BOK DREAM TEAM: Meet our nippy nines

The halfback, the nine. The guy who does all the talking, often the smallest guy on the field. The most irritating player for the opposition and probably one of the fastest. This is the player that is the link between those robust forwards and the nippy backs.

He is the organiser, often the catalyst of any attack and certainly the player who touches the ball the most. He can often be the most important player on the field, but also the player who makes the most noise, and who can never shut up.

But for all of this, the nine is a massive player in each team, despite his size, and often punches above his weight.

So here are your candidates for the dream team XV

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1. Faf de Klerk (Springboks 2016-current)

Francois de Klerk - or “Faf” as he is affectionately known, cannot be missed on a field. After all, who else would talk to Prince Harry after winning the World Cup final in 2019 in a flag emblazoned budgie smuggler? In fact, we’ve all seen way too much of Faf in a speedo for the good of rugby.

But that’s Faf. A nippy player, who came out of nowhere, was initially missed by the bigger unions before he found his feet at the Pumas, then onto Johan Ackermann’s Lions side and then straight into the Springbok set-up.

And while he may now be on the periphery of the side, he is still as valuable as ever to whatever team he plays for. De Klerk has been a key part of Rassie Erasmus’ success with the Boks and his consistency, both on attack and with the boot for the aerial game, is unchallenged.

Whether it was for Sale Sharks or the Yokohama Canon Eagles at club level or in the 59 tests he has played for the Springboks, De Klerk is one of the most recognisable players in World Rugby and has certainly earned his spot.

2. Fourie du Preez (Springboks 2004-2015)

Vuurtjie (Fire) as Fourie was known to his team-mates, because he was always able to spark an attack. One of the greatest thinkers in the game and a player that was so natural that he earned praise from around the world.

Eddie Jones was one of his biggest fans, as Jones - as the technical advisor for the 2007 Rugby World Cup winning Springbok team waxed lyrical about Du Preez, calling him "the best decision-making halfback I've ever seen," due to his superb rugby brain and ability to see the game two rucks ahead. 

Jones highlighted Du Preez's tactical kicking, outstanding vision, and leadership, stating he was an "intellectual, brilliant player" and one of the best he's ever coached.  

And it wasn’t just Jones. Heyneke Meyer often talks about how Du Preez would be the team’s general - being able to put players into holes that nobody else could see. The dominant Bulls side of the late 2000s was built around a big pack, but Du Preez was the general that guided them forward.

His two individual performances stand out - the 36-0 demolition of England at the 2007 World Cup where Du Preez was simply on another level and the 61-17 Super Rugby final in 2009 where he led a Bulls team to smash the highly-fancied Chiefs to win the title. On both occasions Du Preez led a masterclass and his team-mates were only so happy to follow.

People often talk about Antoine Dupont as the GOAT, but for Jones and may other coaches, Du Preez is that player. Unassuming, shy of the limelight, but one of the greatest warriors in a Springbok jersey.

      3. Ricky Januarie (Springboks 2005-2010)

An amazingly instinctive player, Januarie fought his way into the Springbok side via Western Province where his quick-thinking, instinctive actions and excellent passing game made him an easy choice for the Bok games.

Initially he was preferred above Fourie du Preez at the Boks and the tussle between the two became a talking point, but Januarie was a very different type of player, a hard-nut to crack and someone who never gave up.

He played 47 tests for the Springboks but will always be remembered for an individual try in the dying moments of the 2008 Tri Nations series against the All Blacks in Wellington where he got the ball, chipped over the defence, collected and scored to give the Springboks their first win in New Zealand in 10 years, sparking celebrations across the country.

Januarie played for the Ospreys, Lyon and La Rochelle overseas as well as almost 200 games for the Cats, Lions and Stormers. 

   4. Ruan Pienaar (Springboks 2006-2015)

Possibly one of the most all-round talented players ever produced in South Africa and a legend in Ulster in Ireland, Ruan Pienaar was probably just a bit unlucky to be born in the time of players such as Fourie du Preez.

The son of Springbok great Gysie Pienaar, Ruan was quickly spotted at Grey Kollege as a future Bok and his versatility - the fact he could play test rugby at nine and ten - was a massive asset, but probably counted against him stamping his authority on a Bok team as he was often seen as the versatile player on the bench when he was so much more than that.

Cool and calm under pressure, Pienaar was able to kick with both feet and drew comparisons to Aussie great Stephan Larkham from 2007 World Cup winning coach Jake White.

At club level, Pienaar became a legend at Irish club Ulster, where he captained them and was one of the club’s most famous players, playing 141 times for them. He returned home later to lead the Cheetahs again and played on until the age of 40, where he captained the team for the 85th time in his last game against Griquas. He now coaches at the Free State Rugby Academy.

   5. Joost van der Westhuizen (Springboks 1993-2003)

There are few players who can only go by one name and the whole rugby world will know who they are. Joost van der Westhuizen will always be one of those players and is regarded by many as one of the best nines ever produced by South Africa. An instinctive player, tall for the position at 6”2 and incredibly fast, it was often said that Van der Westhuizen probably would have made the Boks in any position and he was also employed on the wing on occasion.

As scrumhalf basic play goes, there will be many that will admit that he wasn’t the classic scrumhalf and there were better as a pure definition of a nine than him, but that didn’t count against him. His sheer competitiveness, the determination that he played with and that never ending desire to win made him one of the toughest opponents for any team in World Rugby.

From his breakaway tries around the fringes of the ruck, he was always dangerous. He will also forever be remembered as one of the 1995 World Cup winning heroes - the man who stopped Jonah Lomu in the midfield and set the tone for the incredible scenes in the 1995 final that inspired the movie Invictus.

Off the field Van der Westhuizen was involved in his share of news stories, but his life took a tragic turn when he was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease, slowly regressing him until he could no longer speak and had to use a wheelchair. He passed away in 2017. 

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[https://www.supersport.com/bokdreamteam]