Brilliant Du Preez snubbed
29 Nov 2009
Fourie du Preez has unbelievably been overlooked for the IRB World Player of the Year award, with Richie McCaw claiming the top prize.
In a decision even more perplexing than the 2008 one which saw Wales wing Shane Williams win the award ahead of more deserving candidates, McCaw, who was anonymous in three defeats to the Springboks this year and nowhere near as prolific for the Crusaders as he has been in the past, was preferred to the superlative Du Preez.
The Bulls man was without peer in world rugby in 2009, playing a central role in the franchises Super 14 and Currie Cup success and in the Springboks’ Tri-Nations and British & Irish Lions campaigns.
The snub, and that of coach Peter de Villiers, who has lost just four of 12 Tests in 2009 (one of those in which he opted to field an understrength side with the Lions series sealed), for the Coach of the Year award (Ireland’s Declan Kidney won), won’t do anything to dispel the growing perception that the IRB has an axe to grind with the world champions.
The selection panel of Will Greenwood, Gavin Hastings, Raphaël Ibanez, Francois Pienaar, Agustin Pichot, Scott Quinnell, Tana Umaga, Paul Wallace and convenor John Eales, supposedly watched over 63 hours of action from 49 matches, awarding points to the three players they thought stood out in each match.
If this is the case, those who voted for McCaw either conveniently forgot to take delivery of the Springboks’ footage, or, despite their illustrious careers, know nothing about the game.
Let us also not forget that they omitted other exceptional Springboks Victor Matfield, Heinrich Brussow and Morne Steyn from the shortlist, all of whom have outshone the other candidates – Ireland’s Jamie Heaslip and Brian O’Driscoll, Australia’s Matt Giteau and England’s Tom Croft.
The IRB couldn’t be so blatantly biased as to overlook the Springboks for the Team of the Year award, and they deservedly scooped won that category, but it doesn’t ease the sense of frustration at being cheated out of the two other premier prizes.
By Ryan Vrede
354 Comments
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30 Nov 2009, 00:12 am
@Kobus Kitty: @188
I suppose that if any way he has made sweeping statements about your level of intelligence and you have interpreted those as ‘racist’ then I would advise Poppa to consider a legal defence as used in libel litigation where the principal will set out to prove the allegation as correct.
And I like his chances of success.
and, come to think of it, lets review the evidence:-
1. @ 177, KK says:- “Brussow dominated McCaw without cheating in every single game and has never had a bad game this year.”.
well what a load of old cobblers. Brussow was penalised, repeatedly, for cheating at Kings Park for bridging and blocking. He got away with it many times in Dublin too. He was also poor in Brisbane and anon in 2ndH in Hamilton.
2. @ 177 again “it was John Eales, he also didn’t want to give the award to Habana in 2007, he’s just a tall, long bloke who loves his ANZAC spirit”.
Eales has 2 RWCs and Capt in 1 of them. Possibly 1 of the best tight-fwds EVER. His nickname is ‘Nobody’ as in ‘Nobody is perfect’ – Eales is as clean as a nuns whistle.
So, KK, if Poppa called you a bonehead or a dipsh*t, then I think you should stop handing over confessions.
30 Nov 2009, 00:13 am
@Kobus Kitty:
I think we need to send Skoppie a signed picture of FDP for his birthday…..
30 Nov 2009, 00:16 am
@Kobus Kitty: it was actually too many beers Kobus, and still you harp on about it..
tell me, how many times have Ireland beaten you guys ?? and how many times have they beaten us.. us =0 same as scotland, hang on, Scotland have beaten you guys 4 times havent they bwahahaha
at least afterwards I congratulated SA and admitted they were the best team at the time, something I know for a fact you would never ever do… and as stated previously, I can admit my mistakes, shame you cant..
did winning in NZ for the first time in 10 years feel as good? did losing to eng by 50 points feel as good ? losing to the convicts by 49-0 feel as good ? did 19-0 at home feel as good ? did losing 4 from 5 on your EOYT feel fantastic?
hahaha you sorry little man, but keep going, you going to bring it up next year when it will be 12 months old, not 5… and I apologised for that remark publicly, something I believe you would never have the kahunas to do… you sook!!
