Steyn’s the man for Meyer
27 Feb 2012
RYAN VREDE says there is no reason to believe that Heyneke Meyer will look beyond Morne Steyn as his flyhalf for the Springboks.
At his unveiling as Springboks coach in January, Heyneke Meyer spoke about giving every player a fair opportunity to state his case for selection. There would be no preconceived ideas about players, he said. Every player would have an equal opportunity of advancing their cause.
Meyer’s integrity is sound and there is no reason to doubt the authenticity of that offering. However, through conversations with him it is apparent that he has an acute sense of the weight of expectation. This sense will heighten as his first on-field assignment, a three-Test series against England in June, draws closer.
Meyer has been portrayed as the saviour of the Springboks. But he is like every coach that has preceded him, who, in the high-pressure results-driven environment, will back players he trusts and knows and who fit into his game plan.
Steyn is at the head of that queue and with his performance against the Sharks in Pretoria on Friday he exhibited why, barring injury or stupendous form from one of the other South African flyhalves, he will be the incumbent No 10 for the England series.
With just over a week to prepare his players for their first Test Meyer will not gamble by experimenting with an untested game plan or an unfamiliar pivot. The Bulls showed just how difficult it is to counter their pattern if they are accurate in execution. Central to its success is the timing, weight and placement of up-and-unders and the accuracy of tactical punts into space and touch.
At present there is no player to match Steyn in these disciplines, while he is one of the pre-eminent goal kickers on the planet. Youngsters Pat Lambie and Elton Jantjies are undoubtedly gifted, but their franchise coaches have very different rugby philosophies to Meyer and this is manifested in the manner they are asked to play.
Given more time under Meyer’s mentorship both could be engineered into the type of flyhalf he prefers. Indeed they have the potential to offer him more than Steyn can because of their natural feel for the game and broader attacking arsenal.
However, Steyn’s presence and potency is crucial but not imperative for the Springboks. For the Bulls he is the fulcrum and any prolonged absence would almost certainly render them significantly less threatening opponents. Both Louis Fouche and Lionel Cronje, the Bulls’ deputy pivots, are far more adept at running the ball than they are at kicking it.
Furthermore, any injury to Steyn would have been softened if they had a scrumhalf with a high-quality kicking game. But Francois Hougaard’s extensive repertoire does not include kicking of the standard required in the context of this argument.
Don’t be surprised if Steyn plays all of the Bulls’ matches this season. Such is his importance to them.
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115 Comments
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27 Feb 2012, 10:10 am
According to this sundays rapport the assistant coaches will be announced this week…
27 Feb 2012, 10:11 am
@Nick Armstrong(Nick Armstrong)-22:
One problem. With FdP at 9, he controls the rhythm and space that the 10 operates in, which reduces the 10s decision making ability. Whilst he would probably be a superb mentor for someone like Goosen, he would also stifle his individual talent and growth, in my opinion.
27 Feb 2012, 10:14 am
@RL(RL)-47: Maybe Sadie was a blow cause they had to remix the backs. I think they decided lets win , go back to what we know. They lost Chilley and Dean as well.
Bizzy has to rethink his rugby , he is a walking penalty machine, he is only worried to show he’s stonger than you. however he got hammered by the Kirsten , I don’t think anyone has ever tackled him so hard , he stayed down.
How about the forward pass in the Shark try.
27 Feb 2012, 10:15 am
@RL(RL)-47:
yes, and was it mvovo on the sharks right?
they obviously don’t rate him under the ball as the bulls were kicking on him from the start.
27 Feb 2012, 10:18 am
@David(David)-52:
I agree, you need a young player to mature as a flyhalf, by playing flyhalf and learning from other flyhalves. If Steyn didnt have Du Preez so long beside him, he might have developed other skills to make him a more rounded flyhalf…
27 Feb 2012, 10:31 am
Don`t you guys think this kid belongs at the bulls http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EGjypwnzKc This kick was at 68 meters and the second one at 63 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouvq4kMByPA. He is 18 years old playing for a club in despatch eastern cape!!! Was almost signed by the sharks after cravenweek last year but broke his collarbone just before he had to go for a final trial !!!!
27 Feb 2012, 10:44 am
Sadly,Steyn is the man.I don’t believe the other contenders are up to international standard yet.
27 Feb 2012, 10:50 am
short memories guys…Steyn was exposed last year. Simples.
