Joker in the pack
5 Feb 2010
Jaque Fourie’s optimistic outlook has allowed him to shrug off life’s disappointments.
‘Life is lekker’. It’s a philosophy that gets Jaque Fourie through the tough times, and it’s the power of positive thinking that makes him grateful for every minute he’s on the rugby field. Fourie is many things to many people: the best centre on the planet; the smartest defensive player in world rugby; one of the sport’s finest finishers with 28 Test tries to his name; and of course, the team jester.
In the IRB dictionary, you’d find all of the above under the entry Jaque Fourie.
‘I don’t see it as my role to keep morale high or anything like that,’ he tells SA Rugby magazine with an impish grin. ‘It’s just who I am. Life is lekker, and we’re blessed to have this opportunity to do what we love. I love to make people laugh, I’m a positive person and I love spreading that positivity around. I’ve never been into stand-up comedy or anything like that; I’m actually very shy around people I don’t know. When I’m with my friends and team-mates, I suppose I allow myself to get a bit crazy. I guess that positive vibe tends to rub off.’
For someone to fully appreciate the depth of Fourie’s optimistic and unwavering faith in his own ability, they need to understand that it’s been a tumultuous two years for the 26-year-old. There have been the euphoric highs of a series victory over the British & Irish Lions and the long-awaited claiming of the Tri-Nations title, but there’ve also been the grating lows of an acrimonious court battle with the Golden Lions and his ongoing struggle with injuries. It also took an injury to Adi Jacobs and the departure of his good mate Jean de Villiers to Dublin for him to reclaim his starting position, and yet, his attitude has remained constant throughout.
In 2008, a string of injuries prevented Fourie from re-entering the Bok startingfold. Jacobs, a Peter de Villiers favourite,took his opportunity and emerged as one of the star performers on South Africa’s end-of-year tour to the United Kingdom. Jacobs also started at No 13 in two of the three Tests against the Lions until his own injury problems cost him a place in the Tri-Nations. Like Jacobs, Fourie took his chance, and resumed his world-beating partnership with Jean de Villiers.
The former Stormers captain is currently playing for Irish club Munster and was supposedly ineligible for national selection, which is why Jacobs shifted to inside centre for the Boks’ recent tour of Europe, yet De Villiers was recalled when Jacobs got injured. Fourie told SA Rugby magazine in early 2009 that he wanted his No 13 jersey back, and stresses now that patience was a necessary virtue.
‘I’ve never thought of it as winning back my position, it was more a case of getting back to my best form. I’ve always welcomed the pressure that comes with competing for a starting position. It’s healthy for a team, and it ensures you don’t just sit on your arse and wait for on-field opportunities to come your way. It’s always easier to get into the Test team than it is to stay there.
‘Adi and I are both professional players capable of playing different positions. Adi did well on defence in the Test against France, I think the real issue was our attack. We couldn’t get on to the front foot because our scrum struggled and we were beaten at the breakdowns. Our partnership has potential.’
De Villiers and Fourie are recognised globally as Test rugby’s best centre pairing, even though their respective injuries often prevented them from starting together in major tournaments. The 2009 Tri-Nations was a clear example of why they are so celebrated, with De Villiers’s organisational strengths complementing Fourie’s line-cutting knack. Fourie should be frustrated with De Villiers’s decision to move to Ireland just when they had rediscovered that match-altering synergy, but he believes it’s something De Villiers needed to do in order to take his skills to the next level.
‘That was his decision and I have no problem with it. In early 2009, I was in talks with French club Clermont because I felt I needed a change of scenery. It’ll be good for Jean to experience a different culture and type of rugby. We all saw what the trip to Wales did for Percy Montgomery as a player, and I’m sure Jean is going to return to South Africa a better player for his Irish experience. We agreed it’s all about challenging yourself.’
It’s the reason Fourie decided to move to the Stormers. The Lions haven’t won the Currie Cup since 1999 and have finished in the Super 14’s bottom four since the Cats franchise split in 2006. The Lions weren’t willing to release Fourie given that he had another year to serve on his contract, which prompted Fourie to turn to his lawyer Frikkie Erasmus, who incidentally is the Stormers’ commercial manager. On examining Fourie’s contract, Erasmus discovered the player was employed as a ‘technical analyst’ and that the contract was not legally binding.
Fourie played his rugby for Hoërskool Monument and the Lions invested a great deal of time and money in his development. Chief executive Manie Reyneke said it was a slap in the face when he decided to cut his stay short, as the union had stood by him through every one of his injury setbacks.
