Back where he belongs
15 May 2012
Frans Steyn will be given the opportunity to take ownership of the Springbok No 12 jersey upon his return to South Africa.
Steyn has only started in 30 of his 47 Tests. Neither of his previous Test coaches has been sure of his best position, as he’s featured at flyhalf, wing, in the centres and fullback. Neither Jake White nor Peter de Villiers started Steyn in one position for more than five consecutive games.
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The good news is that the wild ride is over. There will be no roller-coaster, no uncertainty in 2012. No longer will Steyn’s talent go unappreciated or mismanaged. On the contrary, new Bok coach Heyneke Meyer intends to milk it for all its worth.
‘I don’t want to mess him around by playing him in every position, I want him to settle in one position and build some confidence,’ says Meyer. ‘In a crisis he can play elsewhere, but I believe he can perform a leading role at No 12.’
Meyer goes on to explain exactly why Steyn is such an asset to the Boks, while former Bok fullback Percy Montgomery talks about how a player’s ability to kick the ball further than anybody in the game can ultimately fracture even the most well-organised defence.
Also in the new issue:
Coenie Oosthuizen (page 54)
– Coenie Oosthuizen is a non-conformist who wants to redefine the role of a prop
– Heyeneke Meyer tells SA Rugby magazine why he chose his Bok assistant coaches and what his expectations are of them, while Rassie Erasmus explains his new role as Saru’s high performance general manager
– England restored their pride during the Six Nations but will have to raise their game significantly to beat the Springboks in South Africa, writes Stuart Barnes
– England No 8 Ben Morgan has made the most of his opportunity to play Test rugby
– Owen Farrell‘s path to the top has enabled him to cope with upheaval and stay cool under pressure
– Brad Barritt has turned his attention to the Springboks after making an encouraging start start to his Test career in the Six Nations
Brad Barritt (page 72)
– Siya Kolisi could become an important player for the Boks but shouldn’t be rushed into the Test line-up before he’s absolutely ready
– Hurricanes flyhalf Beauden Barrett has made the step up to Super Rugby with consummate ease
– Brumbies openside flank Michael Hooper could become one of the greats of the game
– SA Rugby magazine reviews the top schoolboy Easter rugby festivals held in April
– Having broken their Varsity Cup duck, Tuks want to dominate the tournament for years to come
– The Baby Boks are in a strong position to win the Junior World Championship title on home soil in June
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325 Comments
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15 May 2012, 11:59 am
@Superbru(Superbru)-81: I have to share you concern on the blue/pink thing. Concerned that Meyer will have a bit of bulls favouritism. We will have to wait and see. I posted a 67% Springbull side before. Something Like this.
15. Kirchner (Bulls)
14. Akona Ndungane (Bulls)
13. De Jongh (Stormers)
12. Olivier (Bulls)
11. Habana ( Stormers, but former Bull under Meyer)
10. M. Steyn (Bulls)
9. Hougaardt (Bulls)
8. Spies (Bulls) (C)
7. Stegman (Bulls)
6. Brussow ( Cheetahs)
5. Victor Matfield (Bulls, he did ask him to make a return)
4. Bekker. (Stormers)
3. Dean Greyling (Bulls)
2. Chilliboy (Bulls)
1. Beast. (Sharks)
Something like that. But i really hope not…
15 May 2012, 11:59 am
@rabooby(rabooby)-96: Also Sarel is a revolving door on defence (one of the reasons he can’t command a regular starting place at the Tahs) and you just can’t have that at international level. I’d have Vermaak before Pretorius every time.
15 May 2012, 12:01 pm
Here’s my Bok 22 for the first England game, taking injuries into consideration.
1. Mtwarira
2. Du Plessis
3. Kruger, W
4. Etsebeth
5. Bekker
6. Brussow
7. Alberts
8. Spies
9. Hougaard
10. Steyn, M
11. Habana
12. Steyn, F
13. De Villiers (c)
14. Petersen
15. Aplon
16. Ralepele
17. Kitshoff
18. Kruger
19. Kolisi
20. Pienaar
21. Lambie
22. De Jongh
I know Alberts is a big call, but he is class and will perform in the green and gold.
Same goes for Habana.
I’d bring Ruan back to cover Hougaard.
I’d move Jean out to 13 to accommodate Steyn at 12. He’s also be my captain.
I’m still a little undecided about Kitshoff or Coenie on the bench.
And I’d give Kolisi a start from the bench, as he can cover all three backrow spots.
Sadly no place for Basson, Taute, Mvovo.
15 May 2012, 12:02 pm
@THE MAULER(THE MAULER)-97:
he may well make the side seeing as how our backrowers are going down but for my money when all fully fit he is up against elstadt and j.potgieter for the 7 jersey at the moment. Throw in alberts who is addmittedly playing kak and i just do not see it for the next couple of seasons.
