Bok spotlight must be on Stegmann
8 Mar 2010
Heinrich Brüssow’s season-ending injury is lamentable but in Deon Stegmann there is a ready made replacement for the Springboks.
Brüssow tore knee ligaments in Saturday’s clash with the Hurricanes. The injury is severe enough to sideline him for at least six months, with scans on Monday expected to confirm that and possibly add weeks onto the recovery period.
Brüssow was a revelation in his rookie Test season in 2009, excelling in an unexpected opportunity in the first Test against the British & Irish Lions, then gradually improving to the point where convincing arguments where being made for him being the finest openside flank on the planet.
His consistent excellence reduced Schalk Burger, previously thought to be indispensable to the Springboks, to a bench role when he recovered from the injury that gave Brüssow the opportunity against the Lions, and he sustained that form into 2010 (prior to his injury), raising the question of whether Burger would spend another season watching Tests from an unfamiliar vantage point.
Brüssow’s loss is a massive one for the Cheetahs and Springboks. His technical skill has been discussed at length, while his deep resolve to ensure his side wins has driven him to feats bordering on the supernatural.
However, his loss does not present an insurmountable challenge. Stegmann is a natural successor who will offer the Springboks all the technical attributes Brüssow did, and shares his tactical intelligence and will to win.
In the last four seasons, two of which he has been a regular starter; Stegmann has proven his aptitude for Super Rugby. In fact, in the Bulls’ championship winning run in 2009, Stegmann routinely outplayed more vaunted opposition opensiders, and seemed to raise his performance further yet for the semi-final and final (before an injury ended his participation), suggesting a capacity to not only cope, but also excel in pressure situations.
He regularly leads the tackle count, turnover and work rate stats at the Bulls, registering numbers that are above average for players in his position.
The new breakdown law interpretations, which favour the attacking team (i.e. the team taking the ball into a ruck situation) have diluted the potency of some of the best fetchers in the business. Yet Stegmann has circumvented the challenge, with the aid of some astute tactics from the Bulls’ coaching staff, by only committing himself to the breakdown turnover after the third phase, where cleaners are in shorter supply.
Furthermore, he is also a capable ball carrier, and given that the aforementioned law interpretations demand that your openside flank be adept in this regard, where previously they were primarily deployed as defensive weapons who sought to slow the ruck recycle or turn over possession, makes him invaluable to Bulls, and this should be his appeal to the Springbok selectors.
Stegmann was at the heart of the Bulls’ success in 2009. Provided he stays fit and in form, he must be given an opportunity to add similar value to the Springboks.
By Ryan Vrede
124 Comments
Pages: « 1 2 [3] Show All
8 Mar 2010, 14:55 pm
@Staal:
Vark
8 Mar 2010, 14:56 pm
@Agile ***-Tyrant: Hey ***
How is Pieter Louw overrated, he’s hardly rated at all!
He’s started just one game!
8 Mar 2010, 14:58 pm
@WP_:
Firstlt, it’s ***-Tyrant.
Secondly, my point exaclty- who rates?
8 Mar 2010, 14:59 pm
@Agile ***-Tyrant:
It means I’m saying if Stegmann is overrated, then so is Plo
8 Mar 2010, 14:59 pm
@Agile ***-Tyrant: Thanks for clearing that up. ***.
It’s general public and media opinion.
8 Mar 2010, 15:00 pm
@Agile ***-Tyrant: 104
That does not make sense.
8 Mar 2010, 15:02 pm
@WP_:
How much of an influence do you thick that has on selection?
8 Mar 2010, 15:03 pm
@WP_: 104
which part?
8 Mar 2010, 15:05 pm
@Agile ***-Tyrant: None, but that is besides the point. My point is that the hype of Stegmann is overrated in my opinion.
8 Mar 2010, 15:05 pm
@Agile ***-Tyrant: all of it
8 Mar 2010, 15:06 pm
@WP_:
yes my point was there is no real hype.
And in accordance, he’s not overrated in our opinion.
