Last chance for Morné to shine
17 Aug 2011
Morné Steyn is determined to show Peter de Villiers that he’s more than an excellent goal-kicker when he starts against the All Blacks this weekend.
Butch James will wear the No 10 jersey at the World Cup in New Zealand, but De Villiers still wants Steyn to get a start before the global tournament kicks off in three weeks time. De Villiers told the media on Tuesday that Steyn deserves an opportunity to start alongside the other first-choice players, and is hoping the Bulls’ flyhalf replicates the form that made him so valuable in 2009.
Steyn has battled to impose himself in the subsequent two seasons at Test and Super Rugby level. Many feel that the absence of Du Preez has exposed his limitations while the absence of a solid forward platform has also highlighted his weaknesses on attack and defence.
The most recent performances in Australasia served to underline his shortcomings and furthered the cause of an all-round flyhalf like James. But in this the final fixture before the World Cup, the Bok coach has given Steyn an opportunity, an opportunity he doesn’t intend to waste.
‘I must lift my game,’ Steyn said. ‘It hasn’t gone well in recent matches, but I’m glad to now have senior guys like Fourie du Preez on my inside and Jean de Villiers on my outside. Hopefully that will make things easier.
‘There are many areas of my game that I want to improve. My kicking game has not been up to standard. I slipped some tackles overseas as well. My attacking game could improve a bit, I must vary my play more on attack, in other words decide when to play flat, deep or kick the ball. Hopefully I can find some form this weekend.’
On Tuesday, De Villiers explained Steyn’s selection and then proceeded to talk about the value of an accurate goal-kicker at a World Cup tournament. James is no slouch in front of goal and the Boks have a useful alternative in Frans Steyn, but De Villiers will never forget the match-winning feats of Morné Steyn in the 2009 British & Irish Lions series and subsequent Tri-Nations. It was the boot of Steyn that effectively kept De Villiers in the job.
De Villiers will be hoping that Steyn furthers his cause for World Cup inclusion this weekend. He will want Steyn to show that he can hold his own in general play, as while Steyn has served the Boks in the past, the team can no longer afford to field a weak defender or one-dimensional attacking player at No 10.
The player himself spoke confidently about the challenge ahead. The All Blacks have left eight first-choice players in New Zealand, but there are still a number of attacking threats in the touring party.
‘They’re bringing a guy like Sonny Bill Williams here and Richard Kahui is an awesome player,’ said Steyn. ‘They’re calling it a B side but no All Blacks side is easy to beat.
‘I do have some good memories of playing against the All Blacks. I scored all 31 points when we beat them in Durban [in 2009], and I do remember these kinds of things ahead of a big game, it gives me confidence.
‘The win is important but we really want to improve on certain things. On tour we were shocking, and while we were a bit better last week we still didn’t get the win. We will be looking to fix a few things and get our own game right.’
By Jon Cardinelli, in Port Elizabeth
128 Comments
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16 Aug 2011, 23:10 pm
‘It think I can improve all round. My kicking game has not been up to standard. I slipped some tackles overseas as well. My attacking game could improve a little bit, I must vary my play more on attack, in other words deciding when to play flat, deep or kick the ball. Hopefully I can some find some form this weekend.’
FFS, I always thought that to be a Bok you had to be the finished article. Or close thereto.
Since when has the Springbok set-up become a finishing school? Is this how low we have sunk?
And this out of the player’s mouth himself.
God help us.
16 Aug 2011, 23:15 pm
fark me, we’re taking this oke as our main guy?
hahaha eish heyneke really built a one dimensional robot here fok!
16 Aug 2011, 23:16 pm
morne eats dragons….
there is nothing much wrong with morne. the problem was with his pack, his 9 and his midfield more than it was with him. with the first team battle hardened and fdp back this will be shown, i am sure.
16 Aug 2011, 23:27 pm
@we have it on good authority that on september 11, a legend will rise…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-3:
Morne is down on confidence and down on form. In other words, droppable.
Just read the bits in italics in my comment. Morne says its all about him. But now you’re saying it’s with his pack, his 9, his midfield. I don’t understand.
And he can’t rely on just one scrumhalf in the world to make him look good.
