Steyn warns of Genia’s threat
20 Mar 2012
Morne Steyn says the Reds’ Will Genia is quickly closing in on the standard Fourie du Preez set for scrumhalves and adds he will be the Bulls’ priority when the sides meet this weekend.
Du Preez, who left the Bulls last year to take up a contract with Japanese club Suntory Sungoliath, had often spoken of the Reds’ No 9 in glowing terms. He praised his distribution, decision-making under pressure and his tactical kicking. It is the latter attribute Steyn highlights as Genia’s most potent weapon.
‘There’s a perception the Reds run everything, but they play the percentages very well. Genia at No 9 is the reason for their ability to do this,’ Steyn told keo.co.za.
‘He and Fourie play very similar types of games. He just controls territory so well with his boot. The back three will have to get their positioning spot on to avoid being turned. Fourie is still in a class of his own but Genia is getting better with experience and I think he can be as good.’
Asked about the keys to nullifying Genia, Steyn said: ‘It is difficult to keep him completely quiet but a scrumhalf has limited influence if his pack is going backwards. We believe we have the pack of forwards to dominate theirs and that will go some way to reducing his influence. That said, he is a game breaker who can also create something out of nothing.’
The Reds have been hit by a string of injuries, most notably to flyhalf Mike Harris, who has already returned to Brisbane. Harris has been central to their success, converting the majority of the penalties they have created through pressure-building phase play and/or dominant defence. They have also dangerous winger Digby Ioane missing, his tip-tackle on Marcell Coetzee at the weekend earning him a five week suspension.
The Bulls have lost flank Deon Stegmann to injury but have been boosted by the return of midfielder Johann Sadie, who was injured in their opening match, while scrumhalf Francois Hougaard also makes a comeback following his one match ban for a dangerous tackle against the Cheetahs.
In light of the aforementioned points, the Bulls are widely expected to beat the defending champions at Loftus on Saturday. Steyn agreed that they are favourites but cautioned against underestimating the Reds.
‘We’ve been in situations like they have and pulled off wins against the odds,’ he said. ‘I don’t know how they will react to the setbacks but they are a team with a lot of character.’
Steyn added that the absentees are unlikely to influence their approach. ‘I don’t think they’ll play expansively,’ he said. ‘You saw how well they did by taking the Sharks on up front. The injuries came at bad times for them and so did Digby Ioane’s yellow card, so the result could have been very different.’
By Ryan Vrede
62 Comments
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20 Mar 2012, 16:13 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-45:
he’s going to be doing them once a month now that he is HSM’s star athlete.
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-42:
transie tends to get carried away where luke is concerned.
they probably wanted to see if he is as short as he looks on tv.
20 Mar 2012, 16:14 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-50: the bile is bad for you mate
20 Mar 2012, 16:16 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-51: as i say, i didn’t go into the store, i bought my copy of “return of the king” at the Spar
20 Mar 2012, 16:17 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-52: No bile. Just mild mockery.
He doesn’t affect me at all. Any more.
But on a positive note, I’ve always wondered who buys those mags in the first place.
I just page through them while my wife goes to Woolies to buy the necessaries.
20 Mar 2012, 16:29 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-54: i only ourchase ones with interviews with players i like…like when they interviewed sbura & siya kolisi in the same issue – double bonus
otherwise nah…
i paged through the heinrich one today @ lunch & put it back & bought the Mens’ Health with Hougaard on the cover.
20 Mar 2012, 16:54 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-55: Mens Health is a good mag,
20 Mar 2012, 16:57 pm
A Luke book signing is like a NUMSA rally. Amazing what a bunch of free T-shirts and KFC does for a turn-out.
20 Mar 2012, 19:57 pm
#27 SEAMUS I totally agree with you the way the bulls got beat by the blues at loftus is not acceptable,that was a game the bulls should have won as the blues are not a better team than them.If the bulls get beat by a better team at loftus,you just have to accept it,but to get beat like that by the blues is not good enough.
20 Mar 2012, 22:12 pm
Keo and journo’s
Guys I hope one of you sees this post!!! It is regarding a “prayer for little Mark Scott”
I read an article which to me was so sad ( in the you mag) also on FB,Twitter etc, although i have done an article on another site, i would like to ask as a blogger here if it is maybe possible to do the same here,My own article link is http://www.rugby-talk.com/2012/03/a-prayer-for-young-mark-scott/
I am requesting this from my own personal capacity and hope you can find it in ur hearts to do the same
Many thanks
21 Mar 2012, 06:28 am
Since I was induced back to mock and clear -up ,in the process, a messy situation I may as well expose one or two more that are so stupid in their attempts to be smartarses.
Good old Angerman, as always, will be an easy but naked exposure as he provides any amount of opportunities as manifested on the Habana thread with his post #145:
“its ok to disagree with someone but if you want to start with the epitaphs, then understand where you are headed ok?”
” epitaphs” ? Really , realy now?
n.
An inscription on a tombstone in memory of the one buried there.
A brief literary piece commemorating a deceased person.
Let us bury this poor fool already as he died when he lied to the Kiwis about racism starting only under NP rule in 1948, and later personally designated “Xhosas as dishonest”.
All that is left is carrion.
Lastly, WP-Broedertotdiedood for his consistency in proclaiming that he feels he knows everything about the majority people of the Western Cape as he does on the Grabouw issue. Yes the very people he classifies and exquisitely defines as “gam = low-class coloureds”.
Then again in another attempt to use up all opportunities to be the smartarse he sounds off on juices etc. He offers his knowledge on the American company Del Monte when the discussion was about the founders of Appletiser. Then is unsure whether they produce juices at all.
‘BroederWP’, you can step into any Walmart in any State of the U.S. of A. and buy Del Monte juice to your heart’s content , if you have the dollars. But it is all just lousy juice.
21 Mar 2012, 08:21 am
@ET.(ET.)-60:
America… what a ****-hole… good for whole hog pit and Southern bbq’ing… sweet fokal else…
21 Mar 2012, 08:41 am
Welcome back gamiet yopu are my fave low class cullart mos.
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