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- Jan 8, 2008
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Every player has their own strengths and weaknesses. Smith and Fourie are too different. Fourie hits way more gaps than Smith, but Smith makes way more gaps for other players than Fourie does. It's like everybody up north slamming Spies because he doesn't play 8 the way they do up there. I am willing to bet my life that no other 8 in the world has made as many running meters as Spies has. But then again, not all guys want an 8 to play the way he does. They want someone like Harinordiquay, who does far more work at the breakdown, and bears a certain grunt that Spies doesn't.
I like players with flair, and speed. Which is mainly why i favor running 8's like Kankowski and Spies over players like Jamie Heaslip and Imanol Harinordiquay or Duane Vermeulen.
It's the same with Smith and Fourie, or Daniel Carter and Morne Steyn. Steyn has broken every bloody record there is, but is not as complete a player as Daniel Carter is. His kicking game may be slightly better, but Carter is much better with ball in hand than any other 10 out there.
Conrad Smith doesn't get as much praise as Fourie because he simply doesn't score as many tries. What Smith does do though, is organize one hell of a back-line, and in doing so, creates far more tries than Fourie does. It's really hard comparing certain players, because no two players are equal, and your heart will always tell you which player you think is better.
I like players with flair, and speed. Which is mainly why i favor running 8's like Kankowski and Spies over players like Jamie Heaslip and Imanol Harinordiquay or Duane Vermeulen.
It's the same with Smith and Fourie, or Daniel Carter and Morne Steyn. Steyn has broken every bloody record there is, but is not as complete a player as Daniel Carter is. His kicking game may be slightly better, but Carter is much better with ball in hand than any other 10 out there.
Conrad Smith doesn't get as much praise as Fourie because he simply doesn't score as many tries. What Smith does do though, is organize one hell of a back-line, and in doing so, creates far more tries than Fourie does. It's really hard comparing certain players, because no two players are equal, and your heart will always tell you which player you think is better.