This stirred a debate of professionalism versus integrity. A player must do what’s best for himself financially, as sporting careers aren’t as long as they used to be, but on the other hand you’re only as good as your word, and a contract – legally binding or not – should be honoured.
Fourie believes the Lions missed the point. He was clear when he said he no longer wanted to represent a union that won’t reach its former heights while he’s still in his prime. He’s not ungrateful, but he didn’t appreciate their relentless efforts to keep him in what was essentially a losing environment.
‘I don’t want to badmouth the Lions, but what happened towards the end of last season was very sad,’ he says. ‘I really didn’t want to play there anymore, but they went to extreme lengths to ensure I remained at the union. They made it as uncomfortable for me as possible by taking the matter to court. That was their mentality.
‘For me, there had been no changes at the Lions and I told them I’d served my time and wanted to move on. But they didn’t see it like that. It was a sad way to end the Lions part of my career.
‘I can understand where they were coming from. They had just appointed a new CEO, hired a new coach and put plans in place for the future. But it was too late for me, my time was up and I wanted bigger and better things.’
Life wasn’t so lekker for Fourie after the Tri-Nations. He was unable to secure an early release to join Western Province for the back end of the Currie Cup. No matter the outcome of the court case, the Lions were going to lose Fourie one way or another. If they had won the legal battle, they’d have kept a player who didn’t want to be there.
WP and the Stormers are only slightly better off than the Lions when it comes to achievement. They last won the Currie Cup in 2001 and haven’t made the Super Rugby play-offs since 2004. Senior professional coach Rassie Erasmus feels 2010 could be the year they crack the top four and has made some big signings in Fourie and Bok wing Bryan Habana, but it could be a while before these players find their feet in the Cape systems. Nevertheless, Fourie feels they are on the right track.
‘Like the Lions, the Stormers struggle because they don’t have the players,’ he explains. ‘You look at the Sharks and Bulls who are always right up there in Super Rugby and the Currie Cup because they each have at least 15 Boks at their unions. To think the Bulls can start a match with as many as 15 internationals is scary.
‘The Lions only had one or two Boks in their side and it was a struggle. You’d have to play out of your skin to get close to winning a game, and I was fed up with that.
‘The Stormers have some exciting players in their squad and have the potential to challenge for the Super 14 title and win the Currie Cup. It’s a bonus that Bryan is coming down too, and I think there’s a fantastic mix of experience and promising youngsters. I also think I’m the right kind of player for their game plan.’
It’s an open secret that De Villiers will reassess his future with Munster in early 2010. If he opts for a release, we may see the potent pair reunited in Stormers colours in the build-up to the World Cup in New Zealand.
‘When I spoke to him he did say he was eyeing a World Cup return,’ Fourie confirms, unable to hide his effervescent optimism. ‘That would make for a lekker Stormers backline. Peter Grant, Jean, myself, Bryan, Conrad Jantjes, Joe Pietersen – it all sounds very exciting.
‘But that’s thinking a bit too far ahead. The year 2009 was a big one for me, but there have been a few smaller sideshows I’d rather forget. I’ve had some niggles and the biggest disappointment was the Lions court case. Hopefully in 2010 there won’t be any distractions and I can focus on my rugby.’
By Jon Cardinelli
– This article first appeared in the Jan-Feb issue of SA Rugby magazine. Click here to subscribe
134 Comments
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6 Feb 2010, 05:42 am
@poppa69: It’s enough to remind 0-3 to both France and Ireland.
6 Feb 2010, 05:56 am
@poppa69:
How many world cup attempts have the All Blacks had? That’s all that really counts. Rugby works in a 4 year cycle if your brain hasn’t realized that by now.
Springboks are the most successful team with 2 wins out of 4 attempts, what’s the All Blacks record at world cups?
The point is your win/loss ratio against the Boks can vanish within a couple of years but you can never take our World Cups away.
3-0, go cry about it.
6 Feb 2010, 05:58 am
@Kobus Kitty: Im not crying about it Kobus, so youve been lucky twice.. big deal, have you guys ever scored 50 against the ABs? didnt think so, weve done it to you on 3 separate occasions, and the truth of the world cup was shown at Newlands remember? the world champs beaten at home without scoring for a full 80 minutes? 19-0 was it, AT HOME OMFG!
thats crying material right there mate…
6 Feb 2010, 05:58 am
@Nils:
Your blog name “NILS”… it reminds me of some sort of toilet cleaner detergent, so you might want to think about changing it – just a suggestion.
