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
Pages: [1] 2 » Show All
20 Mar 2012, 08:40 am
good as he is… he can’t be their lone dragon…
20 Mar 2012, 10:20 am
reds to finally get torn a new one.
20 Mar 2012, 10:25 am
Mere lip-service… Genia is nowhere a threat at 10 with all the play-makers out injured…
Bulls must be stoked…
20 Mar 2012, 10:37 am
“the standard Fourie set for scrumhalves” ….when was this standard set… during RWC 2007?
’cause that’s when imo Fourie was a cut above the other scrummies…and just above the Argies scrummie who I think also played well in 2007…
I agree with Skop, in the past coupla years, Genia has been the man to topple at the top…
20 Mar 2012, 10:44 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-3: I doubt Genia will play flyhalf – he will play scrumhalf.
20 Mar 2012, 10:54 am
Is it really a setback to have Stegmann out?
20 Mar 2012, 11:04 am
@Kietzphat(Kietzphat)-6: At Super 15 level yes.
20 Mar 2012, 11:05 am
Cant see the reds winning this one. Cmon Bulls by 10.
20 Mar 2012, 11:38 am
@kaksioek(kaksioek)-5:
Wait for it… with so many play-makers injured… rumours have it the Reds are going to play Samo back on the wing with Frisbee @9 and Genia @10…
20 Mar 2012, 11:46 am
What kind of a name is Frisbee anyway?
20 Mar 2012, 11:56 am
Wonder who will play in Steggies place?
20 Mar 2012, 12:12 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-11: what happened to that Tecklenburg fella?
20 Mar 2012, 12:14 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-12:
Don’t know. I would pick him.
20 Mar 2012, 12:17 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-12:
he’s a good un.
netter than cj stander at 6.
20 Mar 2012, 12:20 pm
Also, Arno Botha is supposed to be ready about now.
I would go Potgieter and Tecklenburg to start. With Stander coming on for Potgieter in the last 30. Potgieter’s concentration takes a nose dive when he gets tired.
20 Mar 2012, 12:24 pm
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-9: I think they should play Frisbee at 10 and Genia at 9. Genia will be more effective in his favoured position and can control the game from there. Frisbee can just kick or pass the few balls Genia gives him.
20 Mar 2012, 12:26 pm
Would play Stander ahead of Potgieter…
20 Mar 2012, 12:40 pm
Breaking News:
Deon Steggman will not be fit in time for this weekend’s game.
20 Mar 2012, 12:44 pm
How can Bulls fans not know what happened to Tecklenberg
What kind of fanclub have I joined
20 Mar 2012, 12:47 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-19: You haven’t “joined” until you’ve had your septum pierced for a 3-inch brass ring.
20 Mar 2012, 12:50 pm
S like asking what happened to Fudge.
No-one knows!
20 Mar 2012, 12:53 pm
Tecklenberg is playing in the Vodacom cup
20 Mar 2012, 12:58 pm
Why are all the good players shunted to Vodacom.
Greek is another one.
20 Mar 2012, 13:05 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-19:
Hehe.
He disappeared off the radar, and as I’m not resident in Pretoria, I’m not “affay” (no idea how you spell that) with the club scene there. I therefore don’t know anything that I don’t read in the media, on the Bulls site, or here on Keo.
In my part of the world though, I’m exposed to all kinds of rumours, whispers, and information which the Kings of Transformation aka as just the “Kings” for short, don’t want revealed to the wider world.
Hence the way I expose poor Trannies team of 200 000 hunter fetchers as the sham they are, headed by their massive salary earning King Luke the Great and his daddy, Emperor Cheeky, the First of his Dynasty.
20 Mar 2012, 13:12 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-24: au fait
20 Mar 2012, 13:18 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-24: If Luke’s on 3 mil, as the rumour has it, what does his daddy take home?
Luke going over to the dark side had very little to do with the soppy story sold to us on the official Watson/HSM press releases at the time.
20 Mar 2012, 13:20 pm
It’s time to turn Loftus into a fortress again. Losing to the Blues should never happen. Never, ever.
20 Mar 2012, 13:20 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-24:
We’re all ears.
20 Mar 2012, 13:22 pm
@seamus(seamus)-27: Is that the female of a fort?
20 Mar 2012, 14:46 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-18: Breaking News: while Tac is busy yacking off about Luke
Utility forward Gerrit-Jan van Velze – a stalwart for the Bulls at Vodacom Cup level over the past few years – will leave Loftus to play for Northampton in the UK, according to a report in the Northampton Chronicle.
