Jaque Fourie – a rugby machine

When you try and define the term ‘class’ in a professional sports person, it is extremely difficult. It’s that special something that simply puts them head and shoulders above the rest of the team or competition. This weekend, there was a class performance that I believe may define the 2008 Currie Cup – it was the performance of Jaque Fourie for the Lions against Western Province on Sunday.

The requirements were simple for Western Province:

- Beat the Lions by 19 points with the support of your home crowd behind you

- Score 4 tries

- Don’t let the Lions score enough points to give them a bonus point

Let’s be honest – on paper, the Lions should have been blown away. There should have been no way they could go head to head with that Western Province side.

Instead Western Province couldn’t catch a cold let alone a rugby ball and they could only manage a 14-6 win.

You can say what you like about where the game was won, but I will tell you that it was won by Jaques Fourie in the Lions backline.

Fourie was charged with marking backline danger-man Sireli Naqelevuki the Fijian wrecking ball. If Naqelevuki had gotten going in the backline, then the Lions would have been toast. There is no stopping a guy who weighs 100kgs plus and can take 2 or 3 men with him in the tackle…. Unless of course you are Jaques Fourie.

Fourie never backed down and he charged the big man down every time he got the ball. Even when Naqelevuki got going Fourie was there to break down his momentum.

The spirit displayed by Fourie seemed to inject confidence into the rest of the backline and the others fed off him and tightened their lines. When a free running side like Province can’t make the gaps – then their game plan goes out the window.

And ultimately I think that is what happened on Saturday – Western Province wanted to run and Jaques Fourie wouldn’t let them. End result – game and campaign over for Western Province.

At the end of the day Jaques Fourie is a machine on the rugby field. A good combination of brains and brawn and Springbok rugby will be relieved to see him fit and flourishing….