Du Preez: ‘I almost quit’
1 Dec 2009
Fourie du Preez has decided to stay with the Springboks after admitting he had thoughts of retirement earlier this year.
Like Victor Matfield, Bryan Habana and John Smit, Du Preez is one of many stalwarts in the team that remains from the Boks’ victorious campaign at the 2007 World Cup and has been a star player for the world champions in 2009.
The Bok No 9 does, however, admit that he almost considered retiring at the end of this season because of personal reasons, but after a successful year, he now wants to be part of the Boks’ title defence at the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.
‘At the moment I’m really enjoying my rugby, and the atmosphere that has been created has brought out the best in my game,’ Du Preez told SuperRugby. ‘It was a difficult few months for me earlier this year, and a lot hinged on how things went. But the way I feel now I have a few good years in my. It wasn’t as if things weren’t good at the Boks in the past, but rather a case of whether I can reach my own goals and do better in my game.
‘A lot of us who were in the team that won the 2007 World Cup said we would make decisions after the Lions tour and take it from there,’ Du Preez said. ‘But the success we have had this year makes 2011 the next goal. If the year didn’t go so well, then my international career would be over right now.’
Du Preez has enjoyed a triumphant season with the Boks and Bulls, which has seen him win Tri-Nations, British and Irish Lions, Super 14 and Currie Cup titles in 2009. Many believe he should have received the IRB Player of the Year award, but he lost out to All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw.
These achievements have influenced Du Preez’s decision to stay.
‘I’ve really been happy with this season – it was definitely my best yet,’ said Du Preez. ‘I really gave a lot of thought to retiring at the end of this season. I was planning for a season or two overseas and wanted to get out of Pretoria, out of my comfort zone.
‘But the way things have gone made it difficult to contemplate quitting. The atmosphere that was set by the Springbok management was really wonderful. This Bok management is really some of the best ever and in that aspect I enjoy being part of the Springboks. They made it easier to make the decision.’
Du Preez’s contract at the Bulls expires in October 2010, but it looks certain that the scrumhalf will sign an extension to fulfill his 2011 World Cup ambitions.
433 Comments
Pages: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 » Show All
1 Dec 2009, 07:50 am
Bly jy is nog met ons Peet…
1 Dec 2009, 08:00 am
The question is, retire and do what? Did this brilliant dragon study anything?
The last time I can remember his box-kick going out on the full was Newlands 2008. Superb accuracy!
1 Dec 2009, 08:02 am
That would be a major blow to the Boks, maybe this is an indication that development of our backup needs to be stepped up and maybe next year is the year to do it, let our main boks just play for their franchises and let the laaities have a go, then bring the boks in for the end of year tour next year and start our momentum from their going into the RWC.
Scary that we are on the brink of losing possibly the greatest scrum half to have played the game.
1 Dec 2009, 08:03 am
Intersting arcticle….dont quite know what to make of it actually…..FDP seems quite a complex character.
1 Dec 2009, 08:05 am
In his book John says it took 3 years for Fourie to open up to him
1 Dec 2009, 08:07 am
@Lions_Soutie: Make no mistake he’s a clever dude and very maticulous so I’m sure he would succeed in anything he did, just one of those people.
My worry is always what happens to these guys when they do leave the set up and retire, they should all be employed as coaches, CEO’s, administrators etc then Rugby would have rugbys best interest at heart and we would be unbeatable.
1 Dec 2009, 08:09 am
@Lions_Soutie: How is Johns book? Is it a decent read? I would assume he doesn’t say too much due to still being involved in the set up.
1 Dec 2009, 08:10 am
Yes, hopefully they use their rugby intellect for the benefit of future generations and dont all go into opening the next Dros:)
1 Dec 2009, 08:15 am
Mr. Prima Donna himself deigned to grant his adoring fans another year of his repetitive box kicking genius while the backline he’s supposed to be feeding whithers and dies a lonely death.
What a feigning immaculate genius springbok rugby has been gratuitously blessed with, I wonder what would have happened if he’d have left, perhaps we’d have developed our running game by now. Oh glory be to the saviour of SA rugby, what would we do without such immaculate unsurpassed brilliance?
1 Dec 2009, 08:16 am
So FDP cops a bit of a bollocking and he considers quitting? This is a guy who clearly is mentally weak.
1 Dec 2009, 08:16 am
Timbo. It is a good light-hearted read. He does mention times were administrators and coaches, players did stuff up but he’ll always try to explain why they probably did it and therefore tries to be balanced about everything. Worth it!
1 Dec 2009, 08:16 am
And a quitter to boot. Kop toe is hardly the word.