Details are sketchy at this stage as to the timing of the move – as well as the criteria under which van Velze qualifies to play in the UK. My assumption is that, like lock Adriaan Fondse, he must presumably have a Dutch passport in his top drawer.
After excelling as a loose forward for the Bulls at junior level, van Velze has struggled to make the step up and was deployed without much success as a makeshift lock during last year’s Currie Cup.
Speaking ahead of his move to the Saints, the 1.92m van Velze told the Chronicle that “I’m lucky enough to have got the opportunity to come here and take my career to the next level. We see a lot of the games in South Africa with Saints being one of the biggest clubs, so we all know of the team and how it plays.
“I’ll be filling big boots, that’s for sure.”
20 Mar 2012, 14:49 pm
Good gravy train that’s a lot of zar for Luke
20 Mar 2012, 14:59 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-30: @Dawn(Dawn)-31:
Good move for Van Velze. He has indeed struggled to make the step up. Not for any lack of dedication or character.
He is just too small for lock, and too slow for loose forward, at the highest level.
Hope he does well in the UK. He has served us well over the years.
20 Mar 2012, 14:59 pm
I see the Lions are offering tickets cheaply for the weekend’s game against the Stormers.
2 for the price of 1 I see.
Scholars in uniform R10 behind the posts.
@Dawn(Dawn)-31: He must have been earning about GBP450 – 500 000 at Bath. Much more possibly even.
20 Mar 2012, 15:00 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-32: Ja the slower game up North may well suit him perfectly.
20 Mar 2012, 15:01 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-34:
Any news from Tank on those Repucom stats, or does he only publish them on weekends when they show his team to be in the lead?
20 Mar 2012, 15:03 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-30:
He’s the kakkest out of the young loosies coming out of the Bulls so I’m not surprised he’s going. Probably about to be let go anyway.
Theyve still got
Pottie
Other Pottie
Stegman
Botha
Stander
Spies
AN Other.
Always thought Van Velze was average.
20 Mar 2012, 15:05 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-33: well the Cheetahs were selling tickets for their match vs Bulls for R20 to Free State university students…pathetic man.
20 Mar 2012, 15:07 pm
@John Galt(John Galt)-36: Tac & Skop rated van velze.
20 Mar 2012, 15:10 pm
the three bar is just luke’s pocket money for mowing cheekies lawn.
he also gets match fees for the half dozen games he plays every year too.
then of course there is the motivational speaking and the sales form the What Would Luke Do bracelets.
As well as his self help book for bulemics.
All in all a tidy sum.
remember your rand goes a long way in the eastern cape.
20 Mar 2012, 15:19 pm
Plus I’m sure Luke and Cheeky qualify for Lotto funding too.
20 Mar 2012, 15:27 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-39: “then of course there is the motivational speaking and the sales form the What Would Luke Do bracelets.” you should’ve been at the Exclusive Books in Walmer Park when the “Return of the King’ issue of SA Rugby mag was put on sale, he had “signing” for fans, it was packed full, the queue was snaking out of the shop…
i laughed and passed on to Woolies
20 Mar 2012, 15:38 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-41:
Come now. I shop at that store a lot, and I’ve never seen a queue there. They were probably bussed in from their hilltop villages, temporarily leaving the hunter fetching duties to their wives.
20 Mar 2012, 15:45 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-42: it was wit mense
tl tl tl tl…
20 Mar 2012, 15:51 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-41:
are you joking or did this really happen?
20 Mar 2012, 15:55 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-42: well, Luke doesn’t do magazine signings every day
20 Mar 2012, 15:55 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-40:
funny you should mention that.
cheeky wins the lotto once a month.
it’s uncanny.
20 Mar 2012, 15:59 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-43:
Stupidity knows no racial boundaries.
20 Mar 2012, 16:06 pm
20 Mar 2012, 16:09 pm
@welcome to my life, hugh…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-44: i’m for real dude, it was even in the Herald & Weekend Post
20 Mar 2012, 16:12 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-35: I thought I’d leave the stats up to you. Didn’t you get the memo?
Besides. I already know what it is going to say
And the reason for the “queue” outside the shop was that only one person was allowed in at a time.
Luke’s ego filled the room.
Half the people were just standing in line to buy back to school supplies.
Pages: [1] 2 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.