30 Nov 2009, 00:17 am
@WakaNathan:
Mmm, look mate, Brussow outplayed McCaw ON AVERAGE this year.
Brussow has a loooooong way to go before he can start becoming a legend like Richie, but the way you write him off is laughable. Give credit where credit is due.
30 Nov 2009, 00:18 am
Kobus, I know why the 3Ns didnt feel good to you, its ruined your collection of wooden spoons you had going there, must be a BIG collection…
and also, think we can safely add Ireland to the “teams SA were lucky not to face in the World Cup” hahaha
vatso katvis!!
30 Nov 2009, 00:20 am
@poppa69:
I’ll say it again, the Boks win what matters. Plain and simple.
My team (the Sharks) have the best win/loss ration in the Currie cup since 1990, quite comfortably too.
But they can’t win the big games, and I deal with it.
30 Nov 2009, 00:24 am
@WakaNathan:
No, Brussow plays the ruck fairly. He doesn’t worm his way in from the side like McCaw does.
If McCaw deserved the award, how come no one was mentioning him to even be nominated?
30 Nov 2009, 00:27 am
Centurian you’re a twit prick idiot not worth a second thought. Fool.
Kobus, Fdp is a liability at times. Perhaps not in Perth or in the S14 final or the second Bil’s test at Loftus. But most definitely through most of 2008. And most definitely behind the scrum this Eoyt. He is a very poor continuity player and lets the momentum die a sorry sad death. And between him and Morne Steyn they practically killed any chance of a win yesterday. I watched it unfold from the start how pathetically pedantic useless the two of them are. I would drop them both right now and let them realize what running winning rugby is all about because neither of them have hardly any clue whatsoever.
Did you see how Carter, Smith, Jane and Mils with Sivi took apart France last night. Chalk and cheese from our useless dismal rubbish up in the air kicking game. How many times they boot it to nowhere compared to Fdp and M. Steyn and how many times they spin it to the backs and allow them to run into space?
We gone backwards at a rate of knots since these idiot palooka’s like Smit Matfield and Fdp been running the game plans and running our rugby into the goddamn ground.
30 Nov 2009, 00:28 am
@CenturionShark (aka LondonShark): well centurion, as stated I made a bad comment after the game in Bloem, the excitement and the alcohol became too much… I retracted that statement publicly on keo here…
after the following two games I was one of the first to congratulate SA on their efforts, and it was the same when you guys broke your 87 year duck in Dunedin last year..
tell me, when the Abs beat your guys, why do so many SA’s bring out the we was cheated line rather then acknowledge the opposition was better on the day?
and as Ive already said to Kobus, that was 5 months ago… why does he still persist in bringing that up every time to argue a point? seems the truth hurts, and it must have been mightily painful if he cant let it go, dont you agree?
yes, Boks win what matters… like against Fiji, Argentina and Eng… not one team ranked higher then 5th at the time… bravo … guess that explains all the dominant 3Ns performances over the many years…
30 Nov 2009, 00:31 am
also centurion, heres some stats for you…
since the turn of the century, the AB record is as follows…
Played 122
Won 100
Drawn 1
Lost 21
% 82.37
Points for 4435
Points against 1920
Difference +2516
Tries 526
Conversions 386 (73.4%)
Penalties 339
Drop goals 7
Id love to see SA’s stats over that same period…
30 Nov 2009, 00:33 am
@poppa69:
Mate, I don’t know what happened in your soap opera on Keo, so lets leave that.
If the Kiwis beat us, they beat us. I’m not one to moan. Except for that dam Jeff Wilson forward pass in 1997
And on the ‘games that matter’ thing, and this is getting old, we can’t help it if NZL can’t beat a team that lost TWICE to Argentina.
And for the record I wanted to play NZL in the final at the world cup, but you bananas keep getting knocked out!!!!
30 Nov 2009, 00:34 am
@CenturionShark (aka LondonShark):
If you scroll back over the year I think you will find (a) I said – early in the S14 that “Brussow should be in Boks immed….he’s brilliant” and (b) he balanced the Bok loosies, and put Burger to shame and (c) Changed the Series vs Lions and (d) praised him to the heavens during TriN, esp after Bloem.