1 Dec 2009, 08:19 am
@TheTackler: When did he cop anything?
@skopskiet: I’m sure the dude plays to the coaches strategy hey? He is rated by every pundit in the world – people who know rugby – but not rated by you? Interesting, who should be playing in the no. 9 shirt then?
1 Dec 2009, 08:20 am
Skop, for interest sake, what was your favourite Springbok team since readmission?
From what I’ve read about him you would have severely disliked Bennie Osler’s kicking play in the pre-war days.
1 Dec 2009, 08:20 am
I think some of you guys have missed his actual comment. He was thinking of retiring from International rugby and going overseas to play for a couple of seasons. Not giving up playing entirely.
1 Dec 2009, 08:22 am
@Timbo: You buying Joosts new one? LOL
1 Dec 2009, 08:24 am
Fourie’s hair is looking like Jake White’s after 4 years of stress. Might have to go for the shave cut soon:)
1 Dec 2009, 08:24 am
@skopskiet:
what a bitter little man you are.
Do you know him?
Does he in any way come across as a primma donna?
Nope, Mr.Humble himself.
….and, he saves his best performances for the big games. S14 semi and final, 2nd test Lions loftus, tri-nations home and away.
what a legend.
no better scrumhalf on the planet
1 Dec 2009, 08:25 am
@TheTackler:
Not as mentally week as the All Blacks who constantly choke at World Cups.
Oops walked right into that one!
1 Dec 2009, 08:26 am
it’s fine – most who are akin to a genius are complex!
1 Dec 2009, 08:31 am
I also think that he is one of those talismatic players like Habana is.
When he plays well, teams he plays for play well.
1 Dec 2009, 08:33 am
Bulls and Boks would’ve been fu*#ked to say the least if he quit!!
1 Dec 2009, 08:33 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl: I think people like Skiet forget all the games where he has been instrumental in the Boks and Bulls success.
He almost single handedly ripped the English apart in our pool game in the RWC in a game crucial to our success in the end. Maybe we should bring January should be back.
1 Dec 2009, 08:35 am
John, Bakkies, Victor, Juan, Schalk, FDP, Jean, and Habs are playing legends. If these guys stay fit we’ll have a good chance of winning at 2011
1 Dec 2009, 08:38 am
@Timbo: Exactly, arguably the best 9 ever to play the game, cheating joost couldnt lace fourie’s left boot!!
1 Dec 2009, 08:39 am
@Lions_Soutie: 100%
I can say that on this EOYT we have missed Juan Smith, Pierre Spies and the irratic Frans Steyn. If you look at the ages of these players they won;t be pensioners like most of Englands 2003 team when they defend the cup in 2011.
1 Dec 2009, 08:39 am
FDP obviously toyed with the notion of Euro$s over being treated nicely. Hmmm… said it yesterday… the lad is precious.
1 Dec 2009, 08:41 am
@ShaunMichaels: I have been watching some of the old RWC footage on ESPN, Joost was a good player but lacked a quality pass … big time! I was quite surprised at how slow and wayward some of his delivery from the base of scrums and rucks really were. He still seems a quality player away from home though! LOL
1 Dec 2009, 08:44 am
@Timbo:
he’s just bitter.
for the life of me he is never happy with any of Our players.
it’s not the fact that he highlights players who have bad games but why call them derogatory names and insults as well? Yet when someone like,for instance, Luke Watson insults national coach and captain….this person is considered a legend.
did anyone ever see a non white player attacked with the same venom?
blatantly biggotted and anti-south-african
oh,and so predictable….que the insults and name calling.
1 Dec 2009, 08:45 am
In the full article, Fourie also says that he has no interest in playing rugby into his thirties like George Gregan. He states that he will stop playing as soon as he doesn’t enjoy it anymore.
The impression is that he doesn’t need the money of playing into your twilight years. He plays rugby purely for the enjoyment of it.
1 Dec 2009, 08:45 am
@RugbyRulz: No Rulz, it’s about enjoying the game rather than trapsing around a field for 80 mins every week when you don;t wat to be there, even for a big wage. I know people who have left big paying jobs for lesser more enjoyable ones because the pay cheque doesn’t suit everyones thinking, maybe we should be more supportive of an oke who has this attitude? But if he had gone over seas we would have basted the dude for choosing the Euro, come on man!
1 Dec 2009, 08:48 am
@Timbo: He was an opportunistic player, had no left to right pass at all and to be fair probably would’ve been aa good sarel pretorius today!
1 Dec 2009, 08:50 am
Yes Timbo. The only worry about 2011 is the age of out tight forwards. But managed correctly they’ll be fine. I think Johnson and Eales were almost rested for a year before their grand finales.
