Frans favoured for Hamilton finale
9 Sep 2009
Frans Steyn replaces Ruan Pienaar at fullback in the only change to the Springbok side for Saturday’s showdown with the All Blacks.
Pienaar hasn’t been exposed at No 15 in the last two Tests, but he hasn’t exactly made a telling contribution. Peter de Villiers should have stuck with Steyn for the entire Tri-Nations campaign. This would’ve seen a player with a significant kicking game and sound positional sense patrolling the back.
‘It’s a case of horses-for-courses,’ the Bok coach said. ‘With Dan Carter at flyhalf for the All Blacks we are expecting them to kick quite a bit and Frans will be able to play a key role with his big boot.’
Steyn will join Bryan Habana and Odwa Ndungane at the back. Habana is nursing a hamstring injury, but, like No 8 Pierre Spies (groin), is expected to recover fully before Saturday.
De Villiers got it wrong when he dropped Steyn in the first instance. The Boks had beaten the Australasians soundly in South Africa, and Steyn was an integral part of their winning strategy.
The Bok coach can count himself lucky that this All Blacks side isn’t good enough to score eight tries in two Tests. There are other reasons why South Africa underperformed in Perth and Brisbane, but they certainly missed Steyn at the back.
De Villiers cites Carter’s selection as influential to his own decision to drop Pienaar. Suddenly the Boks are not concerned about the future, and suddenly they’re worrying about winning the trophy.
It was a sure sign of shortsightedness when Pienaar was picked for the Perth fixture. Because of Saru’s foreign-player policy, Steyn has jeopardised his World Cup spot by signing a three-year deal with French club Racing Metro. The Bok management, in all their wisdom, took this into consideration when selecting the starting side for Perth. Steyn was dropped and Pienaar, a player who is unlikely to play fullback in future but can play there if needed, was ushered in.
It was an arrogant move. Of course the Boks will rightly blame their lack of forward intensity in Brisbane, but the selection of Steyn at this late date is an admittance to something else that’s been lacking in the two Australia away fixtures.
Steyn should have started until the title was secured. If the Boks had beaten the Wallabies in Brisbane, then De Villiers could have talked about making changes with the future in mind.
That Pienaar is a sound fullback option is debatable, and that he should be an option at all is a hot topic. Zane Kirchner is available for the European tour and Conrad Jantjes will be back from a long-term injury in 2010.
The Bok management claim Pienaar needs the game time, but with those other fullbacks available in 2010, it seems Pienaar is the emergency alternative not the starting alternative. He’s being groomed as a super sub who can cover 9 to 15.
Springboks – 15 Frans Steyn, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 John Smit (c), 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Subs: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Jannie du Plessis, 18 Danie Rossouw, 19 Schalk Burger, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Adi Jacobs, 22 Ruan Pienaar.
By Jon Cardinelli
156 Comments
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9 Sep 2009, 13:27 pm
#96 skopskiet: Its a solid idea especially with Jean on his way
9 Sep 2009, 13:33 pm
#98 stormer in a teacup:
Yes JdV is a true mid field general, no taking anything away from his tactical nous granted for that, but way we could go especially next year, (and I would have tried it now already) is Pienaar (10), BH(11), MS(12), JdV(13), Fourie (14), FS(15)
or next year Pienaar(10), BH(11), Adi(12), Fourie(13), Basson/Chavanga/Nokwe/Vundlu(14), MS(15)..
Kirchner.. bench.
9 Sep 2009, 13:33 pm
Whereas I am fully in support of returning Frans Steyn to the fullback position, I am nevertheless concerned that this somewhat telegraphs the Springbok game plan to the AB’s.
Clearly the Boks will be seeking a kick-for-position and “put pressure on the opponents in their half” strategy.
I guess that we will just have to wait and see how the AB’s intend to counteract this tactic?
9 Sep 2009, 13:37 pm
#8 Predawn: Ndungane, accelerate?, funny
9 Sep 2009, 13:52 pm
#96 skopskiet: I like your thinking Skoppie. Your inside centre should have good handling, kicking and tackling skills. He doesn’t necessarily have to be lightning quick but if he doesn’t have the awareness of a flyhalf with good tackling skills you are going to battle to create space.
Instead we have someone like JDV who can only put others in space by taking 1 or 2 tacklers out of the equation through simply running hard and direct at them. You hardly ever see a step off the other foot or sidestep from him, i feel. To my mind he is a perfect outside centre but thats just my opinion.
9 Sep 2009, 13:55 pm
#103 bananaboy: Just add that JF is not a centre either. He is the ball under the arm specialist out wide.
