X-factor Frans to fire
27 Feb 2013
MARK KEOHANE writes Frans Steyn, against the Stormers, will show Heyneke Meyer why he should start at No 12 for the Boks.
Jean de Villiers has been an outstanding Springbok but I don’t see him making the 2015 World Cup and I think this year will be his last at the highest level. De Villiers will still add value to the Boks in 2013 but not necessarily in a starting capacity.
Bok coach Heyneke Meyer raved about De Villiers’s contribution as captain of the Boks in 2012 and indicated he would invest more in De Villiers this season, but the form of Steyn at No 12 could make it hard for Meyer to select De Villiers in his favourite inside centre position.
Steyn has always been used as a fullback and inside centre at the Sharks. On occasion he has played outside centre, wing and even flyhalf, but in his three years at Racing Metro he made the midfield his own and was primarily selected for his physicality in the centres.
Steyn, when he helped win South Africa the World Cup as a 20 year-old, was already a big unit but he is physically imposing in stature and his kicking game and all-round skill level means his physicality is often not acknowledged.
He is a beast in the midfield and weighs over 100 kilograms and is well conditioned. He is strong in contact and he is the only midfielder in South Africa who can consistently stand up in the tackle and offload effectively.
Steyn’s linekicking game makes him a gem at inside centre. He is strong enough to take it to the line and has strong distribution skills. But it’s that monster boot of his that keeps the defence honest and also keeps them hesitant. He provides a foil to Pat Lambie at No 10 and having two such capable out of hand kickers makes it a nightmare for any opposition fullback.
Last year I asked 102-Test Springbok fullback legend Percy Montgomery who he would select at inside centre for the Boks. He said he would pick Steyn ahead of De Villiers but he felt De Villiers at No 13 or on the wing still offered South Africa options and he added he would select both in his run on XV.
But it was Steyn who got his nod at 12 because of how difficult his selection made it for any opposition back three.
‘Jean has fantastic qualities but he has never had a line kicking game. As a fullback you know he is never going to play for field position by way of his boot and you can positionally defend the back three axis relatively confidently against a 10/12 combination in which the 12 doesn’t have a kicking game,’ said Montgomery. ‘It changes the dynamic completely when a side has a 12 like Frans who can kick the ball further than most international 10s and he can cause a lot of uncertainty to a back three, especially if that back three includes wingers who don’t have strong kicking games. He gets the ball one channel out and he can chase you around from side to side and force back a pressured clearance, in which he gains 30-50 metres and his team gets the ball back.
‘I think he is a gem at inside centre and that is where I’d play him all the time with the Boks. He has matured his game in France and he has added composure to the physicality he has always naturally had. He has also taken ownership of his game and has been rewarded with the captaincy at the Sharks.’
Steyn will benefit from playing inside centre consistently this season and Lambie, if fit, being the regular No 10.
De Villiers will play either No 13 or No 12 against the Sharks on Saturday, depending on the fitness of fellow Bok Juan de Jongh, but either way he and Steyn will enjoy a rare head to head battle that should give Meyer an insight into what will best work for the Boks this season and more specifically in his build-up to the 2015 World Cup.
Currently I would pick De Villiers at outside centre for the Boks in 2013 and Steyn at No 12.
Saturday in Durban will tell you why.
Steyn, like Dan Carter, is gold among the world’s backline elite. He has the X-factor.
698 Comments
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27 Feb 2013, 08:47 am
Why…?
Doesn’t matter…
Sharks got no chance against overwhelming favourites – the Conference Title Holders and CC Champs….
And the ref too…
27 Feb 2013, 08:49 am
But to be fair, Frans Steyn is the best backline player SA has…
Followed closely by JPP and Habanero…
27 Feb 2013, 08:57 am
I agree with this article. But I thought the point that is being made here has been well established last year already. Are there people that still doubt it?
Frans has the size and skillset to fill the role that Heyneke wants of a 12. That’s why Heyneke picked him there whenever he was available last year.
Besides, Frans is too slow for outside centre.
The more interesting question is who is most suitable for the Bok 13 berth. I think De Villiers is approaching the end of his great career.
At the moment, there is not a clear answer to that question.
27 Feb 2013, 08:58 am
Steyn is world class. One of perhaps only two players in the current springbok setup that are
With South Africa losing the services of matfield, du Preez and jean smith in recent years, we were short of genuinely world class players
Steyn has returned from France a far more complete player
27 Feb 2013, 08:59 am
One of three: jpp, Bismarck (arguably) and steyn
27 Feb 2013, 09:00 am
Frans Steyn at 12….
13 J D Jongh……
JDV can play for the Stormers….dont need him at the Boks
27 Feb 2013, 09:01 am
Really hope Bulls let us see a bit more of Jan Serfontein too
27 Feb 2013, 09:05 am
@grant10-7:
Agreed. But yet again, Serfontein is only suitable to the 12 position. SA has had a distinct lack of depth at 13 for many years now. Besides Jacques Fourie we haven’t had a fast, powerful, hard running 13 since Andre Snyman’s heyday in 1998.
