen and Wynand Olivier were peppered with high balls all afternoon, but both came through that test with reputations intact.
“I knew it was going to come and I was lucky I just missed one otherwise it was good,” he said. “I did my homework on that. There was not a lot of attacking opportunities, but I took the opportunities I did have with both hands.”
“I still have a lot to work on and hopefully I will get another chance.”
By Andrew Hollely, at Ellis Park Stadium
93 Comments
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10 Sep 2006, 11:43 am
and there is no long term. It is all about the WC next year. Then Roets should be the man.
10 Sep 2006, 11:57 am
Roets is not the solution. We dont need just another “steady” fullback.
10 Sep 2006, 12:02 pm
Sorry no 50# the cullen comparison has already been snapped up by Aplon. Ruan is a scrumhalf.
Or is this positional switch just a way of keeping Du Preez there?
10 Sep 2006, 12:05 pm
It is either a steady fullback or another percy.
You choose.
I say Ruan is the answer.
10 Sep 2006, 12:05 pm
akes1
The bulls supporters will do anything to keep that average scrumhalf called Fdp in the team. Aplon is the man for fullback. Must be looked after. Ruan IS a scrumhalf. Dont understand why he must be pushed into another position. The two scrumhalves with the most potential in SA is RP and jano vermaak.
10 Sep 2006, 12:06 pm
ruan has stated over and over that he wants to play scrummie. i do believe he will be a star though, but at scrummie.
all i am saying GWB is that u have to give JP a chance and trying to rubbish his talent by calling him a quota is unfair.
last year when JP came to the fore in the currie cup i could not watch cc. i heard about this JP oke over and over again and only when i watched the first super 14 game did i notice that he was coloured.
nobody mentioned it once, which is how it should be.
10 Sep 2006, 12:09 pm
We do not need to keep Du Preez, he keeps himself there. he is the best in the country by far.
Ruan is still young enough to develop into a very good fullback. he has everything for it. Speed, sidestep, good kick with both feet and most importantly, he can take a high ball.
10 Sep 2006, 12:10 pm
Seeing that we dont have any obvious choices on the wings I will play JP on the wing. Aplon at fullback. YES, Ruan is a scrummie – that is where he wants to play – keep him there.
10 Sep 2006, 12:16 pm
FdP is in the team, yes but so is JC. Getting picked for the Boks is no real measurement – we all know that.
I have another big worry. Pierre Spies – I rate this guy. But Im worried that in two years’ time he will be another Pedrie or JC. I’ve watched P3 since he played schoolboy rugby. Used to be mobile but as soon as he joined the bulls he put on a lot of bulk and lost all his speed. The same for JC. PS’s big attribute is his speed – without that it will be a problem.
10 Sep 2006, 12:20 pm
JP tried hard, but far from convincing, dont get ahead of it.
10 Sep 2006, 12:22 pm
Spies will be fine. The other two are good players, but Spies is pure class. Don’t worry about him.
As for the Fourie vs. Pienaar thing — Jake is actually handling that perfectly right now. Pienaar will be the world’s best scrummie in 3 or 4 years’ time. Right now, though, Fourie is the man for the job — whether you like him or not, he was the form scrummie in this year’s 3N, and has never been less than solid in a Bok jersey. All the doubters must have blinds on their eyes.
As for playing Pienaar at fullback — ARE YOU CRAZY? The single most troubling thing for talented players in South Africa is the propensity for different coaches to play okes out of position. I’m tired of all this bullshit about this bloke moving here and that oke going there. A player gets noticed at a position for a reason: he’s good there. Pienaar oozes class, and yes, he probably would make a good flyhalf or fullback. But JP’s going to be a world class fullback, and Pienaar is going to be an absolute legend at scrummie. JUST LEAVE IT BE.
As for the “quota” statement, GWB, you should be absolutely ashamed of yourself. JP had an outstanding Super 14, and has shown that he possesses all the attributes of the very best fullbacks. What else does he have to do? Twat.
10 Sep 2006, 12:25 pm
#60
cab, I don’t know what else he has to do to convince you, then. I saw fantastic support play and an intuitive sense of when to join the line. I saw pace and I saw guile. I saw solid defence and excellent positional play.
In fact, I only saw two mistakes all day. One was a lapse in concentration that found him slightly out of position in a situation where it didn’t matter too much anyway, since his wing was back and covering. The other was the single high ball he dropped all day, despite an early peppering.
