Deon Fourie: Springboks Coach Backs Veteran to Impress Against All Blacks
- Springbok scrum coach Daan Human praised Deon Fourie's versatility and experience ahead of Saturday's third Test at FNB Stadium
- Fourie made history in the second Test in Cape Town, becoming the oldest Springbok ever to take the field at 39 years and 338 days old
- Human revealed he personally advocated for Fourie's selection, calling him one of the strongest scrummagers in South Africa
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Springbok scrum coach Daan Human has thrown his full support behind veteran Deon Fourie ahead of Saturday's third Test against the All Blacks at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, describing the 39-year-old as one of the most complete players in South African rugby.
Fourie has been named on the bench again as a hooker for the final match of the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series, following his memorable contribution to the Springboks' 33-26 victory in Cape Town last weekend. His inclusion comes after a standout display for the Stormers against the All Blacks earned him a recall to the national squad.
**Fourie Becomes Oldest Springbok in Cape Town**
The second Test produced a record-breaking moment when Fourie took the field at Cape Town Stadium, becoming the oldest player to represent the Springboks at 39 years and 338 days old. His appearance also marked his first outing in the green and gold since the 2023 Rugby World Cup final in Paris, where he played 77 minutes off the bench against the same opposition.
Coach Rassie Erasmus had originally selected him as a replacement but shuffled his front rows shortly before kick-off, handing Fourie a starting berth. He played 35 minutes before Malcolm Marx came on.
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"He was awesome. I thought he brought so much to the team," Erasmus said following the victory.
**Human Reveals He Personally Backed Fourie's Selection**
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Human explained why Fourie remains an asset despite having earned only 14 Test caps across his career.
"The thing about him is, although he hasn't played a lot of Test matches in his life, he's not 40 yet, he's 39. I'm just saying, there's still a long way to go!" Human said with a laugh.
"I think in these Test matches we need to have a lot of experience, which he has. He played from a very young age at hooker and flank, so he's able to handle these kinds of situations, like he did in the World Cup final for us. He's on form, he's a big, big competitor and he's one of the strongest scrummagers in South Africa. That's how highly I rate him. Otherwise I would never have put up my hand to say, 'Listen, we should pick this guy.'"
With approximately 84,000 tickets reportedly sold by Monday for the 94,000-capacity venue, Human expressed excitement about the prospect of performing before a massive home crowd.
"I think it will be wonderful for South Africa, for all the South African support that we have at the moment. Obviously, we don't want to disappoint them because they're really standing behind us, and we need to give it back to them," he said.
He added a playful note, expressing hope that supporters would chant "Scrum! Scrum!" to match the energy of passionate football crowds at major tournaments.
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Source: Briefly News
