No frills, no fuss; Cronje just delivers
JOHANNESBURG: You would have heard the expression: “Like a fine red wine, he gets better with age”.
Well, that’s Ross Cronje for you.
The Lions No 9 is certainly getting better and better as the years go by. Right now he’s on top of his game – a good thing, too, seeing that he’s the firstchoice Springbok scrumhalf and such a key player for the Lions. And what a role he has to play this weekend when the Crusaders visit Ellis Park for the Super Rugby final.
At 28, there’s not much Cronje still has to learn about the game, or himself, for that matter, and that’s why he is fully trusted by his coaches. He knows what they want from him, and he gives it to them. No frills, no fuss.
It has been a long, and at times trying, journey to this point, but it is all working out well for Cronje.
Having joined the Lions from the Sharks in 2012, he initially had to play behind Michael Bondesio and a few others, but eventually forced his way into the starting team, only for Faf de Klerk to emerge on the scene and literally steal his thunder.
It became a battle between Cronje and De Klerk for the No 9 jersey and it’s no secret De Klerk won that fight in 2015.
But an indifferent showing by De Klerk for the Boks and news that he would be heading to Europe at the end of Super Rugby this year, opened the door for Cronje to finally get the recognition he has deserved.
Cronje took every opportunity given to him and just about forced coach Johan Ackermann to throw his rotation policy out the window and pick him. Cronje’s form in Super Rugby this year has been outstanding from the start and it came as no surprise when, in June, Coetzee dropped De Klerk from the Bok squad in favour of Cronje.
The reasons were simple: Cronje was simply a steadier operator, he was dependable and you knew what you were going to get from him.
Some critics have called him boring – because he’s not as flashy as De Klerk, or as influential as Fourie du Preez – but he does everything asked of him, and more.
Cronje has won praise for his all-round game and consistency in form. He does his key functions well, which is pass strongly and accurately, and kick well out of hand. He also reads the game well, which not only allows him to make telling breaks, around the fringes, but also in open play.
What makes him such a standout player is the fact that he so seldom really stands out. He simply gets on with his job and keeps mistakes to a minimum.
Cronje has been superb for the Lions for some time now and it’s no surprise that he’s been handed a leadership role, having regularly captained the team. He’s a calm figure, with a level head on his shoulders, who doesn’t get flustered or lose his cool. And that’s what makes a great No 9.