Pretorius has been plagued by injury throughout his career but still won 31 Tests for South Africa. He would undoubtedly have had the distinction of having 50 Tests behind his name had it not been for recurring knee injuries.
He made his Springbok debut against Wales in Bloemfontein on June 8, 2002, slotting three conversions and a penalty in South Africa’s 34-19 victory. Pretorius is a creative flyhalf with great distribution skills and a lethal sidestep, but it’s his reliable boot and drop kicking prowess that opposing teams fear most.
One of Pretorius’ most memorable performances was against England at Twickenham on November 25, 2006, when he landed four drop goals, two penalties and a conversion to guide the Boks to their first win over England at the legendary venue in six years. After making four appearances in South Africa’s triumphant 2007 World Cup campaign, Pretorius fittingly played his last Test against Wales on November 24 of that year.
Pretorius initially made a name for himself on the Sevens circuit and was named SA Sevens Player of the Year in 2001. His natural talent also earned him a nomination for SA Player of the Year in 2002. After a rich career at the Lions, Pretorius signed for Western Force for the 2010 Super 14 season.
Records/Honours:
SA Sevens Player of the Year, 2001SA Player of the Year nominee, 2002Member of the World Cup winning Springbok squad, 2007