I loved those mid-90′s overseas tours. I don’t think the NH had discovered gym yet, we used to hammer them. Joost mesmerised defenses around rucks with his elusive running. Not sure he would have been as effective with modern day ‘league type’ defenses.
1 Dec 2009, 08:50 am
complexity and genius one huge bundle of precious joy. The box kick king.
1 Dec 2009, 08:53 am
@Timbo: I have no complaint to a player moving offshore for $s.
@Tacitus: Many players play on comfortably in a cruise-mode atmosphere (Japan). George and the boys (Randwick crew) are living large.
It is nice to see FDP rates George… or else he wouldn’t have mentioned him
1 Dec 2009, 08:57 am
@Lions_Soutie: The difference between NH and SH is the pitch. SH are quite comfortable playing on hard-as-nails, dustbowls. SH find concrete the norm. The AB’s are the ONLY team that has the benefit of All Seasons in One Day.
IMHO the All Blacks have their weather as their greatest advantage… it prepares them globally better than any other team.
1 Dec 2009, 08:57 am
quitters and legends vs villains and stickers
How hero’s are formed and then discarded, just like Joost.
He won us a few and then he lost us a few. I wonder if we added up all those he won for us vs all those he lost for us how the ledger would ultimately balance up.
One mans genius is another’s mediocriy
1 Dec 2009, 09:01 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl: I want to know what qualifies him to talk so much kak.
1 Dec 2009, 09:01 am
@David: twits who cant read
1 Dec 2009, 09:02 am
@skopskiet:
You’re a strange oke.
1 Dec 2009, 09:03 am
Reading between the lines it would appear that he was probably a bit worried about how Peter De villiers would go! He was probably worried that thing may have gone pear-shaped and he did not want to part of that.
However, it is a very good sign that everybody seems very happy with De Villiers and the rest of the Springbok Management team.
Weldone to all concerned!
1 Dec 2009, 09:09 am
Does anyone else feel that we overplayed a game plan yet again? Didn’t Deans and Henry warn us this was going to happen?
Too much of the game plan surrounds guys like FDP when he is having a bad day the team seems to have a bad day. He is unchallenged and thus the decline in his game. And why on earth does he have to do back flips every time he arrives at a ruck??? How many times didn’t we lose possession this way and Pienaar is no different in fact he doesn’t even know how to pass a ball without running with it first. We need someone new and fresh without the ego’s to challenge these guys.
Glimpses of EOYT 2005 and 2006 is starting to appear again. But what the hell it is nearly S14 time again the heavy weights is at it again.
PS. BTW now that we played club sides over there are france and Ireland going to play some of our sides over here?? We need to get our balls back in provincial rugby after SA A lost it on tour.
1 Dec 2009, 09:14 am
@Lions_Soutie: 24 – Agree LS. If we manage those players they can still play WC 2011.
I also read John’s book and found it to be a great read. Also thought it was light hearted. Enjoyed it.
@Timbo: Yes we did miss Juan and Spies also Bakkies. All three would have made a huge difference in the lineouts too especially Juan.
If Fransie had played we may have won. He can kick well in the wet and actually in any conditions. Remember those 3 monster kicks he got in the Boks last game against NZ? Well if he played Saturday maybe he would have got some of the longer kicks over. Also remember Fransie getting that kick in the world cup was probably about 58m. The one in NZ was 60m. We sure missed having all of those players on Saturday.
1 Dec 2009, 09:16 am
@skopskiet: I read some of your posts a couple of years ago, whats up man? something is eating at your gut.
1 Dec 2009, 09:20 am
Pleased FdP is staying and going to play on. What a loss that would have been had he left SA.
Best scummie in the world.
John said in his book about Fourie du Preez. “If There’s a better rugby brain in the world, I haven’t come across it”
He rated FdP the best 9 he has ever played with.
1 Dec 2009, 09:22 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl:
“id anyone ever see a non white player attacked with the same venom?”
You must be kidding me, right? Do you read this forum and others like it?
@iceman:#41
I thinkk you hit the nail on the head there.
1 Dec 2009, 09:24 am
If only we had more Bryan Habana’s in that backline of ours.
1 Dec 2009, 09:26 am
Looks like Fourie Du Preez is gearing up for q autobiography with Keo being a main sponsor.
1 Dec 2009, 09:27 am
@Wezwp: Why? Already have both wingers and fullback chasing the bombs. You think the centres should chase too?
Just kidding… sort of
1 Dec 2009, 09:27 am
Question… who actually wrote this article? This article appreared on Rugby365′s website yesterday but only came onto Keo today. So I think it’s only right for Keo.co.za to credit the source.
Pages: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.