Springbok rugby coach Peter de Villiers has asked the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs to rest Bok flanker Juan Smith for this week’s Absa Currie Cup match against the Falcons in Kempton Park.
But according to OFM’s sports website it is not a signed and sealed deal as yet. “We did agree with Peter that we will rest Juan this week,” said Naka Drotske.
“But I’ve read in the papers that Western Province, who made the same deal with Peter, is not planning to do that. If Province pick all their Boks this week, i’m going to do the same and pick Juan. But if Province don’t pick their Boks, I will also rest Juan,” Drotske told OFM Sport.
The coach of the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs meanwhile confirmed Smith will wear a neck brace untill Wednesday due to a bad neck spasm. Smith injured his neck in his side’s Currie Cup defeat of 23-5 against the Blue Bulls.
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I wonder if this agreement extends to the other three unions as well?
Surely it must?
Who has the final say? I guess the province..
@McLovin (Comment 2) :
I think so. It would depend who holds the players contract and I presume all the provinces do.
😯 he musnt be telling the sharks whom to rest now 👿
we have a mission a la currie cup to accomplish
then they can all rest lol
@McLovin (Comment 2) : i hope the player.
@try time (Comment 6) : It should probably be, but I can’t see a player not playing when asked to & not injured.
@sharks_lover (Comment 5) : except that they’ll all be dragged off on another meaningless tour to the Northern Hemisphere straight afterwards
@robdylan (Comment 8) : Meaningless??? 😈 Since when are ANY test rugby meaningless? 😕
@Silver Fox (Comment 9) : sorry… forgot to take my Sharks hat off 😉
The Latest news on the Subject.
De Villiers granted his wish
Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:41
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers will get his wish, but for all the wrong reasons. World Cup-winning flank Juan Smith will not be captaining the Free State Cheetahs in their Currie Cup encounter with the Falcons in Brakpan on Friday.
De Villiers had earlier requested that the Cheetahs rest the Bok flank, Smith, for this week’s match.
Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské had initially suggested that he might play the star flank, as his team is desperate to get back on the winning trail after three successive defeats – against Western Province, the Sharks and VBlue Bulls.
However, the knock which Smith took in the second half of the 5-23 loss to the Bulls at the weekend – which saw him leave the field in a neck brace on stretcher – have now ruled him out.
Cheetahs team manager Helgard Muller told rugby365.com on Monday that Smith will definitely not play on Friday, as he is suffering from neck spasms and will be in a brace till at least Wednesday.
“Not that can afford to be without him, but he will not play,” Muller said.
Muller said the team will go “all out” this week to play rugby and will not revert to a conservative approach just because they have lost their last three games.
He was at a loss for words to explain why some of the players have suddenly lost their way, with poor option taking the coaching staff’s biggest headache.
“It is just something that started to happen in the last few weeks,” Muller told this website, adding that even in the more intense arena of Super 14 rugby the players’ decision making was more accurate.
But the Cheetahs, despite needing to get two bonus-point victories in their remaining matches against the Falcons and Boland Cavaliers to stay in the play-off hunt, will continue with their free-flowing game.
“We will go there [Brakpan] to play rugby, regardless of our [play-off] situation.
“Yes, the Falcons are a tricky opponents, especially in Brakpan, but we have faith and it is just a matter of execution [of the game plan],” Muller added.
By Jan de Koning
It’s only a matter of time before a Bok player gets another serious injury like Schalk’s neck injury…
Anyone know if Tim Dlulane’s injury has finished his career off for good now?
@bryce_in_oz (Comment 12) : I would imagine so…
@robdylan (Comment 13) :
Last I heard he was assisting in some capacity with Bulls age group rugga…
Shows what an android Burger is to come back from such a serious injury so soon…
@bryce_in_oz (Comment 14) : no brain, no pain, as they say 😉
@bryce_in_oz (Comment 12) :
I agree with the principal of the point you are tying to make but think the examples you used are not valid.
I don’t believe that Burger’s injury was in ANY way related to over use of the player.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 16) :
Agreed… my point (or lack of) being injuries like that never heal properly and need to be managed properly despite him being an android…
We need him against England… and whilst I see the need for the Boks in the CC (well not really and certainly not all of them)… PDV is soeking for trouble allowing Burger, JDV, Jantjes, RJ to play in every single CC game since they have been back particularly against the minnows…
@robdylan (Comment 15) :
Lol… I didn’t get straight A’s in matric… but then I didn’t have Schalk Burger senior as an old man reading my report card 😉
Juan surely needs a rest, not the player that he used to be, had a poor Tri-Nations IMO… 🙁
@Charlie (Comment 19) :
By his own high standards… however form for a loosie is subjective when you had no tight forwards bar 3 supporting you at the breakdowns until the last game…
Juan Smith made more tackles than any other player in the entire tournament (76)… with Schalk right behind him…
Juan Smith took as many lineout balls (8) as our 2.06m winger Andries Bekker…
Juan Smith made 15 total go-forwards only behind Schalk and Jean in the Bok side…
Gives some perspective doesn’t it… 😉 no wonder the guy is exhausted (same as Schalk)…