9 Sep 2009, 13:55 pm
#63 David:
Well if we all agreed there’d be no discussion or reason to blog…
however… I think you’ve missed the point I was trying to make… I have to reiterate I think the comparison is valid… Steyn was indeed a revelation in that game against Province… read the game instinctively and made great choices… the point it that after that game he was dropped and shifted and restricted and not allowed to fail… he’s been coached to over-think instead of react instinctively…
If he’s allowed to settle at flyhalf and play his own game without fear of failure we may see him revive his career… hopefully in France where they celebrate creativity they will know how to handle Steyn…
I have to really disagree with you about Michael though… Firstly your contention that 12 was his best position is merely your opinion (which of course you’re entitled to) I believe 10 was his best…
but you are just plain wrong about the move to 12 being WP’s “dire need of a consistent goalkicker”. At the time Michael played for Province our fullback was one Calla Schotlz (you may remember) who was an extremely good goalkicker. For several years he was the top scorer in South Africa for the most points scored in a Currie Cup season…
9 Sep 2009, 13:57 pm
#104 Shakes: Go along with that Shakes.
9 Sep 2009, 14:00 pm
#105 ufo:
rather… see him fulfill his true potential…
9 Sep 2009, 14:04 pm
#94 Dumb Supporter:
My sentiments exactly..
A whole jost of talented players have been moved around in their careers and managed to swim in the cauldron of test footy.FAct of the matter is that both Pienaar/F.Steyn have shown glimpses of excellent but never consistently enough.
The likes of Dan Carter,Matt Giteau,Matt Burke,Carlos Spencer,Jason Little etc have been moved around but still classy enough to maintain high standards in play.Even very early in their careers.
Pienaar and F.Steyn are talented players of international quality but to annoint any of the 2 the most gifted of their time etc etc is hyperbolic at best.
Even young James O’Connor has played a multitude of positions of late but seems to have more mental fortitude at 19 than say Ruan Pienaar and to be quite honest he could tie Pienaar’s bootlaces talent wise.BUT its all about the results/performances on the pitch.
Frans Steyn will grow to be a solid 15,traditional,big,courageous,solid under high ball,2nd kicking option etc…BUT PEOPLE HE AINT GOING TO BE A CULLEN,MULIAINA,LATHAM,BLANCO,JOUBA.
Best he can try replicate is a Burke/Gavin Hastings type prototype.great players in their own right.
Pienaar is an enigma to himself let alone the coaches.He is good in all positions that he plays but not better than the incumbent due to short comings in a particular facet/skills set required by the position
at 9-great sniper around fringes,solid pass,attacking threat-keeps defences honest,vision.DEFICINCIES-slow delivery of pass,lack decisionmaking acumen,not a great fringe defender
at 10-great running skills,silky passing,play nice at flat,decent tactical boot,elusive.DEFICINCIES-lacks decision making acumen,defensively weak in channel,is a sub par goal kicker when under pressure
at 15-good tactical boot,reads the game well,attacking threat,gives you multiple options/slot into flyhalf.DEFICINCIES-not physical/brave enough,weak under high ball,doesnt enter the line enough,positional play suspect.
IMHO-his future lies at 10.
His biggest weakness is his lack of mental fortitude.doesnt handle pressure well-even pressure that is expected at the highest level.He is not always a victim of circumstance.
9 Sep 2009, 14:55 pm
If anyone has the time and access to resources simply go and check how young kids/teenagers and club players are coached or exposed to coaching methods in NZ, Aus, France compared to SA.
SA has the tendancy to use pattern coaching, or closed skill coaching which heavily relies on structure and repitition, whereas the other kids are introduced from a young age to open skill or dynamic coaching creating thinking professionals.
As someone once said, it is fairly easy to learn something, it is next to impossible to unlearn something.
It takes more or less 400 hours for a player to perfect a skill, just imagine how long it takes for them to alter or change it…
9 Sep 2009, 15:28 pm
Because he is too small to play rugby – i recon Keo could have been a good mascot or even a top notch waterboy but his big mate Percy was selected as the bok’s waterboy ahead of him….
9 Sep 2009, 15:44 pm
Thank goodness Francois is back – we need to look after this guy – he’s a special talent, that’s why the Frogs are paying him the the big bucks – the same happened with Carter and the Kiwis couldn’t put him back quick enough …
9 Sep 2009, 15:47 pm
#108 mshiniwami: u speaked the very good sense !how ever i think ruans problem is his lack of self belief rather than is poor bmt,i think he is his bigest critic -given time in one position i think he could be a world beater -my moneys is flyhalf too.lets just see
9 Sep 2009, 15:57 pm
Weather always a factor. Good choice using Steyn and his big boot.
Hamilton weather prediction for Saturday (oh and there will also be some rain on Friday so the field will not be quick nor firm):
Rain, heavy at times. Winds from the N at 14 km/h.
Realfeel®: 16 °C
9 Sep 2009, 16:06 pm
#71 money_man:
Throw sommer Jannie Dup in as well.
