Brüssow Boks’ ‘true poison’
Marc Lievremont says Heinrich Brüssow will have to be nullified as he has added an extra dimension to the Bok side.
Brüssow has had a dream run in his first full year of Test rugby, but in Toulouse on Friday night he will continue his learning curve. It will be the first time he comes up against a physical French pack and opensider Thierry Dusautoir in a hostile atmosphere in the 37 000-capacity Stade Municipal.
The Free State opensider was set to be dropped for this Test before Pierre Spies’s tour-ending injury, but France coach Lievremont singled out the Bok No 6 ahead of any of his other team-mates as one to keep quiet if they are to claim their third successive win over the Boks.
‘They have in their armour a fatal weapon in Brüssow,’ he said. ‘He is true poison. It is the first time that the Boks have relied on such a player, a great performer on the ground.
‘Because of that, they are even more complete than ever before. And having seen their provincial games, it is a sector in which they excel. I have learned that at training they do a lot of fighting and judo. It is perhaps the key to their success in this factor.’
Brüssow was one player singled out, but the Tricolores seem obsessed with the Boks’ physicality, and Lievremont said ‘they play to hurt’.
‘With them, it’s a cultural thing. They play to do bad things. It is not provocation. Of course they have players like [Bakkies] Botha who are sometimes at the limit of the rules, but I find them more and more disciplined.
‘They don’t make any of those stupid mistakes they made in the past and which have perhaps cost them some victories.’
It is clear from their comments that the French will be looking to niggle in order to disrupt the Boks’ focus, and here Botha, Brüssow and co will have to maintain discipline.


November 11th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
#138 cab: LOL
November 11th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
#145 Dawn: They were born white. Although I suppose that’s more their parents doing.
November 11th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
#148 Dawn:
November 11th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
#149 cab:
Can’t believe our rugby players go around donnering women.
I mean Percy, for crying in a bucket.
November 11th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
#148 Dawn: shame
November 11th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
#150 Dawn: I am all for a tough game of rugby….but the Frogs been upping the ante all week long….
Bloody okes eat frog legs….Barbarians i tell you!!
November 11th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
#132 grant10:
lol he “bullied” him by not picking him…. thats like $$saying my bank manager bullies me because he won’t give e a bond for a 20 million rand house…
November 11th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
#154 Dawn:
yeah thats pisspoor, too much ego, not used to mental sparring from an antagonist.
November 11th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
#147 grant10: I think it’s just the translation, they said the similar things before Twickenham and prepared for a huge forward battle, but we moved it wide and took them by surprise. Perhaps the Boks ought to try that.
November 11th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
#154 Dawn: Gotta teach them somehow…
November 11th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
#159 Big Hit:
thats actually what i was thinking, i reckon the boks can take them in the skill stakes too, esp with kanko, but seems like the french are hellbent on some sort of barney.
November 11th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
#156 grant10:
actually frogs legs are delicious…next time you ae in durban go to ile maurice the are delicious there…the french actually hardly eat them any more….
November 11th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
#126 nama1: LOL!!!!, I bet Tighthead wont though, miss his contributions
November 11th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
#161 cab: If you get it wide early it could surprise them like you did against Australia, that would take the sting out of them. Secretly though I’m hoping for a barney, an all war for the ages
November 11th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
#73 nama1: You can include me on that list. I had an entire blog argument explaining why I would start with Brussouw in such an important test series with so little experience. Brussouw just proved every point I made.
With regards to Schalk he is too good a test player(although had a few shockers lately) to be left out, that is why I would have left out Spies. Schalk or Juan at 8 and 7, with Brussouw at 6. Its still our best combination if everyone was fit.
November 11th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
#164 Big Hit:
exactly right, like the game in perth.
lol, there’s no ways the ref will allow a free-for-all as in days of old, esp Barnesey
November 11th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
#157 gunther: want a hand?
Thats what my company does….
November 11th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
#152 Mutant:
Hooliha!
