The Western Force from Australia have signed Andre Pretorius for their 2010 Super 14 campaign.

The 30-year-old sharpshooter was a member of the World Champion Springboks squad at the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France and has compiled just shy of 650 points in Super Rugby for the Johannesburg-based Lions. 

His prolific point-scoring record ranks him seventh on the all-time list in Super Rugby, owing mainly to his radar-like right boot which has so far slotted over 200 goals at provincial level. 

Pretorius assumes the position of Welsh-bound prop Ben Castle in the team’s foreign import slot after eight seasons with the Lions. The creative playmaker’s attacking potency has also been proven on the game’s biggest stage, where he amassed 171 points in just 31 appearances for the Springboks after making his Test debut in 2002.

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Eugene Eloff the Super 14 franchise Lions coach is thinking of not playing his star Springbok flyhalf Andre Pretorius in the pre-season match against the Bulls on Saturday.

Eloff, speaking to rugby365.com during a break in training on Tuesday, said he may keep the pivotal player on ice until the opening round of the competition proper – when they face the Cheetahs in Johannesburg on February 13.

The veteran Bok flyhalf, Pretorius, was named on Monday on the bench of the White team – one of two outfits who will face the Bulls in a double header in Johannesburg on Saturday. It would be his first competitive game in more than a year if he takes to the field.

Pretorius last played when he turned out for the Springboks in the 5-22 loss to the Barbarians at Twickenham in December 2007, injuring his foot in that game.

The 30-year-old Pretorius, who has had a catalogue of injuries in the past five years, underwent surgery – with the first attempt at fixing the problem not being successful, requiring the player to go under the knife again.

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