27 Feb 2012, 10:53 am
@stormerforlife(stormerforlife)-57: Don’t understand why this should saden you? I also dont understand the need for a flyhalf debate. Steyn has never let the Bulls or SA down. On the contrary, he has single-handedly pulled games out the fire that we should have lost. Sure, he is not a flair player, but I rather stake my fate on a guy that deliver the percentages as apposed tho one that looks good but cant win you games. At least we are blessed to know that there are at least 5 or 6 youngsters who show enough potential to act as his understudy.
27 Feb 2012, 11:16 am
The only thing separating Steyn and the other flyhalves is his boot. Lambie was brave until he caught a stray knee from Gryeling after tackling Flip van der Merwe and still managed to stay on the field. Lambie’s only weekness is his kicking at goal. I though Johan Goosen had a blinder of a game. Kick goals from 60 m out and were incredible on attack. His only short coming is that he has an tendency to knock himself out in the tackle. I saw him do it in the Currie cup last year and he did again on Saturday. The cheetahs looked like they were going to win until he got injured. I can see why Drotsky likes this kid, the difference between him and Ebersohm was night and day. I also think that Jantjies did really well and his tackling was solid and his movement was really sharp. I don’t think we should bank on Steyn for the future, we need to start backing these youngsters.
27 Feb 2012, 11:23 am
I use to say Johan Goosen is the Tendulkar of rugby! but Tendulkar last scored runs when he ate a dodgy samoosa in India 5 years ago …. I’d rather say Goosen is the Barcelona or Man U of rugby!
27 Feb 2012, 11:27 am
Best two flyhalfs this weekend played against each other on Saturday evening. Jantjies and Goosen were both in wonderful form.
27 Feb 2012, 11:28 am
@kingcorn(kingcorn)-60: Did you see his tackle on Ashley Johnson? Stopped him dead and well behind the advantage line. That made Minnie’s turnover that night.
@Beast(Beast)-59:
“Steyn has never let the Bulls or SA down”
Clearly you havent watched the Boks from 2009 year-end tour until world cup 2011. Steyn was nowhere!
27 Feb 2012, 11:31 am
Jantjies did well when Goosen went off! & when he was sin binned …. Goosen was magic ….
27 Feb 2012, 11:35 am
@Sharks101(Sharks101)-56:
Why not leave him with the Kings. This will continue to be the major reason why the Kings remain uncompetitive without A Franchise to keep and attract players, whilst the other Franchise unions bolster their squads at the Kings expense.
27 Feb 2012, 11:37 am
Goosen is easily knocked out.
If he keeps going like that he will be lucky if he remembers how to tie his shoelaces in 5 years time.
27 Feb 2012, 11:37 am
Bloues – I agree with ouyr comment on Morne being more expansive with a decent 12 his inside. At the RWC the Bok backline looked very healthy with Frans Steyn/J Fourie at centre. Frans Steyn has to play 12 for the Boks, too much impact too ignore, infact he fixed the entire backline!!!
27 Feb 2012, 12:05 pm
@BWA(Dusktill)-61: Both those football teams are about to lose their titles! Maybe the goose should just be himself first ,and in the mean time replace his glass head with a steel one.
27 Feb 2012, 12:13 pm
With the new laws that grant flyhalfs more space to operate in, you need somebody with pace, that can take the ball flat, good distrubution in contact and good tactical kicking. Steyn might hold on to the Springbok jersey for the next two years, but then I think it could be either Jantjies, Goosen or Lambie. Look at what a difference players like Cruden and Cooper makes for their teams, bet it at international level or or Super 15. I would hat to see the boks play like the bulls did on Saturday. Goosen is only 19 at the moment so I think it would be good to have in the system and groom him for the future. I agree that Steyn is a safe bet, bet even though he had a 90% kicking success rate over the last 2 years, his kicking still didn’t win us games. We need a backline that can fire on all cylinders and bring the most out of the players outside of him. We seem to score more tries when lambie came on the field. The same can be said for Frans, but I would like to have my most lethal backline on the field, and be in favour to run with the ball and kick with purpose than just kicking the ball up in the air. 9. Hougaard, 10 Goosen, 11, Aplon, 12 Frans Steyn, 13 Jacque Fourie, 14 Pietersen, 15 Taute
27 Feb 2012, 12:18 pm
@David(David)-65:
welcome to pro sport.
anyway the kings have Earl Rose now.
