3 thoughts on “Player Profile: Montgomery, Percival”
Where did you grow up: South West Africa and Cape Town
Favourite International Player: Carel du Plessis (For his precision on the field and the solid advice he always gave)
Favourite Springbok: H.O. de Villiers (He always said ‘Play as if it’s your last game and to always enjoy it on the pitch’)
Where did you grow up? Spent the first 10 years in Pretoria
What really annoys you? When I am asleep and I am woken up
Career Goals: To maintain a professional approach on and off the field; to win trophies with the Sharks, and to help SA (the Boks) win the 2007 Rugby World Cup in Paris
What is your motivation or motto in life? What you put in is what you get out
What is the worst part of training hard: When injured
Qualifications/Studies: Graphic Design
What other sports do you play? Surf
What won’t get you out of bed in the morning? No such thing, I have two kids
Pets: A puppy for my kids
What is in your fridge at home? A Galjoen, a few chops, some cheese and wine. A case of EAS Protein.
What is in your CD collection? A good mix
Name your three most treasured possessions: My wife Tasmin, my son Nic, my daughter Taneal
What really annoys you? Cheats
About the player… A veteran of 80 Tests for his country, having debuted for the Springboks in 1997, he is South Africa’s top points’ scorer in history and brings with him a wealth of experience gained at the highest level. Although fullback is his favoured position, he did play some games at flyhalf for the Sharks in the 2006 Super 14 competition, scoring 25 points in his debut game for the Sharks last year against the Chiefs.
SACS 1985: I remember Monty in Standard 4 being hung out of a 2nd story window by our teacher, Mr Paul (notice the Biblical significance of his name), to “Shake his brains from his arse into his head!” This unorthodox technique was apparantly in the teachers manual in 1985 (translated from the original Dutch version, called “Stalldraad se moer”). Although Mr Paul failed in his intention (dismally it seems), he did give Monty an unmatched sense of gravity. Underlining this is the latest Super14 final footage of Monty being plucked from the sky, like an angel from heaven by the Bulls disciple, Jaco vd Westhuizen, as the referee was blinded by the sun shining out of Jacos’ arse… and the sacrificial bull was saved from the furnace of hell as a giant fish was fed to the men in Blue). Praise be to Mr Paul and Glory be to his visionary teaching abilities… What was a 7m sacrifice of a schoolboys youth, gifted 700 plus points to a Nation!…
Head to head with Percy Montgomery
sport365s Phil Coetzer and Howard Kahn finally tracked down the one and only Percy Montgomery, after an extended hunt, and asked him some pertinent questions ahead of the 2007 Rugby World Cup…
1. WHO HAVE BEEN THE BIGGEST INFLUENCES ON YOUR CAREER?
“That would probably be Simon Perkin, who was my coach at SACS. It was a really special time for me at during my high school career at SACS. Simon often brought guys like HO de Villiers, Christian Stewart and Anton Chait along to practice, and always made it quite fun for us. HO ended up coming to quite a few of my training sessions, and helped me a lot with my game over the years. My first team waterpolo coach, Alan Footman, was also a big influence on me.”
2. DID GOING TO A TRADITIONAL ALL-BOYS SCHOOL LIKE SACS PUT YOU IN GOOD STEAD FOR YOUR CAREER?
“Yes, I think tradition is very important and I always like to go back there and see everyone. I think it’s always important to give back a little bit as well.”
3. DID YOU HAVE A HERO OR ROLE-MODEL THAT YOU BASED YOUR GAME ON?
“I had a scrapbook when I was still in junior school – after every big Western Province game, I used to cut out all the pictures and add them to my scrapbook. During the time that Naas Botha was still playing, I had a poster up on my wall of him… although it won’t be up on my wall today! The Du Plessis brothers – Carel and Michael – stood out for me; I really enjoyed watching them play.”
4. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE ARE ‘LAAITIES’ OUT THERE WHO NOW HAVE YOUR POSTER ON THEIR WALL?
“It’s quite cool, I mean, I did it when I was younger. I always had a role-model, and I think it’s important. Every young guy or girl should have a role model, and something to believe in.”
5. YOU SERVED A SIX-MONTH BAN IN 2003 FOR SHOVING A REFEREE. ODDLY, THE EVENT SEEMED TO BE A TURNING POINT IN YOUR CAREER. HOW DID IT AFFECT YOU?
“(Laughing) I think it helped my career! It allowed me to have a proper pre-season… which was good for once. I think at that stage, in Welsh rugby, that the refereeing wasn’t up to scratch, but that was no excuse to raise my hand, or push anyone – that’s not the way it should be done. I was not being a role-model. But I paid my price and I got the punishment, and I think that was a good lesson.”