8 Mar 2010, 15:15 pm
@Agile ***-Tyrant: Who is our?
Bulls supporters?
8 Mar 2010, 15:19 pm
@WP_:
The “our” is we who are of the opinion that he isn’t overrated. Just kidding.
8 Mar 2010, 15:25 pm
Ja look, you want the best for the country’s rugby, trying to stay objective etc. No team in the world is free from “politics”. Pound for pound, stats-wise, temperament, background etc, you can’t find any guy that fill in for Heinz as his old friend Stegmann.
8 Mar 2010, 15:47 pm
@Agile ***-Tyrant: ” trying to stay objective” You tried didnt you… But you failed
8 Mar 2010, 15:54 pm
@WP_:
I mean’t all us passionate supporters
8 Mar 2010, 15:55 pm
meant
8 Mar 2010, 22:42 pm
Stegman vs Schalk ? Schalk wins hands down. Please. Only yhe bulls will agree with ryan
8 Mar 2010, 22:57 pm
@sparticus:
There’s no need to advocate for or against Stegmann, the rubgy “kenners” can see for themselves. Schalk hits form at long last, but against an utterly poor Highlanders side- have to see more. But his workrate still? Consistancy?
Steggies regularly makes most cleans etc. as the article says, impressive considering that he plays in a team with Bakkies, Daniesaurus, W Kruger, Spies, Potgieter, Gary Botha and G Steenkamp on a good day.
9 Mar 2010, 04:39 am
@Mighty Horua: You ****** you. Go fetch me some peanuts!
9 Mar 2010, 04:42 am
@WP_: You sound just like my uncle! He will refuse to rate Matfield. Why? Because everyone else rates him, and because he is a Bull. And yes, you guessed it, he is a GROOT WP MAN!
9 Mar 2010, 19:23 pm
@Agile ***-Tyrant: Point is, each guy you mention there has a specific role or function in the team, which is not always measurable with stats. Bakkies might make less cleans but he pulls off those teeth clatterers. Werner Kruger as a tighthead is hugely active in the tight loose. Daniesaurus hangs out a lot as a carrier to take ball up strongly, etc.
Potties for instance, on attack takes it on himself to act as decoy and protect Morne Steyn and Wynand Olivier specifically by positioning himself in a very flat position in front of them, while on defence he positions himself in channel 1 or close by to take the okes charging down on Morne in that channel head on. Few people will know this if you don’t know to look for it and this buys Steyn a bit of extra time to weave his magic or get the backline away. How do you measure his effectiveness and true value other than to look at the final score.
Spies is immensely effective with his strength in close quarters behind and around the phase play directly following on first phase, and as ball carrier, but he can only do one of these at any given time. Steggies or Potties have to cover him if the other function becomes necessary. I’m not knocking anyone here, but you guys must remember that a lot of things happen simultaneously on a rugby field, and often just the way in which, or where you position yourself on defense has an influence on the option which the attacking team takes, ie whether they kick or run, where they attack, etc.
Steggies, Potties and Spies play in a loose trio with each having his own role to play. You will find Potties does a lot of the defensive work on the occasions Pierre Spies cleans and Steggies fetches, and likewise in other instances, BUT WITH ROLES SWITCHED, so it is very difficult to generalize like that.
9 Mar 2010, 23:09 pm
122 CATLEYA:
Cool Cats
I’m saying he racks up the cleans in a team with many mobile aggressive men that fly into rucks. For that you have to be fit and gutsy and constantly at your post, otherwise even the poor scrummy is forced to clean. That’s why it’s impressive. If you don’t bring your side, you can have always a low tackle count too, with your buddies constantly doing your work.
25 Mar 2010, 22:08 pm
You are all not paying any attention. PDV did not want to pick brussouw. He wants a Burger\J Smith\Spies backrow. He just played brussouw because he new he would be very unpopular if he had dropped such a great talent. With brussouw injured, PDv is very happy. He can now pick Schalk Burger. I am a bulls supporter, but Steggies does not stand a chance to be picked by the man PDV.
Pages: « 1 2 [3] Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.