Steyn shines but Racing downed
9 Jan 2010
Frans Steyn’s excellent performance wasn’t enough for Racing Metro to avoid a 31-12 mauling by Perpignan in the Top 14 on Friday.
Steyn broke the Catalans’ line on numerous occasions, but often found himself isolated. The victory lifts the defending champions to second on the log, albeit temporarily. Racing stay fifth and will hope that fourth placed Toulouse lose against Clermont on Sunday to stay in touch with the play-off places.
In other Top 14 news, it appears that Jonny Wilkinson will extend his contract with Toulon. The 30-year-old England flyhalf has performed consistently well in their campaign to date, and seems to have overcome his injury troubles.
His agent Tim Buttimore is hopeful a new deal will be agreed within the next few weeks.
‘Talks are progressing well. He is really enjoying life out there and we want to get it sorted out sooner rather than later – a matter of a few weeks,’ Buttimore told The Times of London.
Toulon coach Philippe Saint-Andre was pleased to be on the verge of retaining a key member of his squad.
‘There is less pressure on him here and he looks happy,’ Saint-Andre said. ‘I have spoken with his agent and his dad and there are a few things to sort out, but I am confident he will stay.’
He added: “The salary cap [under which French clubs will operate next season] will not be a problem.’
187 Comments
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10 Jan 2010, 15:49 pm
Racing are pathetic
10 Jan 2010, 15:51 pm
Steyn should play for the Sharks
10 Jan 2010, 15:53 pm
Hope they get relegated
10 Jan 2010, 15:55 pm
I love tea
10 Jan 2010, 15:59 pm
He was stupid to sign such a long contract
10 Jan 2010, 16:00 pm
Yeah
10 Jan 2010, 16:30 pm
@grant10: 2 – Agree with you there Grant.
Said it many times. What a huge, huge loss to SA rugby and the Sharks.
Why he signed a 3 year contract is crazy. Should have gone for a year and try be back for the world cup. Now we wont see him playing in that tourney either. Pity.
11 Jan 2010, 03:43 am
I watched this game. Gavin Hulme had a played a major roll in the win for Perp. Steyn broke well on a number of occasions, but as usual had a kick charged down. The no 1 reason he is a 12 or 15 and Not a 10. Based on the current stock of 15′s available, Steyn would walk into my Bok XV anyday.
11 Jan 2010, 05:18 am
That would be……”Gavin Hulme played a major role”……. eish!
11 Jan 2010, 07:47 am
great to hear Frans had a good game… great loss to SA rugby as I’ve said before many times…
pity DSTV isn’t showing much european rugby these days… from boasting about being “the channel that showed the most rugby in the world” they show next to nothing these days… not even the Baa-Baas…
11 Jan 2010, 08:00 am
@ufo: Frans is De Villers replacement – he will be back by 2011 – cant see him missing the WC , there must be an escape clause in his contract
11 Jan 2010, 08:02 am
would be absolute stupidity,madness….to go to WC 2011 without F Steyn.
11 Jan 2010, 08:30 am
@grant10: it was absolute stupidity (which is no suprise) and greed for francois to sign a three year contract with the french.
11 Jan 2010, 08:32 am
@Pearl Rose: agree….hope he has an exit clause….in fact i am sure he will have one….but dumb move…..for sure.
11 Jan 2010, 08:35 am
@Pearl Rose: dont be such a girl.
who are you to question another mans motives?
he has commited no crime.
you come across as a person with some mountains to climb pearlie.
11 Jan 2010, 08:39 am
@grant10: although i have no doubt he had his reasons…..perhaps tired of being shunted from pillar to post by all and sundry.
11 Jan 2010, 08:55 am
Will Frans ever learn how to link with other members of his team? Doesn’t convert line-breaks into assists. All movements normally end with Frans. Get the feeling the boks will miss him more than the Sharks. His game suits tight test matches more than it does open S14 rugby.
11 Jan 2010, 08:58 am
@grant10: Shame, poor little Fransie and Ruan having to play other positions for the good of the team. Shame, how dare coaches tamper with such talent. I think I’m going to go and have a temper-tantrum.
11 Jan 2010, 09:01 am
@Ratel Brussow (MSIUR): perhaps its that attitude that leaves us in trouble?
Remember …it is there profession …how would you liked to be pushed from Dept to Dept in your work?
Player management is sadly lacking in SA…your tone is what upsets the players…they are not slaves.
11 Jan 2010, 09:02 am
cheers
outta here
11 Jan 2010, 09:19 am
@grant10: No, they are most definitely not slaves, just look at their pay cheques. If my management believes I have better prospects in a different department and will rise to the top quicker (1st choice in SA), then obviously I’m not going to throw a tantrum and refuse. Certainly none of my colleagues are going to feel sorry for me. Its an opportunity, not a curse.
11 Jan 2010, 09:24 am
@grant10: And another thing, we’re not in trouble. We’ve just had one of our most successful seasons ever and you’re prattling on about our “troubles”, please man have some optimism. So a few guys are chasing the pound. Most of our senior players are home and that’s the main thing.