But that doesnt mean Im fken *BLIND* either. But to not worship at the Shrine of Brussow on each and every breathing minute does not equate to “writing him off” ?!?
A little balance is all thats asked for, and youre not providing any. Ive given credit where credit is due, on many occasions. But it seems youre not prepared to do the same for McCaw on this partic matter because that would in some way expose you as disloyal.
Maybe you have watched the ABs matches on tour. They havent lost in 5 consecutive Test matches (not even the Boks could do that this season) and McCaw was MoM in 3 of them.
30 Nov 2009, 00:34 am
and no you got it all *** about face as per usual. I don’t prefer January over Fdp due to skin color. In 2008 January was head and shoulders a better attacking bet then Fdp every which way and they should have stuck with January we might have won the competition instead of coming stone last with Fdp behind the scrum. The one game January started he won the game on his own in Dunedin. Fdp started 4 and we lost 3 of those except the dead rubber at the end.
If you want to know the scrum half I’d pick right now to replace Fdp from word go in 2010. It would be Sarel Pretorius with Hougaard on bench. Fdp must get dropped so his head realizes he’s hardly the best anything as far as rugby goes because if tends to lose games hand over dirt we should be comfortably winning. In other words Fdp is a dad overrated loss.
30 Nov 2009, 00:35 am
@poppa69:
Boet, I don’t deny NZL’s superior stats, they are awesome.
But like I said with my Sharkies, I would trade an amazing win/loss record for some big trophies any day of the week.
We might have to agree to disagree on this one.
30 Nov 2009, 00:37 am
@CenturionShark (aka LondonShark): it is getting old, much like how at the time we were poor losers for blaming Barnes, yet after your loss in Brissy and to France, so many SA’s now understand our points about Barnes… 2 penalties with 30 percent possession…not one in the entire second half… I dont believe Wilsons forward pass was in a WC 1/4 though was it??
30 Nov 2009, 00:37 am
@WakaNathan:
Um, I just called McCaw a living legend in my previous post.
Would you like me to get sexual with him?
30 Nov 2009, 00:38 am
@poppa69:
We all know Barnes is a tool.
No no, Wilsons try in the 1996 tour of SA (SORRY I SAID 1997).
30 Nov 2009, 00:40 am
@poppa69:
Oh shame, can’t handle your lite beer, Poppa? Like CENTURIONSHARK has stated, we win the big ones.
How many years has it been since you won the world cup? (do we even count 1987 as a proper world cup?) Maybe if you stopped pillaging island talent and actually developed your own born and bred players that won’t just play for the money, MAYBE you could then win something of value.
If you haven’t noticed, the rugby world works in years of 4, revolving around the world cup. So keep winning those meaningless tests, champ.
30 Nov 2009, 00:40 am
@skopskiet:
Do you want a colour photo of FDP for your bedroom wall, or black and white?
30 Nov 2009, 00:41 am
@CenturionShark (aka LondonShark):
Au contraire, I believe you started with the unsubstantiated hyperbole. But Im happy you realised that context, nothing can be assumed around here.
30 Nov 2009, 00:41 am
@CenturionShark (aka LondonShark): no dramas… and can understand your frustration with the Sharks, I thought they were one of the best teams this S14 just gone, seems they get the shakes too
30 Nov 2009, 00:42 am
@CenturionShark (aka LondonShark):
Hard to know which 1 of the 2 was better tho.
30 Nov 2009, 00:43 am
@WakaNathan:
“Brussow has a loooooong way to go before he can start becoming a LEGEND LIKE RICHIE.”
30 Nov 2009, 00:45 am
@poppa69:
Man, I live in Pretoria (born in Durbs) so you can imagine the hard time I get
30 Nov 2009, 00:47 am
@WakaNathan:
Fair enough, Brussow IMO is better on pure poaching ability, while McCaw offers a better lineout option (to to mention all round experience).
Both players are very strong with the ball in hand, and defend like demons.
30 Nov 2009, 00:48 am
@CenturionShark (aka LondonShark): you poor bugger
30 Nov 2009, 00:49 am
@CenturionShark (aka LondonShark):
well isnt that just stating rthe bleedin obvious ?!
but
show me where Ive written him off and not given him credit. Ive merely tried to plug the hole with my finger to stop a tsunami of hyperbole drowning everyone. This complete cr@p over this thread about Brussow ‘owning’ McCaw and generally outplaying him seems to have taken a few pixels of the Bloemfontein Test and blown it up to wall-sized mural and lost its focus somewhat.