15 May 2012, 12:02 pm
Frans Steyn. Kan fokkol doen teen die Ozzies en NZ. Ek hoop hulle pick hom 12 vir die Bokke in die Tri Nations. The quicker everyone can see how overrated he is the better. Hondkak!
15 May 2012, 12:02 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-95: He’s been playing well for sure, but he is more of a 6 than a 7 and Brussow is the man in that jersey for me.
Also, I think Kolisi is better than him at the moment, I think Coetzee looks better because he has to shoulder the majority of the workload some games.
I’d go with Siya but maybe that’s my own provincial bias coming out.
15 May 2012, 12:04 pm
good lawd!
its times like these that fools will learn to live again,
its times like these you learn these fools above will never be given coaching jobs again and again…
15 May 2012, 12:06 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-103: Ja i could go with that team no problem.
I thought of Ruan as a utility back allowing us to play 5 forwards on the bench, but went for a 4-3 split.
I’d be reluctant to play Alberts at 7 because he just doesn’t seem to be able to shake his shoulder injury and that has shaken his confidence and affected his game too much IMO.
I could also go with either Kitshoff or Coenie much of a much-ness there.
15 May 2012, 12:07 pm
This from News 24:
London – Star names from 10 countries, including three Test centurions, feature in a 33-strong Barbarians’ squad for their three-match tour.
According to the official Barbarians website, the tour opener against England on May 27 will be followed by assignments against Ireland in Gloucester and Wales at the Millennium Stadium.
Latest additions to the squad announced include New Zealand’s most-capped fullback Mils Muliaina, South Africa’s Rugby World Cup-winning captain John Smit, Argentine points’ machine Felipe Contepomi and supercharged Leinster utility back Isa Nacewa.
Among the Barbarian debutants behind the scrum are Samoan duo Sailosi Tagicakibau and Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu and a home nations’ trio of Mike Tindall, Stephen Jones and Rory Lawson. Shane Williams is set to take his final curtain on the international stage when the Barbarians face Wales on June 2.
In an experienced pack Duncan Jones, John Afoa, John Beattie, Juan Manuel Leguizamon and Mick O’Driscoll also become BaaBaas for the first time.
The squad, which will be coached by All Blacks’ legend John Kirwan assisted by Grant Doorey, assembles in London on May 22.
15 May 2012, 12:08 pm
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-107: Foo Fighters for the WIN!!!!
15 May 2012, 12:08 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-93: have you watched Boots ‘b All lately? just KAK no other words describe that show, absolute s(hit. no objective analysis of anything.
i’m waiting to see if they’ll invite andre watson to discuss marius jonker’s putrid refereeing, seeing that he is always consulted when SA teams take the brunt of overseas officials!
15 May 2012, 12:09 pm
The forwards picked (only forwards) from SA are Schalk Britz, Pedrie Wannenberg, Anton Van Zyl, BJ Botha and John Smit.
15 May 2012, 12:09 pm
A friend of mine mentioned that the Sharks couldn’t offer Steyn what he is asking for thus he has not signed with them, but may be negotiating with another franchise. Any news?
15 May 2012, 12:10 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-106: amen to that provincial bias comming out, as Coetzz is no 6 boet , he is actually an 8
right now on form this is your best loose trio
8 Coetzee
7 Kolisi
6 CJ Stander
that is also according to stats
And i purposfully left out Keegan as i know you dont like him,
He is leading the stats at the MO lol
15 May 2012, 12:10 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-103: Just for interest sake, and i’m not being mean, why Start M.Steyn @ 10 and not Lambie?
15 May 2012, 12:12 pm
@Sharkie10(Sharkie10)-115:
Get used to a BlueBoks team initially mate. It is going to happen.
15 May 2012, 12:12 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-106: eish boet he looks that good because he is playing that good, one can say the same for Kolisi as per the injuries Kolisi is sholdering more?
nee boet also between all the countries, kiwi, aussie and us, Coetzee the highest ranked loose forward
15 May 2012, 12:12 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-102: sarel has shored up his defence, he is nowhere to be seen in the missed tackled column, plus mckibbin is the de facto Tahs kicker. not that sarel is rubbish.
15 May 2012, 12:12 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-114: Stander ahead of Brussow, you freaken crazy dude.
15 May 2012, 12:13 pm
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-116: this is true bill
15 May 2012, 12:13 pm
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-116: Against all fears, i am pretty sure you are right!! Sad, but true.
15 May 2012, 12:14 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-103:
that is definately closer to my preffered side and admittedly i forgot about aplon as a 15 option. But for me he is an impact player off the bench.