11 Jan 2010, 09:29 am
@stew:
@grant10:
yeah guys… it would be madness to go into 2011 without Frans… SARU gotta make a plan well before then…
will say again, just for the record, (at the risk of a flaming) that I still believe he’d make a better No10… but accept mine is a minority opinon… fact is, I’d have Frans back in any position… if it’s not gonna be No 10 would like to see him stay at No 15… he was really improving there with every game last year…
11 Jan 2010, 09:37 am
@ufo: Agree, Steyn must return and play 15 for RWC 2011. Nothing wrong with him learning more now and also we can build some depth in the mean time.
11 Jan 2010, 09:41 am
@Ratel Brussow (MSIUR):
nothing wrong at all… must just make a plan to bring him back early on and not leave it too chance waiting and wondering a few months before the cup…
11 Jan 2010, 09:43 am
@ufo: At least JdV will be back. Steyn was a bit stupid to sign a 3 year deal. Basic arithmetic not his strength!
11 Jan 2010, 09:47 am
@ufo:francois steyn is not a flyhalf, he lacks the mental aptitude to play this position.
@rangerman: yes i have climbed a few mountains in my life ranger. A girl i am definitely not, but i like girls. Tell me it was a wise decision for Fransie to sign a 3 year deal.
11 Jan 2010, 09:57 am
@Ratel Brussow (MSIUR):
as long as we can get him back… until then, as you say, let him gain experience…
@Pearl Rose:
hey pearly… so everyone tells me… see I’m a bit dof and it just doesn’t sink in…
I go back to his annialation of Province in the rain when he he first broke into the big-time… if he could do it then he could do it again… but was never given the opportunity to settle…
but hey… having him back playing at 15 will be good enough for me…
11 Jan 2010, 10:02 am
@ufo: He is the true 10 man fly-half. I mean even Naas had great distribution. Great at low level, where he will just run through everyone, but very predictable as you move up the grades. He is perfectly suited to 15.
11 Jan 2010, 10:31 am
@ufo: come on…he has had numerous chances @ 10 which he butchered! the barbarians game, what a shocker! The international commentator was aghast @ how kuk he was, even jake said his position is 15 after that disaster…
Peter also tried him against italy, he fluffed that too.
The sharks played him there last year when ruan brokedown & look what happened to them!
One game from four years ago cannot be used as measure his aptitude vs a mountain of kuk perfomances
11 Jan 2010, 13:21 pm
@Pearl Rose:
“The sharks played him there last year when ruan brokedown & look what happened to them!”
In fact the sharks did pretty well with Frans at flyhalf, including a pretty comprehensive win over the Canes. The real let down was when Ruan came back. Can’t blame Frans Steyn for signing the contract in France after he got booed by his own Kingspark fans.
11 Jan 2010, 14:46 pm
@Pearl Rose:
pearly… read your post… you’re actually agreeing with me…
I said he hasn’t had the opportunity to settle there… you say “the barbarians game” “against italy” “numerous chances” etc… all showing he has been picked for a game here and there but never allowed to settle… that’s my point… he has NEVER been given an extended run to settle…
that game four years ago showed what a natural talent the guy is… he has it… make no mistake…
but coaches who know him better than he knows himself forced him to be somebody else…
and he was dropped for the next game and since then he’s be shunted around more than a steam-train papoose… trying him at centre or wing and letting him train there… and then suddenly expecting him to be brilliant in a once-off game at flyhalf is an impossible ask… setting him up for failure, intentional or not…
you quote jake white… pffft… the guy who still wouldn’t pick Heinrich Brussow…!!
I’d rather quote Murray Mexted who said when Steyn was 17… this kid could be one of the best flyhalves EVER…
11 Jan 2010, 15:07 pm
@Ratel Brussow (MSIUR):
Fransie can count – at least his money. It is quite obvious why he has signed for three years . He wouldn’t get such a big salary if he signed for a shorter period . It is always the case of all deals.
Of course I suppose he had deluded himself that he would be able to play for Springboks despite playing abroad but for now there is no chance for that. If he were black or coloured at least..
11 Jan 2010, 18:10 pm
@ufo: i am in no way agreeing with you. I am saying there is no point trying flog a dead horse. Francois is no first class flyhalf, there is no need to have him “settle” there, he lacks the ingredients to make him even a currie cup 10. Before the barbarians game all sort of people, journalists included were saying jake is going to show peter de villiers how fransie should be coached to play flyhalf (again the ars*hole jake trying to demean peter) and we all know what frans did that day.
If Wynand Olivier is not an international 12, no amount of settling time will change him into one, the same with john smit @ 3.
11 Jan 2010, 22:08 pm
@Pearl Rose:
Agreed on Frans and Smitty. Think WO is not 1st in line for the 12 jersey but I would be okay with him there if we had no JdV or FS.
11 Jan 2010, 22:10 pm
Don’t agree on your observation about ars*holes. The one you are talking about won a WC and the one you obviously look up to needs therapy
13 Jan 2010, 00:13 am
I watched this game. Frans didn’t get the ball in the 1st half. But once they gave it to him in the 2nd, he was on fire.
He stepped, handed off and bumped. He is looking fit and leaner. Not his fault for not linking up, there were simply no runners in site.
Plays 12 but pops up at 15, plus they give him the line kicks, which is good, as you know he likes touching the ball.
Massive loss to SA. Should be in the starting 15 for WC2011 for sure.
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