30 Nov 2009, 00:50 am
To conclude (I must sleep), if McCaw was South African (we wish), Brussow would edge him on form providing Spies and Smith started at 8&7 respectively.
But if Spies or Smith got hurt I would start McCaw. Thats just how I like to balance a lose trio.
Later boys.
30 Nov 2009, 00:52 am
@CenturionShark (aka LondonShark): good night centurion..
30 Nov 2009, 00:52 am
@WakaNathan:
Okay okay, I might have skimmed the threads and picked on you.
Lets wait till the Super 14 before we pass our final judgment
30 Nov 2009, 00:53 am
@CenturionShark (aka LondonShark):
whatever. Noone out-breakdowns McCaw when he’s fit (as he showed in Hamilton, Brussow was schooled).
But lineout option ? taking restarts ? link man to 50% of AB tries on tour ? ball-carrier ?
These are attributes to McCaws game – not over his career but this year alone – which Brussow simply doesnt have.
Ive repeatedly said his “brilliant” but for some reason that doesnt seem to be enough. But to single out just 1 attribute of play and blow it up into a generalisation just demands a response.
30 Nov 2009, 01:10 am
Brussow has the highest tackle count in the super 14. He carries the ball far stronger than McCaw (see Currie Cup final, Brussow throws off 3-4 players every time he has the ball) he is also far superior in the rucks than McCaw. Oh and yes, McCaw really showed his line out skills against the Springboks.
To say that McCaw, an old flanker who appears to have lost his mind due to many concussions is better than Brussow, is actually quite insulting and cannot be taken seriously.
30 Nov 2009, 01:13 am
Oh and Ja, we can’t forget what Brussow did to McCaw in the Super 14. He was instrumental in the Cheetahs victory over the crusaders.
30 Nov 2009, 01:35 am
@Kobus Kitty: @ 231
well thats fortunate because noone is taking you seriously.
30 Nov 2009, 01:38 am
I think David Hands of the UK Times puts it most succinctly:-
“But the thinking man’s team remain New Zealand, who have one more opportunity to display their wares — against the Barbarians at Twickenham on Saturday — before packing up for Christmas. It may rankle a bit that Richie McCaw, their captain, carried off the IRB Player of the Year award (for the second time) when he missed part of the season through injury and his side failed to beat South Africa in three encounters — many would have voted for Brian O’Driscoll, the Ireland captain — but McCaw remains the most influential player on the planet.
New Zealand’s management poured so much thought into their preparations for France, but they still need someone on the field to carry it out and that someone is McCaw.
By personal example, by playing the law to the utmost and beyond, by achieving standards his colleagues all seek, he is able to push such rivals as Lewis Moody, David Pocock or Heinrich Brüssow into the shade.
David Hands’s team of the autumn
Rob Kearney (Ireland); Cory Jane (New Zealand), Conrad Smith (New Zealand), Ma’a Nonu (New Zealand), Sitiveni Sivivatu (New Zealand); Dan Carter (New Zealand), Will Genia (Australia); Fabien Barcella (France), Andrew Hore (New Zealand), Martin Castrogiovanni (Italy), Victor Matfield (South Africa), Paul O’Connell (Ireland), Rocky Elsom (Australia), Richie McCaw (New Zealand), Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe (Argentina). Replacements: William Servat (France), Benn Robinson (Australia), Donncha O’Callaghan (Ireland), Keiron Read (New Zealand), Chris Cusiter (Scotland), Jonathan Sexton (Ireland), Mils Muliaina (New Zealand).
30 Nov 2009, 01:42 am
@chch – welcome back Laulala:
#117
I thought the GH must go crusade was over but looks like you have a hatred for him. Shame at the moment there is no better in NZ or out of NZ.
Deans has been bought down to earth with a thudd,international is different to coaching a provincial team. Gatland,will his mouth says it all,and what he says never backs it up.
30 Nov 2009, 01:49 am
@WakaNathan: and you think you are taken seriously you piece of low-life kiwi trash?