We really need to focus on getting a 1.9m, 100kg guy who can run the 100m in around 10.9s to fill that position for us to have a world class backline.
I guess that’s the idea that the Bulls have with JJ Engelbrecht, but he isn’t the right man for it, in my view.
We don’t have the right type of player at the moment.
27 Feb 2013, 09:11 am
Oh dear but nama1 is sure to disagree. He’s got a thing about Aryans.
27 Feb 2013, 09:19 am
Jean has been kak for years and does not deserve his spot for the Boks, especially as captain. He should not even make the Stormers team.
27 Feb 2013, 09:22 am
@Tacitus-8: Arguably the best 13 in the world at the moment is neither that fast or that big…
Its typical to hear that type of comment from a Bulls supporter. The Bulls beyond 10 are all wings.
27 Feb 2013, 09:25 am
@Tacitus-8: Mapoe can fill that role.
27 Feb 2013, 09:25 am
@wpallday-11:
Who are you referring to? Brian o Driscoll? I would argue that his power and pace are critical to his ability to break tackles and score tries in impossible situations.
27 Feb 2013, 09:26 am
@Bagel-12:
Maybe. I’d like to see him given some extended time at 13. But I don’t think he has enough pace to be a top class 13, let alone wing.
I”m talking about having a guy with the pace of a top class wing, palying at 13. It’s a huge advantage.
27 Feb 2013, 09:29 am
@Tacitus-13: Conrad Smith
27 Feb 2013, 09:30 am
Blues and Canes team announced – http://wp.me/P2QxT1-3S
27 Feb 2013, 09:31 am
I see that hype machine is in overdrive this morning. Could someone please point to a season, here or in France , where Frans absolutely dominate in the 12 position in the Sonny Bill mould? Frans is, IMHO, no more than an adequate no. 12, therefore I hope he stays injury free this season to prove his worth, brilliance or otherwise.
27 Feb 2013, 09:31 am
@Tacitus-14:
How much pace does Conrad Smith have and where do you rate him?
27 Feb 2013, 09:33 am
@Tacitus-3: @Tacitus-8: I agree with both sets of comments. I guess we’ll learn during the year who should be at 13 for the Boks
27 Feb 2013, 09:33 am
@Tacitus-8:
Why is Serfontein only suited to 12?
27 Feb 2013, 09:34 am
Are we selecting a midfield for their line-kicking abillity? I get tears in my eyes
27 Feb 2013, 09:34 am
@wpallday-15:
Look, if you have someone that is exceptionally gifted – and I would never put Conrad Smith in that bracket, by the way – like Brian o Driscoll or Christian Cullen, then you ignore the rules and make a space for them in your team.
But until we have someone like that, then the best way to enforce our playing style on the opposition is to go with big, fast, strong guys that have the necesssary skill level.
Imagine Frans Steyn and Jacque Fourie as a centre combination. Frans to take the ball up strongly and Fourie to run off his shoulder.
Jean fills that role, but not as effectively, and I don’t know for how much longer. We currently have a 200kg midfield, which is where you need to be to counter SBW and Nonu in midfield in my view.
27 Feb 2013, 09:34 am
The one player with the potential to fulfill that role is Paul Jordaan IMO. He’s probably the quickest guy in SA, can tackle, has a decent all round game.
He needs to improve in certain areas and this year will be critical for him that regard.
27 Feb 2013, 09:36 am
@John1976-17:
I’ve decided to not even respond to the Frans hype.
Let’s hope, as you say, that he stays injury free and let his discipels see for themselves that he is not all that they make him out to be at 12.
27 Feb 2013, 09:36 am
@gunther-20:
More of a physical in-your-face type as opposed to running into plenty of space.
We need a Marius Joubert 2002.
27 Feb 2013, 09:37 am
@gunther-20:
Want hy is te stadig vir 13.
27 Feb 2013, 09:37 am
JDJ at 13……
imo
27 Feb 2013, 09:38 am
So Keo reckons that our Fransie is well conditioned – well our local vetgat Transformer will disagree.
27 Feb 2013, 09:39 am
@nama1-24:
Hou op k@k praat.
Won us a game against Australia with two ridiculous drop goals with barely any time left on the clock.
Won us a game in Hamilton by slotting 3 kicks from well past 50m.
That alone proves what a great player he is. Whether you like him or not.
@stormersboy-23:
Too frail. Need a guy with attitude especially. Marius Joubert & Robbie Fleck didn’t take any s51t.
27 Feb 2013, 09:40 am
@nama1-24: Last year they blamed MS for his performances, I wander if they will blame Lambie this year.
I for one hope that he lives up to the hype this year, cause up to now he performance on the field is far short of the hype.