16 Aug 2011, 23:39 pm
@I am a stormer(I am a stormer)-4: exactly it’s like carter saying he needs cowan for him to get his mojo pumping
the crusaders moered the bulls 27 – 0 with berquist at 10…morne had fdp on his inside bit zilch transpired
16 Aug 2011, 23:40 pm
@I am a stormer(I am a stormer)-4:
yes, but to be fair the away games were more than just about one scrumhalf. it in fact was about a whole new team as well.
i accept he could be playing better but i’m pretty sure butch, lambie or anyone else for that matter would have looked just as kak if not worse on the away leg.
lets see how he goes against an all black ‘b’ team with his 1st team and scrumhalf who makes him look good.
doubtfull he’ll do worse than butch did on sat (who btw was kak). 1 penalty and one drop goal missed was the difference between winning and losing for us.
16 Aug 2011, 23:47 pm
morne will win us the world cup..mark my words…
16 Aug 2011, 23:48 pm
anyway…am outta here…cheers…
17 Aug 2011, 00:01 am
@we have it on good authority that on september 11, a legend will rise…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-3: I agree, Morne is a fairly limited player but he isn’t the problem, it’s the 12 he gives the ball to.
I think he’ll go well at the weekend behind what is a first class pack, perhaps the best in world rugby, and he’ll kick his goals but I suspect the Bok backline attack will be just as ineffective.
17 Aug 2011, 00:41 am
erm i guess we’ll see how it goes this weekend, but it would be rather nice to have a flyhalf who adds something to the team, rather than relies on other players to make him appear adequate
17 Aug 2011, 01:17 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-9: Best pack in the world…Bahhhaaaaahaaaa! Good god man!!! What have you been smoking? Our pack is far from being the best in the world. And it counts for nothing having a strong tight 5 when your centres are getting moered by SBW and Kahui. Its JdV I’m more worried about. Twice he has been shown up by SBW. And the unlikeliest candidate for standing up to SBW was Ebersohn.
The Bok camp should be watching the video of the Cheetahs match against the Saders for strategies on how to shut down SBW. But will they bother? No way because PdV is way too arrogant and short-sighted to ever do some homework. He will just say to Morne “ja Morne man just skop en jag my boy and it will be lekker”. Watch the Boks go down like a cheap hooker again this weekend.
17 Aug 2011, 01:52 am
PdV is at it again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAjWIO2p92E&feature=related
17 Aug 2011, 01:55 am
If he improves the pass to JDV, so he can run onto it, we will see a massive change – but the only 10s to make great passes to 12 ,in the recent past, have been Lambie and Peter Grant. Last week JDV was catching it behind him, below his knees, etc. Makes him look bad. Also Morne’s kicking for touch needs to improve – its been poor for sometime, misses close to 1 penalty touchfinder per test match (remember Soweto?) – make sure 1st Morne
The rest is probably ok, as far as 10′s go (if the forwards go forward)
And yes, the #9′s pass can completely dictate the form of the #10 – similarly the #10 pass to #12
17 Aug 2011, 02:48 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-9:
“perhaps the best in world rugby” – the bok pack? not a chance.
17 Aug 2011, 03:02 am
Both of Big T its teams lost in the weekend, and now he’s claiming the Bokke pack is the best around but they got beat up by the yellow bellies last Saturday who got absolutely monstered by the AB pack at Eden park.
17 Aug 2011, 03:04 am
You can put Quade Cooper at 10 with Daniel Carter @ 12 and Digby Ione @ 13 for the Boks under Snor’s game-plan and they still won’t make any line-breaks…
The outside backs under Morne Steyn this 3N and behind a ‘B’ team pack saw more ball, more line-breaks and more play-makers passes than when Lambie started with JDJ on his outside (we were told by the ‘experts’ on here that this would not be the case)… but even more worryingly… with Butch James, the first choice pack and backs… the Morne Steyn lead Boks blitzed the ‘A’ team in every regard of backline play!
These articles are ridiculous emotive rubbish in context with what actually goes on in the field!
17 Aug 2011, 03:05 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-9:
Do you know NO SHAME ?!
even your Comrades…
@Samba Bok(JayDaFiveOh)-11:
….can smell a rat when they see one.
17 Aug 2011, 03:08 am
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-15:
didnt you love it when the Walla’s ran that set move to target Spies’ weak left shoulder ? and Elsom just waded through…..
Elsom has looked p*sspoor vs ABs, and everyone, for 2 seasons. And then Michelin Man gave him a leg-up.
