Western Force Sign World Cup Winning Andre Pretorius

[antiussentiment]

well the bloke can kick bloody well.. but i still think i'd rather we had a running and passing 10.

i wonder if his eyes will still look so scary in a force jersy? i hope so..

~smiles~

auss

[bunter]

Fantastic he is heading Rocko way too

[pruc]

thats a step in the right direction

[Blackswan]

Pretorius is not only a class player but he is someone who knows how to close the game down when ahead ...........

now that's an odd concept !

[fulvio sammut]

Bunter, you haven't been abusing your connections as a Springbok liason officer for the personal advantage of your club, have you?

For shame.

[shasta]

Bunter, you haven't been abusing your connections as a Springbok liason officer for the personal advantage of your club, have you?

For shame.

Now, now Fulvio. Private suspicions on a public forum? Not denying the thought didn't cross my mind, though.

[Swee_82]

Pretorius is not only a class player but he is someone who knows how to close the game down when ahead ...........

now that's an odd concept !

If he can stop a Hurricanes 09 situation happening again I may need to declare my love for a jarpie... ewwww

[Elf1]

Welcome aboard Andre, you are going to look fantastic in Ocean Blue

[Burgs]

Surprised none of our techo types haven't knocked up a mock up as yet

[bunter]

Yeah, been told he is coming down to do some fishing some time.

[zimeric]

Welkom ou Swaar!!
[YOUTUBE]568db4mhlX4[/YOUTUBE]

[angabunga]

Hear hear!

[fulvio sammut]

Welcome aboard Andre, you are going to look fantastic in Ocean Blue

And purple. Don't forget the purple.

[mudskipper]

Pretorius’ best asset is his big game experience he accrued between 2002-5. He is a smart player with a good boot…

But what is the Force really getting?

Lets look at more recent the facts. Firstly, Andre Pretorius watched the entire 2007 RWC final from the bench… He played 108 minutes over 5 matches during the whole tournament. Less than 1.5 full matches.

Pretorius 2007 RWC Stats were: 1 line break, Zero tries, 1 conversion against Tonga for 2 points… Hardly a huge contribution to the Springboks RWC crown… Butch James was the Springboks first choice Flyhalf at that 2007 RWC…

Andre Pretorius 2009 S14 Lions Stats:
Zero Tries
4 Try assists
3 line breaks
11 off loads
84 Tackles

The truth is Pretorius is a good goal kicking Flyhalf but has had many years of unfortunate injuries. He did manage to play a full season but his overall stats are poor but he played in an poor team. However, how can a Flyhalf play the whole season and not get 1 single line break?

Lets hope Andre brings more to the Force next year... A little more general Pretorius information below...


André Pretorius From Wikipedia,
André Pretorius (born 29 December 1978 in Johannesburg, South Africa) is a South African rugby union footballer. His usual position is at fly-half, where he plays for the Lions (formerly known as the Cats) in the international Super 14 competition as well as the Golden Lions in the Currie Cup and the national side, the Springboks. He has also played at fullback. Pretorius has been named the Lions captain for the 2007 Super 14 season.

Pretorius is known for being a creative fly-half with a good sidestep, superb vision and good distribution skills in addition to being a reliable goalkicker. However, he has also been criticised for his average defensive skills, which may be down to his small stature.

Pretorius made his international debut for the Springboks on 8 June 2002 at fly-half against Wales at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein. The Springboks won 34-19, with Pretorius kicking three conversions and one penalty goal. He played in the subsequent 19-8 victory over the Welsh. He notched up one try, five conversions and three penalty goals in his third match as a Springbok against Argentina.

After playing in another Test against Samoa, in which he again played a large role with his kicking ability, Pretorius was included in the Springboks 2002 Tri Nations Series squad. He played in three Tri Nations matches, two against the All Blacks and one against Australia, with South Africa losing all three. He earned a further three caps for the Springboks that year in November against Northern Hemisphere sides, playing matches against France, England and Scotland, all of which South Africa lost.

He returned to international duties in July 2003 as a reserve in the 52-16 loss against the All Blacks during the 2003 Tri Nations Series. He was moved to fullback for the following match against Australia which the Springboks lost 29-9. He next played for the Springboks on July 23, 2005 as fly-half against Australia during the 2005 Tri Nations Series, which the Springboks won 22-16, with Pretorius landing a drop goal. He played a fly half for the subsequent matches. He earned another international cap in November in the 34-23 in over Argentina in Buenos Aires.

After undergoing major surgery, Pretorius turned out for the Lions in the 2006 Currie Cup season. Putting the surgery setbacks behind him, he guided the Lions to a 74-15 win over the Pumas in round seven. Pretorius himself scoring a try, as well as eight conversions and a penalty goal - 24 of the Lions' total 74 points.

On June 19, 2009, Perth-based Super 14 franchise the Western Force announced Pretorius as its international marquee-signing for the forthcoming season.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/André_Pretorius