10 Sep 2006, 12:29 pm
GWB,roets,play for the boks…umm maybe not.
aplon has more talent in one eye lash than that dutchie has in his ligaaaaam.
10 Sep 2006, 12:31 pm
cape thug
Sometimes u can talk sense but leave this dutchie thing – do u have issues?
10 Sep 2006, 12:32 pm
I like Aplon, but I’d like to see him make it through a Super 14 first and then judge afterwards. A very exciting player, though.
10 Sep 2006, 12:38 pm
catfish,
Like his names says, he has issues.
n Dutchie het hom seker lekker gemoer een of and tyd.
Aplon is just nippy in the broken play, but nothing more.
10 Sep 2006, 12:44 pm
GWB
Nee ‘n dutchie het hom nie gemoer nie. Dit was ‘n dutchie se klein sussie.
10 Sep 2006, 12:46 pm
Mwhuhahhaaa, Catfish!
10 Sep 2006, 12:47 pm
GWB (re #66)
Ja, that’s sort of the feeling I get, as well. Great when there’s a loose scrap going on, but it’s a different story when the going gets tough.
We’ll see, though.
10 Sep 2006, 12:58 pm
Aplon is talented, but he will not be able to stop Lote or Rocokoco, no matter how big his heart is.
10 Sep 2006, 13:35 pm
JP did nothing spectacular. He should look around for the offload. That way Spies could have scored under the posts. He didn’t stand out for me. I think Aplon should get a run against Ireland, and if he performs, against Enland too.
10 Sep 2006, 13:37 pm
Aplon will eventually prove all his detractors wrong just as Paulse did. The only difference is Aplon is even better than paulse was when he started.For one he is fearless and has not yet missed a tackle all season.Remember paulse became a legend and so will aplon!
10 Sep 2006, 13:47 pm
Twak.
JP played well. Sure, nothing spectacular, but well.
Maybe Aplon will prove his detractors wrong. Maybe he won’t. As for now, JP is good enough.
10 Sep 2006, 13:57 pm
73# I agree Jp is nothing spectacular.
However Aplon is!
10 Sep 2006, 13:58 pm
Clever. I thought we left those jokes in primary school.
10 Sep 2006, 14:35 pm
akes1,
Wilkinson was just as fearless and where is he now?
Fucked for good.
10 Sep 2006, 16:35 pm
Akes,lets see how Aplon goes at Super 14 level before you starting making silly comments (Post 74).
10 Sep 2006, 16:36 pm
I believe aplon could be a bok great but i dont think he deserves to be selected after one decent cc lets see how he does in next years s14 first i think JP has consistently proven himself over the last year and deserves his starting spot. I am concerned though he is only 20 we need to remember that the sa public and press arent as forgiving of youngsters particularly ones like jp as perhaps the nz and aus press are so jake needs to be careful
10 Sep 2006, 16:55 pm
What game did you watch Andrew? Nothing special… yet.
10 Sep 2006, 18:36 pm
AAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWW Man, I can’t stand another Cape Cruisade! Aplon for Olympic gold & to replace Steven Hawkins as the worlds most intellegent man…
Thougt you capies would have learnt from your Luke mistake, he is not the controller of whether the sun rises or sets.
FDP has been good this 3N, but kicks far too much, again he is being judged after a good try & a good game. We all know Ruan is the future, as is JP.
Can’t believe some of you one eyed fools are slating him after his first performance. So he made 2 mistakes (can’t believe you sad people are counting them). I was unaware everyone had to have a perfect game for them to acceptable, I notice none of the Bulle are saying that JDV, is **** because he did not have a perfect game, likewise the WP supporters are not saying Oliver is useless, because he does not have enough speed.
You are so sad, one eyed will never win you anything!
10 Sep 2006, 18:37 pm
The 33 players that should go to the world cup in France are.
15. JP Pietersen/Gio Aplon
14. Bryan Habana/Breyton Paulse
13. Jaque Fourie/ Waylon Murray
12. Jean de Villiers/ Brad Barret
11. Tonderia Chavanga/Luis Ludic
10. Andre Pretorius/Butch James
9. Ricky Januarie/Ruaan Pienaar/Fourie du Preez
8. Pierre Spies/Joe van Niekerk
7. Juan Smith/AJ Venter
6. Schalk Burger/Luke Watson/Kabamba Floors
5. Victor Matfield/Ross Skeate
4. Bakkies Botha/Andries Bekker
3. BJ Botha/Cobus Visagie
2. John Smit/Chilliboy Ralepele/Schalk Brits
1. Os du Randt/Guthro Steenkamp
10 Sep 2006, 18:39 pm
Hope JP is not another Conrad Jantjes!!!!