6 Feb 2010, 05:59 am
@Kobus Kitty: funny, it reminds me of newlands, 19-NILS bwahahahaha
6 Feb 2010, 06:02 am
@Kobus Kitty: “what’s the All Blacks record at world cups?”
4th most successive after Australia, SA and England. You know, Aussies have one final, too, while you watched from the sidelines, so Australia are the most successive, like it or not.
Here’s a checklist for you:
Sevens series (right now)
Super 14
Tri nations
Series win vs NZ
And watch how it disappears one by one this year.
6 Feb 2010, 06:04 am
@Kobus Kitty: I will not mention in public what your name reminds me, I am too polite.
As for suggestion to change my nick, here is a middle finger for you. Fresh.
6 Feb 2010, 06:05 am
@poppa69:
Have a good look at the 08 side. It was filled with players like Guthro, Januarie, Janjtes, Out of form Habana, Adi Jacobs, old broken down Butch James, semi-retired Montgomery, a new coach with a new game plan. Seems like a lot of players selected for… political reasons? You can ignorantly deny it or call it an excuse, either way its a known fact that it happens.
So brag about that win, I for one will keep bragging about how the All Blacks get molested in every world cup.
6 Feb 2010, 06:07 am
@Nils:
No, the Springboks are the most successful team at World Cups, 2 titles from 4 attempts.
6 Feb 2010, 06:10 am
@Kobus Kitty: cmon Kobus, they were wearing the Bok blazer, therefore the Bok side.. dont slip down the slope ala Big Hit and blame it on “not your best side”, otherwise Ill claim the first two wins in SA last year with the same excuse? works both ways…
6 Feb 2010, 06:10 am
@Kobus Kitty: In percentages – yes. In real achievements – no, it’s Australia.
And keeping in mind how laughable are their rugby union players stocks, comparing to, say, SA, NZ or England, Australia are without peers the most successive WC team.
6 Feb 2010, 06:15 am
@Kobus Kitty: molested? losing by 2 points to a team that only had 30% possession the entire match and who did not concede a penalty the entire second half, while conceding 2 for the whole match? if SA had been on the end of that shocking display (or England Big Hit), the uproar would have been deafening… all Im asking for is a little objectivity, but that seems beyond you..
6 Feb 2010, 06:17 am
@poppa69: Hehe, remember, when Barnesey reffed Cheetahs vs BIL, folks here went bananas. Not to mention Brisbane, when Wallas tore them apart anyway.
6 Feb 2010, 06:19 am
@poppa69:
It was your best side, besides Carter.
Haymen is very overrated, Chris Jack is old and would’ve been dominated by Matfield and Ali Williams is an injury prone, weak Bekker type of player who would be out for another whole season if Bakkies Botha just looked at him funny.
@Nils:
I disagree. 2 titles, 4 attempts. Most Successful team in the world cup. It’s not rocket science, which part about that do you not understand?
6 Feb 2010, 06:22 am
@Kobus Kitty: It’s your right to disagree. Democracy.
6 Feb 2010, 06:23 am
@Kobus Kitty: For me, 2 titles and a final are better than just 2 titles. But, as I said, feel free to think otherwise, I am not going to call you in rude words for that.
6 Feb 2010, 06:25 am
@Nils: agreed Nils, though the true rugby people on here (objective SA’s) tend to agree we copped it, yet I will still state I was pleased SA beat England in the final.. most of them forget that they had all of NZs support in 07, because its always been the ABs Boks as the pinnacle of rugby, but some like Kobus are just intent to wind people up and do the intense rivalry a major disservice at the same time…
they tend to forget that we as Kiwis played them during isolation, why? because we love the game of rugby and we admire the way SA play… but you only need to spend a small amount of time on here and realise they dont feel the same way..
and to be quite frank, without the AB/Bok rivalry, rugby would end up like league…
6 Feb 2010, 06:26 am
@poppa69: I will say frankly, I supported SA in the final only because the other ones were Poms. I hoped France will win it.
6 Feb 2010, 06:27 am
@Kobus Kitty: no it wasnt our best side Kobus, we had 10 frontliners out… but I wont use it as an excuse like you… still, what do I expect from a bloke that changes teams once they lose a game, shows the nature of the man…
6 Feb 2010, 06:29 am
@poppa69: Forget it, ABs always are ABs, all others have B, C or Z and other kind of “experimental” sides when get their asses kicked.