I question the selections of werner kruger and alberts. Werner is playing well enough but there is no denying his scrum penalty count. So that is something that needs to get sorted but for my money definately the hardest working 3 in openfield. Alberts is playing pants. everyone knows it,even him. Bekker seems to pick himself these days and I am not sure why. He is not matfield and his performances are nowhere near Matfields. Basically, bekker has been avergae but seems to make everyone starting lineup anyway.
your bench is interesting but dodgy.
Would Kruger be covering 7 as well?
What happens if bekker goes down which is very likely and kruger comes in at lock. Your backrow is then brussow,kolisi,spies (because alberts can’t last more than 60 minutes at the most)…..and that is positively disasterous in my opinion. You are also left with 3 lineout options one of which (etsbeth) is in his first season of senior rugby? very risky. Basically, you are left play 30% of the game with an accident job selection criteria.
15 May 2012, 12:14 pm
@Sharkie10(Sharkie10)-119: read what i said on form
i never said that would be my team
or loose trio, but the fact is those 3 dominate the stats, stats are for performance on the field of play
15 May 2012, 12:15 pm
@mad eye(mad eye)-88:
Best you can do?
15 May 2012, 12:15 pm
113
If the Sharks can’t afford him then nobody can,certainly not the Stormers,they can’t even raise the tin to bring back Jan Picard’s grandson.
15 May 2012, 12:16 pm
The Bok team could look like this:
15. Kirschner (Lambie)
14. JPP
13. JdV
12. FSteyn
11. Habanna
10. MSteyn
9. Hougaard
8. Spies (c)
7. Potgieter
6. Brussouw
5. Bekker
4. Etsebeth
3. Kruger
2. Bissie
1. Beast
15 May 2012, 12:17 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-114: You’ll have to allow me my provincial bias then
Elstadt at 7.
I’d personally be surpised if either Coetzee or Kolisi get picked.
15 May 2012, 12:20 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-120:
A pity mate! I think he needs to return and having played for the Sharks would have been a huge acquisition.
15 May 2012, 12:21 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-120:
Sorry! Yeah it is sad indeed…
15 May 2012, 12:21 pm
Willem Alberts is fit and ready to go,Plumtree has rested him for 2 weeks now,and he will fire either this weekend or the next.
Hope he leaves him out for the Cheetahs game, we can win that without him,and brings him on hungry for the Stormers.
That is the day we can really see how good Kollisi is.
15 May 2012, 12:23 pm
Steyn must stay faaaaaaaaaaaaar away from CPT.
15 May 2012, 12:23 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-110:
15 May 2012, 12:23 pm
basson will start in the bok team. meyer likes a kicking 10 and plays percentage rugby and basson leads the stats in kick-recoveries.
is the best man for the position? i dont know. but them’s the facts.
15 May 2012, 12:24 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-111:
boots and all is kak….but so is reunion. lets just acknowlege that.
for some reason everyone thinks that reunion is really insightful. I’d much rather get feedback from our franchise coaches than the kiwis.
we should start acknowleging that we have some excellent coaches in our country and the kiwi franchises are not all geniuses…some are bonafide morons. just look at pat lam and blackadder. Hell, listen to robbie deans? how on earth does he communicate with the ozzies, with grunts and sign language?
15 May 2012, 12:27 pm
@Pee Wee(Pee Wee)-131:
Well rumour has it that he is negotiating in Blue Bull country.
15 May 2012, 12:29 pm
134
I suggest you go down to the shop where you bought your Mnet decoder and ask the nice man to show you very slowly how to change channels,back to Kyknett.
There you can watch all the reruns of Noot vir Noot and not have to watch those nasty New Zealand programs
15 May 2012, 12:32 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-134:
Oooo Brig
Mad eye got you too?
15 May 2012, 12:33 pm
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-126:
that could very well be the starting lineup except that potgieter is out injured so elstadt would be my 7.
Eben Etsbeth could well be lock cover from the bench for his first tests meaning juandre kruger to start, not exactly the lock combo we have been used to for the past 110 tests but talented nonetheless.
jannie will still keep his spot ahead of w.kruger with coenie on the bench as he is able to play both sides.
lambie would start ahead of kirchener.
in all honesty….can you name a better starting 15 for a coaches first tests that ticks all the boxes, (setpiece,experience,dynasim,mobility,etc)
15 May 2012, 12:34 pm
135 @ Bill Reyts
Yes – that part of the backwoods is more appropriate for him – he’ll look good in pink!
15 May 2012, 12:38 pm
@Pee Wee(Pee Wee)-139:
He would too…
15 May 2012, 12:39 pm
For goodness sake when is F Steyn gonna grow out of his babyface.
15 May 2012, 12:40 pm
I didn’t know anything about Kolisi until I saw him play against Hurricanes…first game of the season….was really impressed…..continued to watch him in Stormers matches to see if he was a flash in the plan….he continued to impress…..excellent in contact…virtually mistake free…composed on defense….makes telling tackles….good support player….works hard for 80 minutes….presents quick clean ball…intelligent player who runs good lines…cleans up loose ball……The best blindside in Super Rugby.