I did not see the same game as most of SA yesterday! He was involved in plenty in the game but absolutely nothing above average. O sorry he was big. Bla Bla Bla.
If we lost he would have been castigated as a greenhorn and we would had to go back to square one.
Anyhow what were the options:
1. Johan Roets (sorry white)
2. Bevin Fortuin (wrong hairstyle and comes from and plays for a lesser province)
3. Brent Russel (sorry small and tackles only slightly better than Paulse)
4. Gio Aplon (just too talented for somebody so small, wouldn’t fit in the team photo)
So you see the best option was JP. Well done selectors and Joke.
11 Sep 2006, 08:22 am
JP and Akona share the same lack of speed problem.To make matters worse he can’t kick, he can’t catch.
The difference between Aplon and Pietersen in terms of experience is so marginal there is no sound reason not to give Aplon a go on the EOYT. Real pace can not be coached, look at Olivier on Saturday. Whilst solid he was not spectacular and Habana would have scored after the Spies break.
Jake White is less of a problem than one eyed provincialism as displayed by especially the people from flat mountain.
11 Sep 2006, 08:57 am
Before i started coming onto Keo.co.za i thought the Bulls Supporters were the stupidest & most unilateral thinkers in modern day rugby, People like Cape Thug are quickly changing my perceptions! It is now official, WP Supporters are retarded & Dont know ****
11 Sep 2006, 09:10 am
I thought JP hacked.
May be the best of a bad bunch/we are just used to seeing really bad full backs.
11 Sep 2006, 09:12 am
Andrew , if Jp’s performance was stylish, you must like kitch.
The guy can’t kick , he ‘s worse than Percy under the high ball and his positional play was totally non excistant. Apart from that he was excellent.
In fairness to Jp , like Spies was no where in his first test, I will give him a nother chance
11 Sep 2006, 09:12 am
I don’t think JP played well at all.
That was clearly the worst game of any 15 for SA this year..
Yes Percy made more mistakes in some games, but he was at least in the right position to be able to make mistakes.
This game was the 3N game where the most kicks were made and JP fielded 2 and just made it back in time to dive on a 3rd whilst being caught from behind quite comfortably in a side who was without there two fastest guys.
If it was not for Du Preez and Wannenberg being all over the field to field the balls at the back, and even Olivier fielded more balls than him.
11 Sep 2006, 09:13 am
And him being out of position was not due to him being on attack as he ran with the ball twice and hacked it down the field so far that even Asaffa Powell wouldn’t have been able to apply pressure….he was lucky the Ausies were retarded at that moment and did not allow the ball to run over the dead ball line and won a scrum 50 meters in field…but then again kicking the ball was the better option…
JP was at best pedestrian, only being there twice to take a pass from the Olivier/du Preez field of the ball…..
He also should have passed to Spies in one move….luckily for Paulse’s agility to stretch over and score a few minutes later…..
11 Sep 2006, 09:16 am
He was also tackled back the one time he took the ball up…..
I know I did predict that he would do badly…..but it was his first test…..that’s about the only thing one can say that sound a bit in his favour…a vague positive…
11 Sep 2006, 09:19 am
The Bill if you understand as much as you pretend you will know that FdP kicked , cause Jake told him so, judge Jake then not FdP
Ruan would have been instructed to kick also, remember the wc is in the Northern hem. where kicking plays a big part of the game.
p
11 Sep 2006, 09:21 am
Paulse plaed well Andrew not JP
11 Sep 2006, 10:43 am
****, please don’t generalize. As there is 1 or 2 “slow and backwards” BB supporters so there is 1 or 2 “slow and backwards” WP supporters. As a WP supporter I respect and even agree with majority of the BB, Shark, Lions, Cheetah and WP view and opinions on this site. My 2 cents – JP did well for his first game in a Springbok top. Yes he was out of position on 3 occasions (that I spotted) but give him time and with getting experience at the highest level, he could become a solid and dependable Bok fullback. ps. I was very impressed with Paulses defense!
11 Sep 2006, 15:40 pm
yup :greenman:
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