9 Sep 2009, 16:07 pm
We gonna miss F Steyn when he not around.
9 Sep 2009, 16:08 pm
Pity Div can’t admit that Ruan at 15 was a mistake. Ruan will never be a fullback, the same way Frans will never be a flyhalf. When will it get through to him?
9 Sep 2009, 16:10 pm
#116 kwas: 9 or 10…..that s the deal…..
9 Sep 2009, 16:10 pm
Frans Steyn 12 or 15….
9 Sep 2009, 16:30 pm
Frans ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ Steyn is a tinkerbelle. He must stay in France forever. He hasn’t impressed at all.
9 Sep 2009, 16:36 pm
#119 BlueBlood: LOL
9 Sep 2009, 16:38 pm
#103 bananaboy:
Get serious JDV steps off both feet to devestating effect!!
And yes J Fourie is a wing not a centre!!
9 Sep 2009, 16:39 pm
The only real thing JDV is lacking as a inside centre in this day and age is the kicking acumen
9 Sep 2009, 16:43 pm
IRB player of the year for 2009….. Fourie du Preez
I’m still trying to work out how he didnt get player of the tournament at the World Cup
9 Sep 2009, 16:48 pm
If the AB’s can score two tries within the first 20min on Sat, like SA did against Aus two weeks ago, I think they will be away. They know they still have their destiny in their own hands and are stll in with a fighting chance to win the 3nations. Four tries in each of their last two matches are not as impossible as people seem to think.
Just think about it. After the match between the AB’s and Aus, there was a great debate about what can be done to score more tries. Some people came up with funny suggestions like widening the field of play to create more space in order for teams to score more tries.
Then, in two games played between them, SA and Aus scored 10 tries. (Sa 4 vs Aus 6).Some of those were well worked out tries that split the defense of the opposing team wide open. Now, did anybody think that would be the case just a mere three weeks ago. The suggestion that the AB’s don’t have the capability to score 4 or more tries in a match just don’t make sense. If they click they can do it.
Therefor the Boks will have to be switched on from the very first minute. Unlike them, the AB’s do have killer instinct and if they get a sniff, they will put the Boks away.I therefor expect them to come extra hard at the Boks in the first twenty minutes to try and get at least two tries.First time tackling of the Boks will be of utmost importance. Clearing the line when kicking downfield even more so in order to keep the AB’s in their half of the field and let them try and run it from far.
9 Sep 2009, 16:55 pm
#124 nama1: i agree….this aint over by a long shot
9 Sep 2009, 17:07 pm
#125 grant10: when Australia was 9-6 up, the Boks were already playing for the bonus point, thats worrying
9 Sep 2009, 17:10 pm
#126 XhosaKid: if the attitude is not to win we will get thumped….have to go out to win….anything less we get moered…
9 Sep 2009, 17:16 pm
good call pdv.frans steyn should never have been dropped in any case.the kiwis will now know that if they kick at us that the ball will travel quicker back into their half of the field.let the kicking contest begin and frankly if this happen i don’t see them scoring 4 tries.
9 Sep 2009, 17:22 pm
#128 mk: i reckon they gonna run more than kick ….but hope we play the % s better than them…bottom line is they gotta gamble.
9 Sep 2009, 17:26 pm
#111 J.B. Cowper:the difference,carter signed for 6months and frans steyn signed for 3years knowing pdv’s policy.was it a case of money or stupidity in signing a contract until after the world cup? i guess when he saw the numerous zeros on that contract he didn’t think straight.i don’t blame him for that who would not?
9 Sep 2009, 17:30 pm
The weather forecast is for rain so a running game won’t be ideal.
I think this will suit the Bokke. They need to use more of the rolling maul, a lot of up and unders (stuff the anzancs and their criticism; we have a tri-nations to win.) and our wingers need to chase those kicks like mad.
9 Sep 2009, 17:34 pm
#129 grant10: we might run more but definitely not from inside our half that i can tell you now.establish deep attacking positions first and then go wide will be the name of the game on saturday.
9 Sep 2009, 17:41 pm
#131 Jozi: exactly.who cares if they kick the leather off the ball as the kiwi media are saying with the selection of frans steyn.kicking rugby might be boring but winning rugby matches and trophys are more sweeter.
9 Sep 2009, 17:49 pm
#133 mk: I agree, we lost our way in Brisbane but I say bring on the kicking game…let Spiro Zavos and his merry band of aussie commentators moan all they want.
In fact I won’t be too surprised to see NZ use those same tactics.
DC at 10 and Donald in midfield…don’t tell me they won’t put a few in the air.
9 Sep 2009, 18:14 pm
the kiwi media are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites i say because in the past daniel carter would have employed the same tactics by kicking the ball deep and straight into the opposition’s 22two,forcing them into a kicking mistake or handling error. now that we have a strong kicking game it’s a problem for them because the all blacks can’t use this kicking tactic too much.
