Saru pins down Steyn
26 May 2011
Frans Steyn will return to South Africa shortly and rest up ahead of the Test season according to Saru manager of national teams Andy Marinos.
Steyn will play for Racing Metro in the Top 14 semi-finals this weekend, but it won’t be long before he’s back in South Africa. Marinos recently travelled to France to discuss Steyn’s return ahead of the Springboks’ all-important World Cup preparations, and is pleased to report that the young fullback will be available.
‘We went over to have a chat with Pierre Berbizier and Simon Mannix [Racing's head and assistant coaches] about Frans and his game at the moment,’ Marinos told Independent Newspapers. ‘The fact is Frans is coming back and he will play for us provided his form is good and he’s injury-free.’
Steyn has reportedly played a whopping 2000 minutes for Racing this season, and so Saru will insist that he gets four weeks rest after his commitments with his French club are completed.
Steyn is likely to play fullback for the Boks at the World Cup this year, and so Peter de Villiers has made an exception to the rule that precludes overseas-based players.
‘We can’t ignore the fact that Frans is a mercurial player and a unique talent,’ said Marinos. ‘He’ll have the Tri-Nations to get up to speed with the Boks.’
18 Comments
26 May 2011, 10:01 am
Proactive Dragons
26 May 2011, 10:08 am
Good, but I would still play Aplon as Francy still has not learnt to pass or take the space properly.
Derick Hougaard signs for Saracens…dam agents
26 May 2011, 10:24 am
Marinos…. the guy has bigger clown shoes than Boswell Wilkie.
26 May 2011, 12:10 pm
Would still start Aplon at 15
Frans Steyn great bench cover for 12 & 15
26 May 2011, 12:50 pm
the world cup is in the bag now
26 May 2011, 12:57 pm
Fantastic news…
26 May 2011, 13:15 pm
good news. we need him in the bok team. on a wet field i would rather play him than aplon at 15. .
26 May 2011, 13:31 pm
The whole premise of Frans being the savior of the Boks is based on the assumption that opposition teams will be playing to his strengths by kicking the ball to him, only for him to launch it back “with interest”. Ever considered what would happen if the opposition do not kick the ball to him and instead, try to limit his influence? What’s else justifies his automatic pick, besides his ‘plod-like’ aura?
26 May 2011, 13:54 pm
@pompies2(pompies2)-8: His well-proven ability to comfortably kick penalties from inside his own half.
26 May 2011, 13:57 pm
#8 pompies2 – You do Frans Steyn a disservice and here is the answer to your question – apart from his lethal drop kick ability from 50 yards he has the following attributes for the fullback position: 1) Courageous under high ball, 2) courageous tackler – more than you can say for any other Bok fullback since Gysie Pienaar, 3) uncanny positional anticipation, 4) strong as an ox and hard to bring down, 5) runs straight lines at speed, 6) passess the ball – how many Bok backs do that, 7) gives 110%, 8) has exceptional rugby intelligence, 9) huge match-winning X Factor, 10) the mother of all touch-finding boots, 11) unbelievable temperament when kicking for posts and 12) not least of all freak accuracy with long-range match-winning long-range penalties (I would also give him the short kicks if Morne Steyn isn’t playing – if he can do the long ones why couldn’t do the short ones also – let us never forget his BMT conversion for the first-and-only Bok win at the House of Pain.
He is NOT, repeat NOT, a fly-half – fullback is his best position because it gives him time to play.
The man is a prodigy. With good management he could and should be the Springbok answer to Daniel Carter.
Have I missed anything?
26 May 2011, 14:56 pm
@J.B. Cowper(J.B. Cowper)-10: yes, he’s a Taurus and his favourite song is ‘Lunchbox’ by Marilyn Manson
26 May 2011, 15:21 pm
@J.B. Cowper(J.B. Cowper)-10: Good attempt, but Frans has displayed a lack of all the qualities, more than he has displayed that ability. 1. courage under the high ball, doesn’t mean you have the ability to excel at the skill, it merely displays a component of mastering the high ball skill 2. currently all the SA fullbacks are courageous defenders, and i would be surprised if they tackled at less than 90% 3. name 1 current SA fullback who is positionally weak? 4. strenght helps, but not the be all. See Aplon. 5. runs straight lines, but hardly speedy, straight lines could mean running into your oppo. kinda pointess when trying to create an overlap for your wing. 6. have a rethink about that point. passing is his a failure of his. 7. not the only one to give 110% and uncanny intelligence and Frans shouldn’t be in the same sentence. 8. you didn’t have any 9. possible x-factor. likely to go other way as well. 9. has a huge boot. only good for territory game though. 11. temperament is questionable. did slot a couple long range kicks. also managed to stuff up simple things 12. same as 11.
Is there a place in the squad for him. yes. at fb. not necessarily. horses for courses. will be more useful at 12.
Answer to Carter. Not so sure. Will have to buck up seriously. Does not possess the game management skills yet. will know more in 2 years.
Frans does better when not given time. His rugby in instinctive, so he should be allowed to play instinctively. 12 would allow him that. Think SBW and see how instictively he plays when next to a calculating 10.
26 May 2011, 16:33 pm
@J.B. Cowper(J.B. Cowper)-10: Uhm, which Frans Steyn are you talking about?
The one I saw last play for the Boks was a little predictable in his running, seldom passed, and seemed to have lost a little speed.
Now maybe he has regained that in France, have you been watching him there?
26 May 2011, 17:03 pm
@J.B. Cowper(J.B. Cowper)-10: JB you are fighting a losing battle mate. Certain South Africans refuse to see his value … IT’s a bit like Pierre Spies – if he and Frans are not performing like superheroes every week, then the are k@k and overrated.
Frans has been asked to play every position in the backline except scrumhalf at short notice at test level without ever being allowed to settle in one position, yet he is useless according to some.
Now Aplon is the saviour … got bounced on several occassions trying to defend on the EOYT and this last weekend his poor defence led to a try once again. He isn’t much of a kicker out of hand and is no back-up as a points kicker either. Yeah, but he is the better option i’m sure.
Id like to go with the likes of Berbizier and Mexted who clearly rate the guy.
26 May 2011, 18:29 pm
@pompies2(pompies2)-12: Good points with regards to Mophead at 12… The comments on Steyn at FB are a bit “pigeonholing”…
26 May 2011, 18:33 pm
@kevin w(kevin w)-14: Aplon has a decent boot out of hand… Certainly not in Steyn’s league but at least the equal of any other FB hopeful. What sets Aplon apart is his counter attacking ability and use of space… His defence is not bad either. His small stature could be a very shrewd red herring to tempt opposition into using the garryowen against the Boks… If they don’t get it 100% right – big trouble…
I’m all for the Boks using Aplon at 15.
26 May 2011, 23:46 pm
Last time I saw Francy play against Leinster in Heineken cup he looked grossly overweight and had a very *** moustache.
27 May 2011, 01:39 am
So will he be playing CC and if so for which team?
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.