Jaque Fourie reveals that he had one functional eye when scored against the Lions

Jaque Fourie reveals that he had one functional eye when scored against the Lions

Former Springbok centre Jaque Fourie has revealed that he had just one functional eye the moment he scored the series-clinching try against the British and Irish Lions in 2009.

Speaking with fellow Springbok legends Jean de Villiers and Schalk Burger on the Use it or Lose it, a bi-weekly chat show, Fourie described how he could see out of just one eye when he scored the 2009 try of the year in the second test against the British and Irish Lions.

Fourie came off the bench along with Morne Steyn in the second test and managed to force his way over the try line leaving Ronan O'Gara in his wake to help the Springboks win the test 28-25.

12 years on and Fourie has explained how he ended up on the right-wing. He explained that he was trying to recover from an eye-gouge that occurred a phase prior to the finish.


It was his left eye that got damaged with Fourie receiving a pass from Heinrich Brussow from his "blind side" before scoring. 

Explaining what happened, the former centre said:


"It was such a tight Test match when me and Morne [Steyn] came on, and it happened so quickly. Before that, there was a lineout, and there were two or three phases, and I went for a 'scissors' with Morne.

"I remember someone stick his finger in my eye and when I stood up I couldn’t see properly. That’s why I ran out to the wing.

"I was standing, and I couldn’t see. And as I looked up the ball was coming. The most amazing thing was, I caught it with one eye [open].

"I didn’t see anything from [my left] side," he added while laughing.

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