27 Feb 2013, 09:43 am
@John1976-30:
Saved us from losing to Argentina for the first time ever…
You guys are blind, really.
27 Feb 2013, 09:44 am
@hendrikp-29: That’s why I said potential. He’ll have to have a good solid season at 13 before he becomes a candidate for discussion in selection terms.
27 Feb 2013, 09:44 am
@John1976-30:
Look, Frans can and still does some stupid things on a rugby field.
I like him because he is powerful, a very strong defender, and has hand and ball skills that make him more than just a battering ram.
He shores up our midfield, while still having the ability to get his hands through a tackle and offload to the guy on the outside.
He is never going to be a twinkle toes attacker, but that isn’t what we need at 12. Ma’a Nonu and SBW are the type of player that the 12 position has morphed into. And Frans comes closest to matching that type of player.
Leave the pace and incisive running to the 13 position, playing off the shoulder of 12.
27 Feb 2013, 09:46 am
@Tacitus-14: Acceleration is far more important than out and out pace.
Nobody has brought up the idea of JP at 13. If he was given a more extended run he’d be phenomenal. He’s probably more destructive on the wing, but if we have a surplus of wings and a lack of genuine 13′s I’d put him next to Steyn.
Should more than satify you Tac and Heyneke for size while JP brings serious pace. Both can offload and both are aggressive defenders.
27 Feb 2013, 09:46 am
@Tacitus-22: Well I would ,and many others would .
Size is an important factor ,but foremost are a players positional core competencies, and at outside center size is not at the top of that list.
27 Feb 2013, 09:47 am
@Tacitus-26:
He doesn’t look that stadig to me.
@hendrikp-25:
Kak.
He’s got a great eye for the gap.
Lets not talk in cliches here just because a bulls player.
27 Feb 2013, 09:47 am
@RL-28: He isn’t well conditioned. He’s fat and slow but thankfully him he’s so huge he often breaks tackles regardless.
27 Feb 2013, 09:47 am
Frans Steyn should be playing for Cheetahs or EP wtf he doing playing for that bunch of over hyped mercenary humping bunch of rip off artists? Nevertheless will be nice to see if Mannequin de Jongh can dance a little merry jig around this hyped up behemoth same way he danced around and culled Keegan Cullen and Lambie Pamby last time around.
27 Feb 2013, 09:47 am
@Bagel-34:
JP as in JP Pietersen? If so, then agreed.
But then we need to see him have a go there. At the moment, he is very valuable at the wing. But maybe that’s a switch the Sharks could try again this season.
27 Feb 2013, 09:48 am
@stormersboy-32:
So a season of rugby will add 10cm and another 10kg of muscle?
Not going to happen for him as a 13.
27 Feb 2013, 09:49 am
@hendrikp-31: Hendrik that is an absolute ridiculous way to measure a player’s performance in the midfield position. Shouldn’t line breaks, offloads in tackles, ball distribution etc. be important benchmarks to measure a midfielder’s performance? There is no doubt that Frans is a talented rugby player but I don’t buy into the hype that he is the pre-eminent No 12 in the world or for that matter in South Africa.
27 Feb 2013, 09:49 am
@Tacitus-14: One name comes to mind… He played at 13 last year for a few games…
Notably against the Conference Title Holders at Newlands where he proceeded to cut the “best backline in SA” into little shreds…
JP Pieterson.
27 Feb 2013, 09:49 am
@gunther-20: Too slow IMO
27 Feb 2013, 09:50 am
@gunther-36:
Going on what I saw in the IRB Junior World Champs. Was great at breaking tackles, but didn’t really see anything you could deem as ‘open field’. Will be happy to be proven wrong.
27 Feb 2013, 09:50 am
@hendrikp-40:
Ja, that’s the problem in SA. It’s easy to be a twinkle toes if you’re a dwarf.
27 Feb 2013, 09:51 am
@Bagel-34: Snap… but nobody?
He played just last year at 13… So, not only did someone “come up with” his name, but they decided to play him there too.
Yes. Plum did already.
27 Feb 2013, 09:51 am
@gunther-36: Jordaan is a better prospect at 13 with more pace for me.
I’m not convinced about this whole size issue. The issue is whether the 12 can defend well and people assume size is needed for this.
27 Feb 2013, 09:52 am
@RL-28: Transie like fatties it seems… Ask Rossi
27 Feb 2013, 09:52 am
@John1976-41:
Not in the world, no. But definitely in SA, given Heyneke’s physical approach to dominating the 12 channel as a platform for the attacking phases thereafer. We’re never going to see a small guy at 12. Accept it.
27 Feb 2013, 09:53 am
@Heavens Game-46: Talking about the blogger Twatty Mactwatterson. No doubt Plum is a good coach.
And the Sharks were terrible (early season) during his spell there (Not his fault IMO).
With a better Lambie and Fransie on his inside I’d be curious to what happens.
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