Former Springboks flyhalf Andre Pretorius has signed to play for Australia’s Force in the next Super 14 rugby season, team officials said on Friday.
Sport 24 reports:
Pretorius, 30, will join his new Perth-based team from the Lions after the completion of the South African Currie Cup season in November, Force said.
He fills a void at flyhalf for Force following the recent departure of the Wallabies number ten Matt Giteau back to the Brumbies.
Rugby Western Australia General Manager Mitch Hardy said Pretorius brought experience and leadership to the Force.
“Andre is a game breaker with significant international experience and he can control a game, which is exactly what we were looking for in a number ten,” Hardy said.
Pretorius said it was one of his biggest decisions to leave South Africa and play in Australia with the Force.
“My loyalty has always been with the Lions and the 11 years I spent there have been tremendous and they assisted me in becoming a Springbok. That’s what made this decision difficult,” Pretorius said in a statement.
“I am excited about the opportunity to play for the Force. I will be surrounded by great players which makes it easy to focus only on what you have to do.”
The goalkicking flyhalf was a member of the world champion Springboks squad at the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France and has amassed 645 points in eight seasons of Super Rugby for the Johannesburg-based Lions.
His tally ranks him seventh on the all-time list in Super Rugby with more than 200 penalty goals and conversions at provincial level.
Pretorius has also scored 171 points in 31 Tests for South Africa since his debut against Wales in Bloemfontein in 2002.
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I hope they appointed an additional physio/doctor to take care of Sick Note Pretorius. 😕
good for him. Good luck petoors
Adios 🙄
at least the Cheetahs won’t come last in the last ever Super 14 🙂
And Bobes has signed with Newcastle, leaving before the currie cup.
Good ridiance and hopefully the door whacks you on the way out !
Good signing for the Force, even if its only for the the experience he brings with him. I also think it could reignite his career.
Lions are bleeding, sadly.
‘My loyalty has always been with the Lions and the 11 years I spent there’
and why wouldn’t you , kept on the books even though you were constantly injured.
@molly (Comment 5) :
It had to happen, Stormers / Province are determined to play him on the wing, which he isnt.
His experience will be missed in the Currie Cup.
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 8) :
Have you got any news of any POSITIVE developments at Ellis Park?. News regarding your Lions is scarce, being overshadowed by the other Lions, but with all the recent goings on there must be news on an almost daily basis.
@molly (Comment 5) :
Are you serious??? 😯
Oh well, at least we have Willem De Farkin Waal and Wylie Human to look forward to.
I predict another 5th place finish and missing out on the semis. 👿
@Salmonoid (Comment 9) : agree. I’ve always had a lot of time for old Bobes
@wpw (Comment 11) : Griquas will make the semis this year
@wpw (Comment 11) : It garnered a tiny corner of the back page of the Cape Times. Pretty sad really, I’ve always liked him as well.
@molly (Comment 14) : I wonder when the respective unions are actually going to announce their Currie Cup squads… might help just a little with the Fantasy League comp
@robdylan (Comment 12) :
Bobes is a low maintenance, good guy. Not a prima donna.
@robdylan (Comment 4) : Yeh!
Always the silver lining optimist eh Robster?
@klempie (Comment 17) : indeed… the sun will come out tomorrow!
Personally I don’t get this decision. It’s like buying a 10 year old Beemer. The class is there, only ten years ago cos you have to keep calling a mechanic in to keep the thing running.
Perhaps the thinking is they’ll bench him after the first season. My understanding is that they wanted to keep O’Connor who was threatening to go to the Brumbies with Gits if they forced him to play 10. He wants to do a Dan Carter and settle at 12 before moving to 10. So Beemer Boy may just be a stop gap measure.
@robdylan (Comment 18) : In England? 😕 My, you really ARE an optimist!!
poor force.
@klempie (Comment 19) : what the hell is O’Connor going to learn from Pretorius?
@wpw (Comment 1) : force doesn’t seem to put to much stress on tackling so he may be just fine
@robdylan (Comment 22) : Oh I wasn’t implying that. When I said stop gap, I just mean someone to fill 10’s boots. O’Connor will have to fend for himself.
@klempie (Comment 24) : seems a bit silly, no?
@wpw (Comment 11) : i don’t know – griquas may just gotten new wind in their sails after VC.
@robdylan (Comment 25) : Exactly why I don’t get the decision…
@klempie (Comment 27) : I’m clutching at straws trying to work out the justification. 😛
@klempie (Comment 19) : maybe they want to try Tony Brown move. but i don’t know whether pretoors the right guy for it.
@rekinek (Comment 26) : hahaha 😆
@rekinek (Comment 29) : Pretoors isn’t the right guy for a lotta things…
@rekinek (Comment 26) : tell you now, Griquas will finish above the Lions for sure – maybe WP as well
@robdylan (Comment 32) : after reading your Lions piece I wonder whether anybody will finish below them 😕
If Ptretorius stays fit he will be a good signing. This guy has been around long enough and played in a struggling team long enough to add value to many a team.