November 11th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
#156 grant10: great sporting weekend for the french,first up the boks and on saturday the irish in the wc at croke park and my oh my if they win both games those poor frogs might,by monday,appear on the endangered species list!hehehe
November 11th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
#158 cab:
percy and tasmin …
mental sparring….
the mind is boggled…
November 11th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
#90 stew:
That was after almost 4 years and I think, like most people, that Eddie made the difference to our attacking play, even amongst the forwards.
#89 cab:
Frances’ dirty play goes back decades. I reckon it’s something to do with their Plantagenet heritage.
November 11th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
#159 Big Hit: Ja…sounds like a plan…with Adi at 12 its on i reckon…his natural instinct to create…WO more a basher.
November 11th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
#162 gunther: cool…will do that..
November 11th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
#167 grant10:
Excellent.
I need a 20million ZAR bond please?
Need to now move to Camps Bay.
November 11th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Aren’t my bonny Scotsmen playing this year?
November 11th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
#137 Sharksgirl: well kanko thought he was tough but the italian lock proved he as as soft as baby doo doo…
November 11th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
#169 Valkyrie: Ja…my Irish will do the business…not so sure about the Boks….but will be screaming my head off in La Med at Clifton…in front of the big screen!Heehaa
November 11th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Actually the way to do it is to try play positive rugby, and take as mush as what is dished out as possible on the chin, but if its time to snap, do so and finish them totally.
A bit like the 99 call, except we will have to call it ‘Boer Concentration Camp’ or something to really get the blood flowing.
That the french had nothing to do with the Boer war is a minor detail.
November 11th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
#168 Dawn: Don’t excite me
November 11th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
#172 grant10: the adi could be the making of the backline creatively, alternatively it could be a disaster, will be interesting finding out
November 11th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
#81 grant10: Agreed, as good as Bismark is, he should wait his turn. I never would have moved Smit to prop. Best possible SA team.
15. J Fourie
14. JP
13. Adi
12. F Steyn
11. Habana
10. M Steyn
9. Fourie
8. Juan/Schalk
7. Juan/Schalk
6. Brussouw
5. Bakkies
4. Victor
3. Daan Human/ WP Nel
2. Smit
1. Beast
November 11th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
#174 Dawn: For you …zero $ interest….100 year term…as long as you invite me across for cocktails once a month!!
November 11th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
#176 Transformation: Hey some Italians have hard heads
November 11th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
#178 cab: LMAO!!
November 11th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
#156 grant10: snails too
November 11th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
#185 Big Hit: Chabal eats them shell and all
November 11th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
#179 Mutant:
Why not !!!
November 11th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
#183 Sharksgirl: what you reckon about the azzuri’s chances against the ABs in the San Siro?
November 11th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
#143 cab: how Keith was a tighthead who was very mobile.
November 11th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
#182 grant10:
No worries!
November 11th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
#180 Big Hit: Yes….have a good feeling about the move to 12….i always felt he was a more natural playmaking 12 than 13….debated hard with Soda Joe and some others months back on the issue.
He was very good with the late Ettion Botha of the falcons playing 12….will be a great match…all the war drums certainly got my interest piqued….
Of course having CJ back the cherry on top for me as well….
I think PDV has done well with the match 22…perhaps i would have played Dewalt or Deysel in place of Bekker or Rossow…but all in all i am happy.
November 11th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
#186 Big Hit:
IMO Chabal is overrated.
Any rugby player who has a clothing line and a range of shampoos and conditioners …………………..
November 11th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
#175 Dawn: they’re playing Fiji this weekend
November 11th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
#192 Dawn: let me finish your sentence,
Any rugby player who has a clothing line and a range of shampoos and conditioners …………………..earns a helluva lot of Euros
November 11th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
#181 Bok fan: Interesting…would not do the J Fourie at 15 thing…and a big call to leave out spies!!
November 11th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
#188 Big Hit:
Ai caramba.
November 11th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
#187 Dawn: Your sinus is already paining, would hate to damage some other internal body parts
November 11th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
#193 Big Hit:
FIJI????
Begorrah.
November 11th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
#188 Big Hit: My heart wants the Azzurri to win but the ABs will take it. Easily I think.
November 11th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
#91 Valkyrie: Thank you!