Will he make Bok starting side? I would pick him for Abs if he was a Nzer.
15 May 2012, 12:41 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-134:
hehehe
have been calling blackadder out for the grey haired mongoloid he is for ages now.
15 May 2012, 12:44 pm
Brigadier… Potgieter is in no way better than Marcell and CJ is by far better than Potgieter!
15 May 2012, 12:45 pm
he looks exactly like maggie thatcher in that photo.
15 May 2012, 12:45 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-134: hahahahahaha you are losing the plot a bit there boet
look around the world, there’s no rugby playing country that doesn’t have a NZ coaching in their premier league – just this weekend rob penney (canterbury coach & understudy to deans) has just been appointed at Munster. there’ll be three in our country with Matt Sexton – another cantabrian – taking over at the Kings.
they might be fukwits in your opinion, but i reckon they know their rugby….
2011 Rugby World Cup Semi-Finalist: 3 out of 4 coached by Kiwis…coincidence?
15 May 2012, 12:46 pm
Agh man boo f*ckin hoo!
All this talk of players “being shunted around” and it impeding their development blah blah blah. Its largely a South African phenomenon period.Namely: Brent Russell,Frans Steyn,Ruan Pienaar. At the beginning of Test career especially many a player from Aus,NZ have switched roles and positions multiple times and made a success of it.
Australia case in point:
Adam Ashley Cooper
James O’Connor
Elton Flatley
Mat Rogers
Quade Cooper
Berrick Barnes
Kurtley Beale
Steve Larkham
Mathew Burke
Joe Roff
And many more
NZ same thing:
Richard Kahui
Mils Muliaina
Isia Toeava
Ma’a Nonu
Ben Smith
Piri Weepu
Jeff Wilson
Alama Ieriemia
Christian Culen
Above there are many fine players with the utility tag. James Oconnor has been playing Test rugby for 3-4 years now and he still hasnt found a position but he is a superb player in all the positions he plays.
At some point they must settle yes but all this talk of mismanagement etc is a load of horsesh*t. If you have more than 50 Test caps like Pienaar-and STILL not good enough,youre just not good enough to be world class. Hougaard has also been a utility for a couple years now but he bided his time and has produced whenever hes been on field. Pienaar’s best games were when e play 10 for Bok in EOYT 2008.At 9 he has always been erratic,smae with Steyn -until recently
15 May 2012, 12:47 pm
@Te Rangatira(Te Rangatira)-142:
but your blindsider is a 6 in nz, in sa it is a 7.
kolisi is an opensider to us. he competes with brussow to us.
nz is a little short of blindsiders at the minute with kaiano injured from what i see and if richie goes down you are short of opensiders as well. Well, of the same calibre anyway.
thompson,messam…..can’t be serious?
15 May 2012, 12:47 pm
Imagine if all players were to be available.
15. Frans Steyn
14. Lwazi Mvovo
13. Jaque Fourie
12. Jean De Villiers
11. Bryan Habana
10. Patrick Lambie
9. Francious Hougaardt
8. Marchell Coetzee
7. Schalck Burger
6. Heinrich Brussow
5. Andries Bekker
4. Eben Etzebeth
3. Coenie Oosthuizen
2. Bismark du Plessis
1. Tandai beast Mtwarira
16. Chilliboy
17. Steven Kitshoff
18. Juandre Kruger
19. Juan Smith
20. Ruan Pienaar
21. Morne Steyn
22. Juan de Jongh
How is that for a Backline and loose trio…
I just wish Meyer could somehow convince J. Fourie to come back. He just balances that back line so perfectly, and the look deadly.
As for that loose trio, i know Coetzee may still be a little you. But he is the stand out Loose forward in the whole Super Rugby and there are stats that can prove that. Along with Burger and Brussow it make for a mean combo.
15 May 2012, 12:47 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-122: I’m no Jannie fan. I don’t think he scrums particularly well, and he offers even less in open play. I’m not a big Kruger fan either, but we’re seriously short on tightheads at the moment. First prize, for me, would be Brian Mujati, but I think that ship has sailed.
Regarding the back row, you’re making assumptions about Alberts and how long he will last. Also, between Bekker, Etsebeth, Kruger, Spies and Alberts there are 5 capable line-out jumpers in the match 22. More than most teams can say.
Kruger can cover 7 (he played there in the UK from time to time), but he’s mainly a lock cover. Kolisi can cover all three positions in the back row. Between him and Kruger we’ll have plenty of options off the bench.
And I think Aplon is far more than just an impact player. He’s a match winner from minute one, and I can’t think of a better option at 15, except for Steyn who I’m picking at 12.
I stand by my selection.
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