6. WHO ARE/WERE THE MOST TALENTED PLAYERS YOU HAVE EVER PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST?
“I’ve been fortunate in my career – I’ve played against, and with, some great guys. The ultimate must be playing for the Barbarians – I’ve been fortunate, I’ve played something like 11 games for them, during my time at Newport, and that was a fantastic experience. Those are memories worth cherishing.”
7. WHAT IS THE FUNNIEST RUGBY-RELATED THING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN?
“I’ll never forget Christian Stewart (for many reasons no doubt – ed.)… We were in the change room before a game once, and he was putting on LOADS of hair-gel, he just turned to us all, claiming: ‘You can never use too much gel’… That was Christian at his best!”
8. CAN YOU RECALL THE BIGGEST HIT OR TACKLE YOU’VE HAD TO TAKE?
“It was from Eroni Clarke back in 1998 at Eden Park… I got a hospital pass from Jopie Adlam, the Western Stormers scrum-half at the time, and Clarke winded me, badly. It took me a while to catch my breath afterwards!”
9. WHAT IS THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PERCY OF 1997/98 AND THE CURRENT ‘MODEL’?
“(Smiles) I think getting married was a big step. Back then I was quite young, and being a bachelor, I got around a lot. I think I just calmed down and became more responsible, and now know what I want in life.”
10. TAKE US THROUGH YOUR TYPICAL TEST-DAY ROUTINE… WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO BEFORE A MATCH?
“Not too much, hey; I probably just relax and go for a stretch. Strangely, I try not to think about the game – I know it sounds a bit weird! Also, I eat the right stuff and try to stay off my feet. I listen to music – music’s a good way of relaxing – and maybe I’ll sneak in a little afternoon nap, too.”
PERCY’S FAVOURITES:
Car: Ferrari, but I can’t afford it – I have kids!
Restaurant: Tuscany’s in Camps Bay.
Holiday spot: Maldives
Food: A good steak or just a good braai.
Drink: I like my beer! (Who said Percy wasn’t proudly South African!)
Music: It depends who I’m with… Nice and romantic if it’s with my wife!
Movies: Big Blue. Of course, Barney is another favourite – thanks to my daughter…
Football team(s): Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Where did you grow up: South West Africa and Cape Town
Favourite International Player: Carel du Plessis (For his precision on the field and the solid advice he always gave)
Favourite Springbok: H.O. de Villiers (He always said ‘Play as if it’s your last game and to always enjoy it on the pitch’)
Where did you grow up? Spent the first 10 years in Pretoria
What really annoys you? When I am asleep and I am woken up
Career Goals: To maintain a professional approach on and off the field; to win trophies with the Sharks, and to help SA (the Boks) win the 2007 Rugby World Cup in Paris
What is your motivation or motto in life? What you put in is what you get out
What is the worst part of training hard: When injured
Qualifications/Studies: Graphic Design
What other sports do you play? Surf
What won’t get you out of bed in the morning? No such thing, I have two kids
Pets: A puppy for my kids
What is in your fridge at home? A Galjoen, a few chops, some cheese and wine. A case of EAS Protein.
What is in your CD collection? A good mix
Name your three most treasured possessions: My wife Tasmin, my son Nic, my daughter Taneal
What really annoys you? Cheats
About the player… A veteran of 80 Tests for his country, having debuted for the Springboks in 1997, he is South Africa’s top points’ scorer in history and brings with him a wealth of experience gained at the highest level. Although fullback is his favoured position, he did play some games at flyhalf for the Sharks in the 2006 Super 14 competition, scoring 25 points in his debut game for the Sharks last year against the Chiefs.
SACS 1985: I remember Monty in Standard 4 being hung out of a 2nd story window by our teacher, Mr Paul (notice the Biblical significance of his name), to “Shake his brains from his arse into his head!” This unorthodox technique was apparantly in the teachers manual in 1985 (translated from the original Dutch version, called “Stalldraad se moer”). Although Mr Paul failed in his intention (dismally it seems), he did give Monty an unmatched sense of gravity. Underlining this is the latest Super14 final footage of Monty being plucked from the sky, like an angel from heaven by the Bulls disciple, Jaco vd Westhuizen, as the referee was blinded by the sun shining out of Jacos’ arse… and the sacrificial bull was saved from the furnace of hell as a giant fish was fed to the men in Blue). Praise be to Mr Paul and Glory be to his visionary teaching abilities… What was a 7m sacrifice of a schoolboys youth, gifted 700 plus points to a Nation!…
Head to head with Percy Montgomery
sport365s Phil Coetzer and Howard Kahn finally tracked down the one and only Percy Montgomery, after an extended hunt, and asked him some pertinent questions ahead of the 2007 Rugby World Cup…
