Juan Smith vital to Vodacom Cheetahs success!
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Juan-Smith
In the Volksblad newspaper Vodacom Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske mentions that Juan Smith is making a significant impact both on attack and on defense for the Cheetahs! There is no denial that Juan will play a very important part in the 2010 Super 14 competition -and his role alongside Heinrich Brussow will be closely monitored by the Springbok selectors as well!
A fully fit Juan Smith is a world call player – and was one of the outstanding forwards in the Springbok 2007 World Cup success. He is the classic number 7 – a player in the mould of a Gert Smal – a tall player with great lineout ability, the ability to take a player back in the tackle and someone who will manage to cross the gain line.
All the top coaches will confirm that a top team requires more than just 3 good loose forward players – you need the correct combination between 6, 7 and 8. In the Cheetahs team we find the classic 6 in Heinrich Brussow, a classic 7 in Juan Smith and they will be well supported by either Frans Viljoen or Ashley Johnson. The successful Super 14 teams will all manage to find this right “combo”!
As all other players, Juan Smith has also had his critics – He has been accused of sometimes holding onto the ball for too long or not passing the ball. Nobody will however accuse him of not putting in enough effort or showing the necessary commitment!
What do the stats tell us about the first 2 games in the Super 14?
- Against the Sharks Juan made 14 tackles and assisted in 2 tackles. He had 5 ball carries and crossed the gain line with 100% of these carries. [He will hate seeing 3 missed tackles…] He handled 9 times and passed 6 times!
- Against the Bulls Juan made 11 tackles and assisted in 3 tackles. He had 7 ball carries and crossed the gain line 80% of the time. [No missed tackles!] He handled 10 times and passed 4 times.
[ Info from Ruggastats/ Rugby15]
Juan Smith is vital to the success of the Vodacom Cheetahs. He brings more than just a physical size and presence to the side – but also experience and leadership. May 2010 be a great year for the Vodacom Cheetahs Captain!
[Story also on Vodacom Cheetahs Blog]
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