Christopher Micklewood - FNB Player of the Week
Player Profile
Chris Micklewood of Westville Boys' High, KwaZulu Natal and South Africa is our FNB Player of the Week.
Talk to his coach, the great Hugh Reece-Edwards and he will tell you that Chris Micklewood is a special talent of great potential. The talent is there, the opportunities have been created, and now good fortune and good management of pressure are needed for Chris to let his talents out in the highest levels of the game.
Christopher Ian Micklewood was born in Westville on 14 March 1987. He started his rugby as an eight-year-old with Westville Old Boys' Club and went on playing at Clifton Prep in Durban. After Clifton he was back in the Westville fold at Westville Boys' High, by which time his rugby career was well launched.
Her went to the Under-13 Craven Week at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. Then he was chosen for Natal at Under-15 level and then for the Grant Khomo Week in Johannesburg at Under-16. In 2004 her went to the Craven Week at Nelspruit and was regarded as most unfortunate not to have made either the SA Schools or SA Academy side. In 2004, now in matric, he went to Craven Week in Bloemfontein and this time he was chosen for the South African Schools team which thrashed France and then lost to the SA Academy side, a defeat on its way to becoming a tradition.
Chris will tell you that there is a fine line between the two teams, that the Academy side seemed more motivated as it had more to gain and that its two flanks, Kirwan Frieslaar of Eastern Province and Johan van Deventer of Golden Lions, made a huge difference. "They stole all our ball," he says.
Rugby season may have stopped for Natal schools in August, but not for Chris. He is in the Natal Under-19 team playing in the Interprovincial competition and then will play in the SA Under-19 trials in Paarl to choose the team for the IRB's World Championship in 2006 when it will be held in Dubai.
All through his career he has been amongst the backs, which is hardly surprising as he is fast enough to hold Westville's 200-metre record. Up to Under-15 he was a flyhalf. Sione then he has been mainly a fullback though he has enjoyed playing at outside centre this season. "You are more involved in the game," he says, "and play more by instinct. At fullback you have too much time to think and plan in stead of playing on gut feeling."
Favourite position? Fullback.
Here Hugh Reece-Edwards has been a huge help. After all he played for Natal more often than anybody else - 165 times. He scored more points for Natal than anybody else - 1 114. "When he came to coach us, I was excited but also a bit intimated. After all he is a huge man who has played a vast number of matches for Natal. But he helped me immensely. I had to push my game more, for he would talk to me after every game, saying something positively critical. I certainly needed top push my game further under him."
Hero? "I try not to have one hero,. I like to pick up things from everyone. You can learn from so many players because so many have good attributes, and that goes for school players as well.
"At the moment I admire Percy Montgomery for his stability. Her gives such a good base to work off with his continuously steady performances.
"Then I enjoy JP Petersen for his running. Huge has been brilliant."
But then his own game is mainly a running game. He can kick out of hand but prefers the running game. He is a successful goal-kicker. He reckons he was better in 2004 when his success rate was 96%, as against about 80% in 2005.
Chris was first made captain at Under-15. He was captain again in Under-16 and this year in the 1st XV. He also captains the 1st XI at cricket and is the head prefect of Westville. (He also played 1st XI hockey till Std 8 but gave it away as rugby became more demanding.)
"I enjoy leadership. It's frustrating at times but I like being in control and doing things my way."
He knows there is a balance required - between the needs of the team and his own game. Focus is important.
This year his side has done well - ending 19th on the FNB Top 20 and playing many of the country's top schools. In the first ten days of the season they played Grey PE, Sty Andrew's, HTS Middelburg, Florida and EG Jansen. Chris feels they came back well from that pummeling!
Next year? He has signed a two-year contract with Natal and hopes to be able to study, preferably some form of business science. That he should study is certain as in their trial exams recently he scored four As, a B and a C - despite all the demands of sport.
The decision to stay in Natal was well thought-out. "I believe that I have two years in which to make it in rugby and would like to do it without any extra worries with things like accommodation, food and laundry. Being at home means I can put everything into may rugby."
There is a lot of everything to put into the game.
For a general view of Westville, click here.
For a profile of the 2005 Westville team, click here.