Game time key for Hougaard

He was honest enough to admit that he did make some "stupid mistakes", but Francois Hougaard feels he can only get better by playing regularly. Photo by Steve Haag/Gallo Images

He was honest enough to admit that he did make some "stupid mistakes", but Francois Hougaard feels he can only get better by playing regularly. Photo by Steve Haag/Gallo Images

Published Sep 29, 2014

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He was honest enough to admit that he did make some “stupid mistakes”, but Francois Hougaard feels he can only get better by playing regularly, and he made a good start in the 28-10 Rugby Championship victory over Australia at Newlands.

Hougaard was a bit of a surprise recipient of the Man of the Match award as there were a number of other players who had bigger games, such as Duane Vermeulen, Marcell Coetzee and perhaps Adriaan Strauss, but the Bok scrumhalf did at least put his dreaded box-kick away and got the ball out as quickly as he could from the rucks.

He was caught a few times and threw a few wayward passes, but seemed to get smoother and sharper as the game wore on. And the Bulls star’s speed was there for all to see on defence, as he pulled off a number of crucial tackles – the one that stood out when he threw a loose pass beyond Eben Etzebeth, and the Wallabies broke clear through left wing Joe Tomane, but Hougaard hunted him down and made an immediate follow-up tackle on prop James Slipper.

“It was awesome to start at nine again, and I haven’t had a lot of game time over the last while, but it was really awesome. I still made a few mistakes, but the more one plays, the better it will get. It got better as the game went on, and it also comes with match fitness and there were certain errors and things that improved later in the game,” Hougaard said.

“Every guy goes into a match to play his heart out and to play really well, but for me, I’m still … not disappointed, but I made a few silly mistakes and stupid mistakes, but I can just work harder and try to fix it. Areas such as some running lines, which runners to play sometimes, which plays to make sometimes. I think in crucial stages of the game, on the tryline, skipping passes and things like that. Small areas, but it needs some work.”

Ruan Pienaar is set to return from a knee problem for the end-of-year tour to Europe, but with Fourie du Preez out of action until next year with a knee injury as well, Hougaard would want to stake a claim for the No9 jersey in November too with a stand-out performance against the All Blacks at Ellis Park this Saturday.

But the 26-year-old will face arguably the toughest test of his career when he comes face-to-face with one of the best scrumhalves in the world, All Black No9 Aaron Smith. Hougaard got an idea of what he can expect at Ellis Park when he replaced Pienaar just before half-time in the 14-10 defeat in Wellington recently, where Smith again produced a masterclass in halfback play.

Hougaard, though, looked liked he got some confidence back in the second half at Newlands as he tried a few times to break around the fringes, and he would want to do more of that in Johannesburg. The Boks’ ball-in-hand strategy on display against Australia should also suit Hougaard.

“This Saturday, I think we just need to keep our feet on the ground and work hard on the things we do good and keep to our structures, and play the way we can. I don’t think there has been a game where we have played to our full potential – only sections in certain games,” he said.

“I think we take a lot of confidence from the last 10 minutes as it gives the guys hope and the guys can really see what we can do – especially in the last 10 to 15 minutes against a world-class side like Australia. If you believe in your structures and the way that you play, I think it is possible.

“The main thing in the game is to keep the ball, and keep the ball for as long as you can. That’s why I say (I need to work on) certain running lines, playing the right guy at the right time and just keeping the ball. Eventually you will put points on the board if you can keep the ball.” - The Star

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