Their fly half worries are over.
27 Feb 2012, 12:27 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-70: Wasn’t the Earl of Rose also banned from the Kingdom? Or did they give him a contract?
27 Feb 2012, 12:32 pm
M Steyn is the perfect 10 to have on the bench. Will be interesting to see who of Lambie, Janjes and Goosen is the 1 standing tallest come the first Bok test.
PS think Goosen has a couple of seasons still to go after watching him on Saturday, loads of talent but needs to work on his decision making
27 Feb 2012, 12:49 pm
Earl Rose didn’t get the contract at the Kings.
I remember him having unbranded headgear when he played SA U/21 and was told he had to wear Canterbury branded headgear. The entire team was given CCC headgear for the tour.
He didn’t like the fit of the headgear given and decided to paint the “CCC” freehand on his unbranded one.
27 Feb 2012, 12:49 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-71:
Dorothy brought him back.
27 Feb 2012, 12:52 pm
@Jeraldjay(Jeraldjay)-73:
happens all the time.
bret schultz used to paint 3 stripes on his bowling boots.
27 Feb 2012, 12:53 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-62: Think Goosen needs to work on his decision making, although an awesome talent
27 Feb 2012, 12:56 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-75: And ET paints M3 onto all the cars he’s ever owned. Even the Pulsar.
27 Feb 2012, 12:57 pm
brett schultz – now there is one crazy son of a …..
27 Feb 2012, 13:00 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-77: HAHAHAHAHAHA
Classic.
27 Feb 2012, 13:01 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-77:
extraball was born with racing stripes.
27 Feb 2012, 13:02 pm
Steyn is important, simply because Saffa is yet to produce visionary backline coaches. The likes of Eddie Jones, Steve Hansen, etc who’ll preach efficient utilising of space, stepping from both feet, quick off the mark excelleration, passing off both hands, etc.
All of this worked into adaptable game plans.
Our coaching (especially from provincial level onwards) seems to stifle creative progress.
27 Feb 2012, 13:07 pm
On a different note – Kirchner was shockingly pedestrian, my goodness! He didn’t do alot wrong, but when receiving the ball in space, could not advance beyond the advantage line.
27 Feb 2012, 13:13 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-80: He’s also owns the only Nissan Sentra WRX STi in the world. You’ve got to know people for that sht.
27 Feb 2012, 13:18 pm
Ryan if you havent noticed Springbok rugby has been crying out for a flyhalf who can actually break the advantage line, someone who takes the ball at pace attacking the line. NOT someone who recieves the ball so far behind our advantage line!
Yes Steyn can kick make no mistake about that.
But its about time that you expand your vision past the Voortrekker Monument and your boss peeps over table mountain for once and you’ll realise there are actually other rugby players in the country.
Goosen kicks just as well as Steyn and Jantjies attackes the line like no other flyhalf in the country at the moment! he is also deadly with the boot, Lambie is a complete flyhalf who will not let you down! Its time for new blood in the Bok side starting at Flyhalf.
27 Feb 2012, 13:20 pm
@Pot Blou Gevaar(Pot Blou Gevaar)-82:
indeed he was kak as he was for most of last season.
we need to break the bank and sign franke steyn.
but the bulls are short on absas.
27 Feb 2012, 13:22 pm
#53 Capebull I remember watching i am sure it was a CC game last year bulls v sharks and the bulls scrum was being shoved all over the place(i cannot remember who was the bulls tighthead that game) and pienaar subbed the tighthead and brought on frik kirsten at tighthead and almost singlehandedly destroyed the sharks scrum,and after that game i think he got a bad neck injury,and was out for the rest of the season and i thought to my self what a pity as this bloke is a Powerful scrummer.I was happy to see him back in cotention on saturday and if he is over that neck injury i think he is good enough to take werner kruger`s place in the super rugby team.
27 Feb 2012, 13:44 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-85:
.
We’re talking Matfield type money now,
If the union remotely was thinking of bringing Fransie to Loftus, I’d think most of us would want to see him @ 12.
27 Feb 2012, 14:20 pm
@Pot Blou Gevaar(Pot Blou Gevaar)-87:
sure but it would be worth it.
venter looks good at 12.
we could save on oliviers 2 bar a year.
steyn would be superb at 15 for the bulls.
