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'This guy can have erratic kicking nights': Return of Faf de Klerk is music to the ears of ex-All Black

By Sam Smith
(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Former All Black first five-eighth Stephen Donald has said that he has ‘no issue’ with the recall of Springboks scrumhalf Faf de Klerk as his selection could favour the All Blacks.

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The livewire No 9 was a shock dropping for the Springboks during the Wales series, missing selection in the starting line up for the third and final deciding test.

Jaden Hendrikse of the Sharks was given the opportunity to partner with Handre Pollard in the halves, a sign that the Springboks are prepared to abandon their winning 2019 combination.

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De Klerk has been named to start again against the All Blacks, which is music to the ears of Stephen Donald who believes that he is not in the same league as Fourie du Preez when it comes to box kicking accuracy.

“I’ve got no issue if they pick Faf [de Klerk] because he can have rough days,” Donald said on SENZ The Run Home radio show.

“He is not the likes of a Fourie du Preez who could put every single box kick on a 10-cent piece.

“This guy can have erratic kicking nights, and if his box kicks are too long, if they’re too short but particularly if they’re too long, it will give Will Jordan, Jordie Barrett, and Sevu Reece time and space.

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“As soon as they get time and space, that’s when we’ll worry the South Africans.”

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Donald went on to explain that the Springboks ‘entire’ game is based around the set-piece and the rolling maul but more importantly, it would be the kicking game that would be key.

The 2011 World Cup hero wanted the All Blacks to pressure both of the South African halves, but it was the Springbok scrumhalf who could self-implode out there.

“So you put pressure on Faf de Klerk, you put pressure on Handré Pollard, who isn’t in vintage form at the moment coming back from a serious injury, but Faf’s the one that I reckon we can get to,” he said.

“You get to Faf de Klerk and then suddenly his kicks – too long, too short; that’s where we can make them pay and that’s where you can take them out of their comfort zone.

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“As soon as they can’t get to rucks to then bring their line speed, a lot of their game is gone.”

In his column for RugbyPass, former Springbok scrumhalf Neil de Kock backed the selection of De Klerk and is expecting a signature performance from the scrumhalf who has put Aaron Smith off his game in recent contests.

De Klerk’s defensive pressure has been key to the Boks suffocating opponents and throwing them off their game, including the All Blacks.

“I suspect you are going to see a massive display from him because such is his character and the competitiveness he holds deep within his bones,” de Kock wrote.

“He has had the rub of the green against Aaron Smith of late and that is probably part of the reason the selectors brought him in.

“Faf gets under the skin of the All Blacks owing to his feisty nature, and I expect a big performance from him.”

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J
Jon 6 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 8 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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