17 Aug 2011, 03:41 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-18:
Yip Elsom was a ghost at the garden of Eden, how can Steyn be the no 1 FB in SA he’s fat, has a bad haircut and can’t kick lets hope the PDV circus continues to pick him though, think the boys might get up this weekend if they do the Bokke will be in disarray especially old Cab with his ” this team will beat any team anywhere” line that we have heard every day for the last wo years.
17 Aug 2011, 03:48 am
Big t it has no shame as he now thinks poaching is acceptable, after Englands performance against Wales its clear that poaching 2nd rate foreigners will not work, England are not a good rugby side.
17 Aug 2011, 04:33 am
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-19:
He’s a naturally huge lad for starters and has more than likely been spending too much time in the gym recently pumping iron and not enough on cardio as well as no game-time in over 2 months… all of this a product of Peter De Villiers… who has only recently after 4 years at the helm added a pro-conditioning coach (Jake Whites) go figure!
http://www.rugby365.com/cm_pics/tournaments/2502-5550-5781-0_2612012b.jpg
Being a ‘fatty’ (eye is in the beer-holder) has not stopped Piri ‘Pork Pie’ Weepu from performing…
17 Aug 2011, 04:35 am
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-20:
Poaching?
Globalisation deems that anyone with citizenship has the right to represent their new country… Kiwi’s should be the first to understand this… particularly one living in China eh?
17 Aug 2011, 04:46 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-9:
hahahaha
OMG, that takes the cake that post.
It shows you blow SA balls on this website.
Morne does not pass the ball so you cant blame whoever plays at 12 for that.
As for the best pack in the world, thats a joke. I dont even think the abs have the best pack in the world but they will give the boks a hiding at the breakdowns etc,as they have done over the last few years.
17 Aug 2011, 05:16 am
@Hurricane(Hurricane)-23:
“Morne does not pass the ball ”
See post…
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-16:
On the pack oh I agree with you…
17 Aug 2011, 05:21 am
‘There are many areas of my game that I want to improve. My kicking game has not been up to standard. I slipped some tackles overseas as well. My attacking game could improve a bit, I must vary my play more on attack, in other words decide when to play flat, deep or kick the ball. Hopefully I can find some form this weekend.’
Yup one can switch on form and rectify all these things in one game
‘De Villiers will never forget the match-winning feats of Morné Steyn in the 2009 British & Irish Lions series and subsequent Tri-Nations. It was the boot of Steyn that effectively kept De Villiers in the job.’
Well if they had a better distributor of the ball and rather scored tries instead then they wouldn’t have needed to rely solely on a goal kicker.
17 Aug 2011, 07:03 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-22:
Directed at Big t it who went on about it for years until England started doing it and now its ok, I don’t have a problem with it but the Pomie git did a full U-turn on the issue.
17 Aug 2011, 07:05 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-21:
Well Steyn needs to start performing then but I’m happy for him to start as he doesn’t pose much of a threat with the boot or by the looks of it ball in hand.
17 Aug 2011, 07:19 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-17: big hit is a bigger con job than PDV , the other 2 stooges and Plod put together…..what an absolute bulls hit Bertie….
17 Aug 2011, 07:22 am
@grant10(grant10)-28:
Who’s going to win this weekend mate, any thoughts?
17 Aug 2011, 07:29 am
@grant10(grant10)-28:
You could only dream of being half as balanced a poster that BigHit has been over the years on Keo and elsewhere…
17 Aug 2011, 07:30 am
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-29: Well the Boks will probably put up a better display than last Sat, I had the dubious honour of being at the Tank to witness the insipid 2 nd half and arguably the biggest tsunami turbo reverse scrum with the great Aura once again posing as a tighthead…..
however the M Steyn at 10 has signalled bok intentions, it is a great turbo reverse into the Laager of skop en jag and pray…..so I am totally devastated about that.
Guthro and W alberts are pretty mucg rusty so that will be interesting as well.
All Blacks may play with some freedom as well…..
All in all an absolute must win for boks confidence but kiwis need the win in order to avoid a tough final vs aussies….
really tough call…..
17 Aug 2011, 07:31 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-30: give me some hope ….tell me the stats say we were actually the better team last sat….tell me the stats say we never actually tsunami turboed with your mate at 3….please assist me money man….
17 Aug 2011, 07:32 am
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-26: those were mixed teams that took on Wales, these are World Cup warm-ups. The real team will play Ireland in Dublin on the 27th. I don’t think poaching is acceptable, they weren’t poaches anyway, there were no school scholarships offered, just some unwanted players who worked hard for their clubs and earned a few caps, most of whom won’t be going to the World Cup. Anyway, as of April the RFU have blocked uncapped foreign players coming into the Prem so the door is now firmly closed.