@rekinek (Comment 33) : there’s always Boland 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 35) : and their muddy fields 😆
@rekinek (Comment 36) :Don’t you mean swimming pool 😕
@Me2 (Comment 37) : no matter how kak the Lions are, at least they still have a sponsor (for now)
@Me2 (Comment 37) : coming to think about it – mud bath – some may find it exciting 😆
@rekinek (Comment 39) : it will fill the stands quicker than their rugby matches
@Rahul (Comment 40) : not setting the bar very high, are you?
This is gonna be one lekker long paid vaxcation for Petoors.. 🙄
@Prof. Ice (Comment 42) :
Wat is n vaxcation?? 😈
@robdylan (Comment 38) : In fact, they’re so good they’ve got TWO!! What other team can say that? 😛
@wpw (Comment 43) :
Its a cash injected holiday!
So….how is every one feeling about T20 as a format today? 😛
Where is blackshark?? 😈
@wpw (Comment 43) : @Prof. Ice (Comment 45) :
instead of spending you’re earning
@rekinek (Comment 47) :
we need to start a wikipedia for “VAXCATION”.. 😆
@klempie (Comment 46) :
Die BlomBokke het die pot weeteens MIS gesit!! When are they ever gonna get pass just playing in a semi, I mean, were they not the favourites?? 👿
maar dis omdat Vetgat Kallis en Chappie Smith geslaap het toe hulle moes gerun het!
@klempie (Comment 46) : for somebody who does not watch cricket – it’s the only format acceptable. C’mon who nowadays have entire day to spend watching.
@rekinek (Comment 49) :
I like the T20 and one days at most – do NOT ask me to watch a five day!
@Prof. Ice (Comment 48) : Drol. T20 is shit. Last night wasn’t a choke. That was T20 probability catching up with them. They were riding their like with 6 consecutive wins. Even Nasser Hussain said that to Biff after the SL game. Biff’s interview after the game last night was revealing to say the least. He said they were disappointed but he was undeceptively “chatty”. They claim to be disappointed because they’re expected to but at the end of the day, they don’t really give a toss about it. They knnow the experts of the game will not haul them over the coals for losing in that format.
@Prof. Ice (Comment 48) :
Vaxcation – derogative term used to describe situation where somebody is being paid for services / goods not rendered/delivered.
Origin of the term: first used in casual blogging. Author uncertain, some ascribe it to Prof Ice (University of Fishery,RSA) during Friday fishing expedition.
😉
@rekinek (Comment 52) :
nASTY! I LIKE!!
@klempie (Comment 51) :
sORRY. sIR…JUST GAVE MY HUMBLE OPINION.. 🙄
@klempie (Comment 51) :
I see nothing wrong with T20.
Watching the middle overs of a ODI match is nearly as boring as watching a drawn test match!!! 🙄
@wpw (Comment 54) :
For once we agree.. 😉 (and of course we share the love of food, although some show this love more than others.. 😈 )
@wpw (Comment 54) : That may have been true before elective power plays (although I saw it as Test match strategy within a limited overs format), but the elective power plays have made the middle overs very interesting these days so that argument no longer holds sway.
@klempie (Comment 56) :
One only has to look at the amount of people attending T20 matches compared to test matches.
T20 is shorter (you don’t have to spend the entire day at the ground), there’s more excitement, more attacking play… 😎
@klempie (Comment 56) :
And you wonder why you still single..nobody likes a wise-ass.. 😈
@wpw (Comment 57) : Oh I’m not questioning it’s purposes in attracting the clueless masses who can’t tell the difference between long off and second slip…
@Prof. Ice (Comment 58) : You like me… 😉
@Prof. Ice (Comment 58) :
Did you hear that???
It sounded like a wise-ass…
@wpw (Comment 61) :
it’s gender-specific… 😆
@klempie (Comment 60) :
but I am not planning on ever dating or marrying you…THAT’s the diffs… 🙄
@Prof. Ice (Comment 62) : No complaints from this neck of the woods on that note…
@klempie (Comment 63) :
Glad to see we understand the same! 😎
It would be sad if we don’t make it, but I have never attached too much importance to Twenty20 cricket, as it is fun cricket. I mean it is more for entertainment, even if it is international cricket. It is all for the crowd.
Younis Khan doesn’t seem to care much about Pakistan’s heavy defeat to England
badda bing badda boom….even the players don’t give a toss.
In this form it is better to take it easy and have fun. It is like WWF.
Pakistan captain Younis Khan continues to campaign for fun in Twenty20
Everyone likes a bit of slap and tickle now and then, but T20 is hardly cricket, just as sevens is hardly rugby. Both are fun though.
@Salmonoid (Comment 67) : Sammy the diplomat…
@klempie (Comment 68) :
Thank you, thank you, thats a lot better to what I have been called around here recently. 😉
Is there anybody out there?
Is there anybody out there?
Is there anybody out there?
Is there anybody out there?
What shall we use to fill the empty spaces?
Shall we set out across this sea of faces
In search of more and more applause
@Salmonoid (Comment 70) : booora