9 Sep 2009, 18:15 pm
#130 mk:
Doesn’t his father advise him? I seem to remember some blogger on here mentioning that his father demanded from the Sharks that he plays in a certain position or else.
Also find it curious that so many bloggers (exspecially Bulls supporters) had a go at Bernie Habana when Brian signed for WP but nobody ever mentioned FS father in this 3year deal. Surely he could’ve given him better advice seeing that Frans is still a youngster.
9 Sep 2009, 18:26 pm
136 Nama1 – The bools supporters are retarded , thats why.
9 Sep 2009, 18:26 pm
#136 nama1: this contract business of frans steyn is to me very perplexing to say the least.i mean ,why sign a 3 year deal when you are basically still a youngster and still needs to grow as a player on the south african rugby scene in spite of winning a world cup at the age of 20years.why not first establish yourself as a south african great in the currie cup and super 14 competions and then head off to france or britain.it’s not as if he needs to cash-in now before he retires.at the end of the next world cup he would not even touch 25years of age for heavens sake.
9 Sep 2009, 18:29 pm
#115 grant10: WE sure are going to miss Frans Steyn when he leaves for France.
Also he should have been kept to play FB for the whole of the Tri-Nations. Why did we change to Ruan in Perth? Now Fransie has to get up to speed again. He has only played in the last bit of both the Perth and Brisbane games.
#113 wackers: Somehow I think if its wet underfoot and even if there is rain it will suit the Boks. Never used to by like that but with our kick-and-chase game it will suit us. Especially now with Frans Steyn starting at FB.
9 Sep 2009, 18:33 pm
#130 mk:
I also think it was a rather petulant gesture to go where he could play at 10, probably encouraged by his father as NAMA1 suggests. The kid just isn’t a natural test level 10, whatever he or his father might believe.
9 Sep 2009, 18:43 pm
#138 mk:
Well, according to him, the fact that he does not have responsibilities with regards to a wife and/or children, is the reason why he decided to signe now. Don’t know how much sense that make. All South Africans who went over there to play, highly recommended it as a good move for the whole family. You are at home every night after practise or the game, over the weekend, and your wife and kids can experience other cultures.
Why he signed for three years though? Maybe you right. The zeros did it for him.
9 Sep 2009, 18:47 pm
#136 nama1: durban people are becoming south africa’s very own peculiar people by the look of things.i alse read somewhere that kevin pietersen and his father went up to jozi and his father demanded from ali bacher,the then md of cricket sa,to be given a guarantee that kevin will be selected and become a regular in the proteas team in two years time,at the time of that meeting.
9 Sep 2009, 19:22 pm
#142 mk: Lol.
No, I think some fathers who couldn’t crack it in their heyday, are now doing it through their sons.
I can remember Liefling’s father doing the same thing in 2001 (I think). Demanding from WP to guarentee him a place in the A-team or else he would sign for the Blue Bulls who already had made such a promise. WP didn’t budge so Liefling signed for the Blue Bulls.That same year Liefling stick it to the WP administrators when he destroyed them in the CC final.
Then there is the case of the Rose brothers a few years back. Enver, their father, also wanted guarentees from WP that Earl and Jody would play CC and Vodacom rugby. WP wouldn’t guarentee that so they signed with the Lions instead who included such guarentees in their contract.
The Brian/Bernie case has been discussed on this forum just a week or two ago as you know. You have mentioned the case of KP and his father already.
Now these are only the cases that made the headlines in the newspapers or forums like this. I wonder how many cases are out there where a father actually destroys his sons/daughters sporting career making demands like these fathers mentioned above.
9 Sep 2009, 20:04 pm
just one point, come on guys! YOU CAN DO IT!
9 Sep 2009, 20:20 pm
Rather than moan about our young blood deserting us, and betraying us by migrating north to get and spend the almighty EURO, we need to focus on building our professional “minor leagues” for those 18-22 year olds.
It’s hard to keep the ancients from going north for silver.
But we gotta keep our youngsters.
9 Sep 2009, 20:59 pm
#96 skopskiet: well said skop, need a creative player at 10 or 12
9 Sep 2009, 22:26 pm
#146 Big Hit: Indeed. The Boks have had playmakers like Michael du Plessis and Hennie le Roux before at inside centre, both of whom played flyhalf for their respective provinces.
David (no 63), Michael remained at flyhalf for WP. The inside centre was Faffa Knoetze. He played inside centre for the Boks and was deadly outside Naas.
Ahhhhh…the backline of Heunis, Carl, Danie, Michael, Jaco, Naas and Garth. One of the most awesome backlines that we have ever fielded.
10 Sep 2009, 00:50 am
Right decision
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