6 Feb 2010, 06:30 am
@Nils:
6 Feb 2010, 06:48 am
@poppa69:
Name the top All Black side then.
Don’t try and judge me, I’m not the one that blogs racial comments after my team gets destroyed.
And yes, if there’s no chance of the Bulls making the Semi-finals, but a chance for say… the Sharks, I’d support the Sharks if they played the Bulls.
6 Feb 2010, 06:50 am
@poppa69: @Kobus Kitty: Good night, gentlemen. Have a good time.
6 Feb 2010, 07:02 am
@Kobus Kitty: I knew that would come up sooner or later, seems to be your last line of defence… is that 8 months youve held onto that now, not related to whatever are you? and all it was was a simple statement about the state of your country at the time and why they werent invited in 87, why dont you post it again… we can start a poll, if the majority think its rascist then I’ll concede and leave the site, hows that?
6 Feb 2010, 07:05 am
@Kobus Kitty: “dont try and judge me” ?? funny that, yet you judge me at every opportunity, how do you live with yourself… is the world worthy of your omnipotence…
tumeke man, tumeke..
6 Feb 2010, 07:16 am
Kobus “Chris Jack is old and would’ve been dominated by Matfield ” ummm Chris jack wasnt in the 2008 side, he went to the NH… oops
6 Feb 2010, 08:04 am
@poppa69: Jack is a fantastic lock….excelled at WP…what a player.
No one will dominate him.
And i love the boks!!
6 Feb 2010, 08:53 am
@poppa69:
The 87 world cup wasn’t mentioned. You were just filled with rage after your team was pumped solid. You keep lying because you’re ashamed of your actions.
@grant10:
I assure you, Matfield or Botha would dominate him.
6 Feb 2010, 09:54 am
@poppa69:
But you really do get molested at every world cup. You repeatedly go into the competition as the best side in the workd and then you get slapped around by the French or someone.
Then there’s the inevitable conspiracy theory to accompany the fallout.
It’s sad, because on the face of it, the All Blacks are the most consistently successful team in the world. But every World Cup that has been properly contested, has seen you get molested.
6 Feb 2010, 10:42 am
@Kobus Kitty: youre the one who said the 87 world cup and 91 world cup didnt count Kobus?? the meds must have been fully hitting you then huh? take a look back and see mate… not playing with a full deck son..
@Vetkoek: well, 87 we werent the best side, 91 we werent the best side, 2003 we werent the best side, as much as it pains me to say Eng had that mantle 2003..
95 we werent the best side going into the world cup, so not really sure what youre saying is correct…
a 2 point loss is a molestering haha
hate to see what you classify 53-3 as, or 52-16 for example.. or even 49-0, now thats being molested…
6 Feb 2010, 13:04 pm
@poppa69:
I’m not talking about in this article, don’t try and be sly.
You and I both know we’re talking about the Tri-Nations Durban Boks v New Zealand article when you made that incredibly racist and nasty comment, the 87 world cup was not mentioned in that article.
Anyway, every game outside of the world cup is forgettable, they all blend in after time. World Cup games live on forever.
I feel for the All Blacks, and New Zealand as a nation… they have never felt the joy of winning on such a big occasion.
6 Feb 2010, 13:19 pm
@Kobus Kitty: my response was to your comment in this article..
that rascist comment huh lmao.. the fact the comment was a true indication of your country at the time, seems you missed the context of the remark… in which I also stated if it wasnt because of that you guys would have been invited in 87..
love the way you twist it to suit yourself…
6 Feb 2010, 13:42 pm
@Kobus Kitty:
I believe we have won the RWC. The very first one.
Kobus carry on with your RWC is the only thing that matters. Tell Smit that the RWC only matters,dont worry about winning the 3N,i think he would slap you in the ******.Its quite amusing listening to you.
6 Feb 2010, 14:38 pm
@poppa69:
I could quote it again if you’d like? Don’t try and lie. You’re only degrading yourself, and perhaps your Maori heritage.
@Hurricane:
You have… unofficially though. The smarter fans would agree with me that its silly to count the 87 world cup as anything more than an amateur friendly tournament.
Judging by your last comment, I assume I’ve gotten under your skin with my comments. Do me a favor though, don’t take it out on the wife, ‘kay big guy?
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