1. WHO HAVE BEEN THE BIGGEST INFLUENCES ON YOUR CAREER?
“That would probably be Simon Perkin, who was my coach at SACS. It was a really special time for me at during my high school career at SACS. Simon often brought guys like HO de Villiers, Christian Stewart and Anton Chait along to practice, and always made it quite fun for us. HO ended up coming to quite a few of my training sessions, and helped me a lot with my game over the years. My first team waterpolo coach, Alan Footman, was also a big influence on me.”
2. DID GOING TO A TRADITIONAL ALL-BOYS SCHOOL LIKE SACS PUT YOU IN GOOD STEAD FOR YOUR CAREER?
“Yes, I think tradition is very important and I always like to go back there and see everyone. I think it’s always important to give back a little bit as well.”
3. DID YOU HAVE A HERO OR ROLE-MODEL THAT YOU BASED YOUR GAME ON?
“I had a scrapbook when I was still in junior school – after every big Western Province game, I used to cut out all the pictures and add them to my scrapbook. During the time that Naas Botha was still playing, I had a poster up on my wall of him… although it won’t be up on my wall today! The Du Plessis brothers – Carel and Michael – stood out for me; I really enjoyed watching them play.”
4. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE ARE ‘LAAITIES’ OUT THERE WHO NOW HAVE YOUR POSTER ON THEIR WALL?
“It’s quite cool, I mean, I did it when I was younger. I always had a role-model, and I think it’s important. Every young guy or girl should have a role model, and something to believe in.”
5. YOU SERVED A SIX-MONTH BAN IN 2003 FOR SHOVING A REFEREE. ODDLY, THE EVENT SEEMED TO BE A TURNING POINT IN YOUR CAREER. HOW DID IT AFFECT YOU?
“(Laughing) I think it helped my career! It allowed me to have a proper pre-season… which was good for once. I think at that stage, in Welsh rugby, that the refereeing wasn’t up to scratch, but that was no excuse to raise my hand, or push anyone – that’s not the way it should be done. I was not being a role-model. But I paid my price and I got the punishment, and I think that was a good lesson.”
6. WHO ARE/WERE THE MOST TALENTED PLAYERS YOU HAVE EVER PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST?
“I’ve been fortunate in my career – I’ve played against, and with, some great guys. The ultimate must be playing for the Barbarians – I’ve been fortunate, I’ve played something like 11 games for them, during my time at Newport, and that was a fantastic experience. Those are memories worth cherishing.”
7. WHAT IS THE FUNNIEST RUGBY-RELATED THING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN?
“I’ll never forget Christian Stewart (for many reasons no doubt – ed.)… We were in the change room before a game once, and he was putting on LOADS of hair-gel, he just turned to us all, claiming: ‘You can never use too much gel’… That was Christian at his best!”
8. CAN YOU RECALL THE BIGGEST HIT OR TACKLE YOU’VE HAD TO TAKE?
“It was from Eroni Clarke back in 1998 at Eden Park… I got a hospital pass from Jopie Adlam, the Western Stormers scrum-half at the time, and Clarke winded me, badly. It took me a while to catch my breath afterwards!”
9. WHAT IS THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PERCY OF 1997/98 AND THE CURRENT ‘MODEL’?
“(Smiles) I think getting married was a big step. Back then I was quite young, and being a bachelor, I got around a lot. I think I just calmed down and became more responsible, and now know what I want in life.”
10. TAKE US THROUGH YOUR TYPICAL TEST-DAY ROUTINE… WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO BEFORE A MATCH?
“Not too much, hey; I probably just relax and go for a stretch. Strangely, I try not to think about the game – I know it sounds a bit weird! Also, I eat the right stuff and try to stay off my feet. I listen to music – music’s a good way of relaxing – and maybe I’ll sneak in a little afternoon nap, too.”
PERCY’S FAVOURITES:
Car: Ferrari, but I can’t afford it – I have kids!
Restaurant: Tuscany’s in Camps Bay.
Holiday spot: Maldives
Food: A good steak or just a good braai.
Drink: I like my beer! (Who said Percy wasn’t proudly South African!)
Music: It depends who I’m with… Nice and romantic if it’s with my wife!
Movies: Big Blue. Of course, Barney is another favourite – thanks to my daughter…
Football team(s): Real Madrid and Barcelona.