I’s also like to see lionel cronje get a run there.
27 Feb 2012, 14:49 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-88:
Valid points Gunther.
Fransie would be the Christmas signing. If not, I’m of the opinion that Cronje’s left boot could be the perfect foil to Morne’s right. We live in hope, and the boys have options. Time to settle on combo’s – PS. Venter had a few deft touches in the midfield, prospect for the future no doubt.
27 Feb 2012, 14:50 pm
Goosen for me, thank you.
27 Feb 2012, 14:53 pm
Lambie offers no attacking qualities at test level and merely average at Super level. Jantjies will never cope with the physicality of test rugby. He offers very little as a poor man’s Carlos Spencer. Not even Spencer himself could hack it at test level. Morne is the best all round 10 out there. His ability with the boot and ball in hand is far beyond the rest of the 10s in SA. Goosen is the only candidate for test rugby, but even he still has much to prove. In short, only a shortsighted buffoon would go for Lambie or Jantjies. And that baffoon would fail. Lambie is a very poor 10, but a world class 15. End of story.
27 Feb 2012, 14:54 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-88: Fransie is a terrible to average 15. A specialist 12 only, and that is where he must play.
27 Feb 2012, 14:57 pm
Vrede you will be the first to crucify Meyer for the selection of Steyn if his defensive channel is exposed against the Poms (which by the way, it shouldn’t, as they don’t have very strong ball carriers to be utilised around the fringes at current).
Steyn is the safe bet and could start or warm the bench, but against England I am prepared to take some risks and give Goosen decent game time.
Everything Steyn can do, Goosen can match at least.
27 Feb 2012, 14:59 pm
@Alucard(Alucard)-91: I was disappointed with Lambie on the weekend. I thought his alignment was very good, but he set his backline away in diagonal fashion.
And he had his fair share of front foot ball, I thought the Sharks did well to match the Bulls in the collisions.
The reality is that the Sharks were a lot more threatening and direct when Bosman moved to pivot.
27 Feb 2012, 14:59 pm
@willievz(willievz)-93: Morne is our best defensive 10, aside from Butch. Last year he was knocking back locks and stood very form against the pacific islanders. It’s a myth that he can’t tackle. I be more worried about Lambie or Jantjies there. Lambie is a lightweight to afraid to man up on defence there and Jantjies will be the new Pretorious revolving door.
27 Feb 2012, 15:01 pm
@willievz(willievz)-94: For the Boks Lambie repeatedly puts the backline under pressure. His alignment can be very poor there. He has no feel for the position. The only time he looks remotely world class is at 15, he becomes a completely different animal there.
27 Feb 2012, 15:14 pm
@willievz(willievz)-90:
fries with that goose willie?
27 Feb 2012, 15:37 pm
You pick Goosen, Lambie, Jantjes et al. in the starting berth, and be prepared to suffer the consequences. IMO, I’d have Jantjes as he attacks the gain line with more verve then the other greenhorns – if we’re to believe that those credentials of Morne is dead all together.
In the end, at least two of these boys need to make the step up as natural successors in the test arena.
But two things to consider with the Bulls/ Morne
1. Bulls was right on par in the try scoring stakes when we had Louden as backline coach as uppose to Slappes. So I’d question guys like Muir’s, etc coaching ability.
2. Steyn being seen as the running option when Derrick Hougaard monopolised the 10 jersey. Hougaard left Saffa shores, while Steyn showed a more complete set of skills and temperament.
Just saying Keolings. Gameplan, etc dictates a lot of what’s on show. Ashton’s Pom side made it to the 2007 showpiece with TOBY FLOOD @ pivot.
27 Feb 2012, 15:57 pm
No big surprise here from Meyer
The Hougaard-Styen combo was a complete failure in 2010 Test season but that was under PdV and JS watch
Meyer will work the combo to be more effective, the tired scenario of Styen receiving the ball deep and kicking diagonally long ups and unders may not repeat itself, with the likes of Dagg, Jane, Maitland, Mitchell, Beale and few more waiting in anticipation.
27 Feb 2012, 16:00 pm
@Alucard(Alucard)-91:
I said last week that Michalak will intentionall ruin Lambie at Loftus to reclaim the 10′s spot and nothing happened on Friday for me to revise that bold statement.
Lambie and Hoffman will get the Sharks going,
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