17 Aug 2011, 07:34 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-30: all i have read from BH is a load of kak……only agree with him on Butch at 10 and JDV being an issue at 12….
nice chap but fark me he seems to know f all….a bit like this stats reliant wally I see on this site…
17 Aug 2011, 07:35 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-33: still believe Brussow is superfulous?
17 Aug 2011, 07:41 am
@grant10(grant10)-32:
Well speak to your mate PDV as to why he would even consider playing Smit at TH again… not too mention after a spirited performance at hooker for the first half… beggars belief… but that’s what you get with him as head-coach…
As an aside as one of Sydney Morning Herald’s scribes wrote… he found it interesting all the scrum’s woes were being blamed solely on Smit… and none of the other 7 (including BDP)…
But my above point stands…
17 Aug 2011, 07:42 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-16:
agreed, you more often than not are pretty spot on in your posts. it amazes me that so many of the guys who post here can say things that often beggars belief. how they come to their conclusions, if one assumes that they watched the matches in question with an open mind and concentrated analyses, is beyond me.
17 Aug 2011, 07:45 am
@grant10(grant10)-35: he’s a good option, but I think his effectiveness largely depends upon interpretation of the laws. I think what’s important for any team centred around its forward pack such as SA, Eng, Arg etc is winning the collisions.
17 Aug 2011, 07:47 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-30:
well, you have to give him points for the consistency on his js issues.
but then subtract those points and some for the consistency on his js issues…
17 Aug 2011, 07:54 am
@grant10(grant10)-31:
Were you guys sitting in decent seats just off the press-boxes?
17 Aug 2011, 07:56 am
I can’t believe PDV has subjected us to the Skop en Jag artist. Morne is going to hoof the first ball he gets into the air and/or attempt a drop goal in the first 5 minutes this saturday. What a joke of a “fly-half”.
17 Aug 2011, 07:57 am
@we have it on good authority that on september 11, a legend will rise…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-37:
We can only try and ‘help’… but as Jinx2 said yesterday… something to the effect that he only comes here for the ‘over-emotiveness’ (sic) and melee of the posters… not for their insight nor objectiveness… (or something to that effect)…
17 Aug 2011, 07:57 am
Last chance for Morné to shine
17 Aug 2011- My prediction: He won’t as much pass, or distribute the ball, as he will just shovel it on to JDV to crash it up, if he tries something unexpected (an inside pass, a step) it will be so telegraphed as to be laughable, he’ll slip as many tackles as he makes, but he will kick goals at 80% (at least in SA, much less in NZ).
How often do you have to see the same movie before you know how it’s going to end? Now give Lambie a shot, for crying out loud
17 Aug 2011, 08:06 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-36: well seems it was Smit….because when jannie came on next 2 scrums rock solid….but continue making excuses for fatman….lets see how you feel when we cant get out of wc pool….you as big a bul l **** artist as BH….an apologist of note……
17 Aug 2011, 08:07 am
@The Bok Identity(The Bok Identity)-41:
ja, that right. he ws all about the jokes in 2009 wasn’t he?…1 tri nations title, 1 bi/lions series and three super titles, guy….what a ffukkin joke that is.
in time we’ll look back at the careers of grant, lambie, jantjes et al…hope they’ll have a better showing.
p.s.: morne will win us the world cup…mark my words…
17 Aug 2011, 08:10 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-40: in a box behind the poles ut surrounded by tvs and some real shark heavyweights…..I cant say much of what I was told as that would be unfair…..but lets just say my feelings around plod were reinforced 100 fold…..
and I am talking inner sanctum heavyweights…..
Lets just say Bissy is revered …..amd no more from me on that….
17 Aug 2011, 08:11 am
@we have it on good authority that on september 11, a legend will rise…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-45: ag man …MSteyn will cost us a WC….you blind bat…
17 Aug 2011, 08:12 am
@we have it on good authority that on september 11, a legend will rise…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-45: and 2010….and 2011….???
17 Aug 2011, 08:12 am
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-9:
effective enough to win is all most of us are hoping for…any more effective would just be a bonus.
17 Aug 2011, 08:13 am
@Stiff-arm(Stiff-arm)-43: amen …amen to you!!
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