Griquas coach Dawie Theron has dropped a bomb on his team by axing Emerging Springbok scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius.
The 26-year-old Pretorius, who played for the Emerging Boks in 2008 and was on the verge of Bok selection last year before an injury disrupted his season, has been told to “get some perspective”.
Griquas play the Lions in an important Currie Cup match in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Just one point separates the two sides – the Lions, on 25 in fifth place, and Griquas, 24 points – on the standings, with the Blue Bulls just three points ahead of them and a play-off place very much at stake.
The shock axing of the talented scrumhalf, who was a regular starter for the Cheetahs in the Super 14 and also played for the Royal XV against the British and Irish Lions last year, may well just be the spark that helps the Kimberley outfit bounce back from three consecutive defeats.
Theron admitted he axed Pretorius to shake up the scrumhalf, who appears to have dropped off the expected standards.
“Sarel is a brilliant player, but he is trying too hard at present,” Theron told the Afrikaans daily, Volksblad.
“It will be good for him to get some perspective,: the coach added.
Pretorius promised to bounce back.
“I will remain loyal to Griquas and will give my all to my teammates,” Pretorius told the newspaper, adding: “My goal is to help Griquas reach the play-offs.”
Marnus Hugo will start in the No.9 jersey on Saturday.
Griquas: 15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Rocco Jansen, 13 Wilmaure Louw, 12 Barry Geel, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Naas Olivier, 9 Marnus Hugo, 8 Davon Raubenheimer, 7 Justin Downey, 6 Johan van Deventer, 5 Cecil Kemp, 4 Luvuyiso Lusaseni, 3 Jean Botha, 2 Simon Westraadt, 1 Steph Roberts.
Replacements: 16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Jacobie Adriaanse, 18 Edwin Hewitt, 19 Burger Schoeman, 20 Sarel Pretorius, 21 Jean Stemmet/Richard Lawson, 22 Rudi Vogt.
Courtesy of Rugby 365
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Sarel Pretoria? What are you insinuating? 😀
@vanmartin (Comment 1) : Yeah loved that! It has a ring to it..
@vanmartin (Comment 1) :
Well spotted. 365 did that in another article last week as well. Seems their proof reader is out for Ramadan.
Says something about Theron’s coaching to me.. If you can’t get the goods out of your best player, drop him? He is still better than Hugo so motivate the lad another way Dawie.. Dawie would get on well with Big Ears me thinks..
I am shocked that they have dropped him. 😯 He has played damn well in the games that I saw.
the guy needs a rest. Would be better if tehy explain it that way. methinks.
Marnus Hugo is a good player.
I know he is from CT not too sure if he played for Paarl Gim or Roos.
Anyway, PaarlBok rates him so he must be from Paarl Gim!!
@wpw (Comment 7) : hehe.
good for Kwasse to build up some depth.
@Oubaas2009 (Comment 4) :
We need Dawie Theron as Bok coach to drop the likes of Habana, Smit, Matfield, Ricky when they lose form.
How the hell could I leave out the main culprit, Pierre Spies!! 🙄
@wpw (Comment 9) : Not sure Ricky ever had form to lose?
@Oubaas2009 (Comment 10) :
Man-oh-man it’s gonna be a long afternoon. I am stuuuuuuffed. 😎
@wpw (Comment 7) : the only good thing about Marnus Hugo is that he attended the Sharks Academy
@wpw (Comment 9) : I wonder how Dawie Theron would fair as bok coach? The man’s built a very competitive team with very little resources. Any thoughts on this Sharksworld fans?
@klempie (Comment 12) : you’re about the only oke here that could have a realistic chance of eating your own body weight at one sitting…
@Oubaas2009 (Comment 10) :
Well if you use the term “form” very loosely then it could be interpreted as “shape” and we ALL know that Ricky had to lose a BIG portion of his “shape” 😉
@klempie (Comment 12) :
That’s a typical style of FB Status update that I detest.
Dude if you want us all to ask “why are you stuffed?” Then say “Please ask me why I am stuffed?” 😛
@robdylan (Comment 15) : What about Wes? 😛
@KSA Shark © (Comment 17) : I would have thought it was obvious. I ate that lunch STUKKEND. Rob seemed to catch on. 😉
PS. I detest FB. 😎
@robdylan (Comment 13) :
blegh!! 🙄
@KSA Shark © (Comment 16) : Dude, that’s very tenuous… 🙄
@klempie:why u stuffed?
@bergshark (Comment 22) : See post 19. 😎
@klempie: im a bit slow..kinda like a certain sh pass,just a bit 2 slow lol
@rekinek (back to rugby) (Comment 6) : As for the Boks aswelll 🙄
Klempie, you run a sub 4 minute mile? Are you THAT stuffed?
@Baldrick (Comment 26) : Not quite. Best I ever got was 4:30 to the km over 3km’s. 😛
@klempie (Comment 27) : Get off the damned treadmill dude
@Clayton(PJLD) (Comment 28) : I reckon he was on a bicycle!
Griquas will lose again.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 5) : Sarel has tried to much, it seems he gets desperate for his team to win and instead of sticking with the plan, he starts throwing no-look inside passes doing short chip kicks and trying to many sniping runs. He’s still a great player, but I get why Theron is dropping him for a game. He needs to calm down and get himself together, do 20min at the end of this weeks game and maybe come of the bench again the week after.
He’s still a talented player. I think all the Griquas players who played s14 this year has tried to take to much of the responsibility and therefore cost their team a few results. The best part of their play last year was how well they came together as a team, as a selective unit they surprised us all and started producing quality rugby. This move by Theron will bring them a little closer to that concept again.
@Letgo (Comment 31) : you know, being stuck at Griquas ic not the career highlight. No wonder that they all want to show off and impress but ultimately team must come first.
@vanmartin (Comment 14) : He seems to be a good coach based on what he has done for the Griquas, but maybe we should wait until he actually gets them to a semi or final.
It’s probably a better idea getting a guy like Heyneke Meyer who has had success in the CC and S14 and knows how to keep a team at that level.
At some point one of the s14 teams will need a new coach, maybe he could step into that position before we start thinking about how he will fare as the bok coach.