30 Nov 2009, 01:49 am
@WakaNathan:
Whenever I see your name, I read Wankernathan.
I stopped reading your little article you posted as soon as I read “But the thinking man’s team remain New Zealand” Yeah, they really proved they were that when they tried to run everything out of their 22 against the Boks.
30 Nov 2009, 01:56 am
the kiwis are lauded for playing running rugby now but when they tried it agains the boks they came a poor second!don’t think they will be trying to play from their 22 come tri-nations time.
30 Nov 2009, 01:58 am
@Kobus Kitty:
#231
I was waiting for the smiley face,or the just kidding at the bottom of your post but there wasnt. Then came to mind that i think you are actually serious with your comment,lol.
I havnt seen Brussow actully carry the ball like that against NZ,bumping off 3 players everytime.I think you need a reality check and even watch the game a little more closely
30 Nov 2009, 02:01 am
@Valkyrie:
#238
We have played that style of rugby gor many years and have actually blasted you guys out of alot of matches with our speed etc. So i dont know where you come up with “When you tried it against the boks we came a poor second” . Selective memory anyone?
30 Nov 2009, 02:04 am
@Kobus Kitty:
#237
The reason why the ball was in our 22 cos of the amount of kicks that SA do against all teams. We play a running style of rugby. This year we have seen patches of what NZ can do. The French and NZ game was by far the best game to watch out of all the games this year,and i have seen all the tri nation games and including the SA vs BIL and some of the EOYT of SA.
If you like the Kick and hope for the other team to error then be my guest but i hate it
30 Nov 2009, 02:13 am
@Hurricane: lol.well it didn’t help you this year going down three zip to the boks.selective amnesia?
30 Nov 2009, 02:14 am
@Hurricane:
Joe Rockokocko running from inside his try line instead of putting it down for a 22. Is that a good example of a “thinking mans team”? Which France v NZ game? they played 3 this year. Maybe for you they were the best games to watch, it was your team you were supporting. BIL second game was more important and better rugby than any of the France v NZ games.
30 Nov 2009, 02:17 am
@Hurricane: and it also didn’t help you against france in world cup 2007 but then again you always commit hari kiri(ritual suicide) in world cups so that really don’t count i guess!
30 Nov 2009, 02:22 am
Any of you New Zealanders know why McCaw wasn’t even being mentioned by anyone to be nominated, let alone win the IRB player of the year? This by itself shows that he should not have won anything.
30 Nov 2009, 02:23 am
@Hurricane: was this the first time the kiwis never won against the boks in a calender year?i think the boks white washed you also one other year,think it was in mallet’s reign and i think that was the year the kiwis became the first and still only team to be white-washed in the tri-nations by the boks and australia.
30 Nov 2009, 02:28 am
@Valkyrie:
#242
I am on this site. No Kiwi cannot forget this year,especially as it gets said in alot of threads with the word fatigue.
And many times i have said well done on that as well.no problems.You played a kicking game that got you through.
@Kobus Kitty:
#243
The last game against the French and NZ was a good game. France didnt give up trying to run it back at us,and hats of to them,more guts than most teams i have watched.
I didnt say anthing about what game was more important,to us the french game was more important than your BIL tour and vice versa.
@Valkyrie:
#244
Well just thank your lucky stars you didnt have to face france in 2007,fact is you probably would have lost. But hey thats like over 2 years ago and our running game has got us to being the best team in the world. We have the best win/loss ratio than any team on the planet,so yeah losing the world cup then only a year later shove it down the thorats of the winners is just as good.Thanks for that
30 Nov 2009, 02:32 am
@Valkyrie:
#246
I believe 1998 was the year.
Dont get me wrong on what i have said earlier. South Africe in the Tri nations played a better game to a situation at that point.NZs running game was not working as well as we had liked so we went down the path of kicking the hell out of everything as well. We were well and truely beaten by SA who were at that time the playing the better game/style that was needed.
30 Nov 2009, 02:33 am
mccaw doesn’t deserve the award as he was out injured and got nailed by brussow in the tri-nations but cheats and arrogant pricks will always get special treatment by the kiwi pandering irb.still can’t forget the day that mccaw landed in france in 2007 with his world cup winning speech already prepared and in his pocket!what an arrogant prick!
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