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, 11:30 am
@Tacitus-177:
Tragic story, the Vanderbijlpark one.
But in that case the man was ambushed in his garage by two armed men coming back home. If he himself was armed – by all means, use lethal force.
I fail to see the relevance to a situation where you think there’s an intruder in your house, you never see the intruder, you do not know that the suspected intruder is armed…
27 Feb 2013, 11:30 am
@stormersboy-190: Oh and for the record? I am not anti Jean or saying that he should be dropped, I am forcasting why some of your mates in here will be bad mouthing Fransie.
27 Feb 2013, 11:32 am
@WP-Forever-201:
I mean: “you do not know whether the suspected intruder is armed or not”
27 Feb 2013, 11:32 am
@stormersboy-190: Oh Captain, My Captain (of Industry…), calm those hormones, cuzzie
27 Feb 2013, 11:32 am
@WP-Forever-185:
Exactly, but this Shark fool, formerly Sharks-Lover, want to tell the world that we are jealous because Fransie will get selected ahead of him for the Bokke.
Only Shark supporters who quantify the Bok team by the number of Sharks players in it.
HG’s histerics last year wrt the “traditional Noord/Suid conspiracy” is proof of that.
27 Feb 2013, 11:32 am
@Dilligafrican-196:
Then so be it. I’m no lawyer.
All I know is that I can conceive of a hypothetical situation where one can be under genuine threat if there are armed guys in your bathroom. Oscar’s may not be such a case, but if there are 2 guys in the bathroom with guns, then if you open the door first, you’re gonna be dead.
Next time that someone is REALLY in such a situation, Oscar’s verdict will be on record, and will serve as a reference for whatever decision the future judge will arrive at in that hypothetical future case.
27 Feb 2013, 11:34 am
@Sharks_are_gonna_get_you-195: So you agree then that we don’t really care if Frans plays ahead of Jean?
27 Feb 2013, 11:34 am
@nama1-205: you lot are just jealous. Shame on you.
27 Feb 2013, 11:36 am
@Saffex-189: JDJ has never dissapointed…..defensively he fronts in a super team with the best defensive record for last 2 seasons….his defence is a strength. dont come with that kak man!
27 Feb 2013, 11:37 am
@Angostura-169:
If that is the future of the Springboks backline, then god help us.
Goosen and Serfontein yes.
27 Feb 2013, 11:37 am
@Tacitus-206:
If you are in mortal danger, no problem. SA law (as far as I know) does not recognise the “stand your ground” principle, i.e., if you can escape the situation you should.
Now, from the floorplans they have shown it would have been far simpler for him to simply wake the madam and leave the room. Nel is going to have a field day with him in the box.
27 Feb 2013, 11:38 am
@Tacitus-206:
I fail to see how someone who is facing such a situation as you describe will consider that Oscar’s verdict is on record. He will rather be extremely fearful for his own life or that of a loved one and will act accordingly.
It is really quite simple, Tac. If you feel that you need to take the life of your attacker to protect your own or somebody else’s life or to prevent serious bodily harm – then do so. It is really that simple. As long as you can show afterwards that you were truly in fear of your life, that your response was appropriate to the threat – then the police and courts will back you.
27 Feb 2013, 11:39 am
@Dilligafrican-211:
I would guess that’s why they’ve emphasized the “He wasn’t wearing his legs” position. To illustrate that he couldn’t have fled.
In any case, we don’t have all the facts. We have as little facts as they could get away with releasing during the bail hearing.
27 Feb 2013, 11:40 am
@grant10-209: they not looking so super atm
27 Feb 2013, 11:40 am
9. Hougaard – playing non kicking game
10. Lambie
11. Habana
12. FSteyn
13. Jordaan
14. Rhule
15. JPP
Taute must be the most over-hyped, overrated player in SA at the moment.
27 Feb 2013, 11:40 am
@Heavens Game-184:
You know I’ve never engaged in communication with the person in subject, but In silently reading his/her comments tongue in cheek , I can say that the person you relying too in this ocasion is one of the biggestdickheads in the history of this site
27 Feb 2013, 11:40 am
@nama1-205: Conspiracies are fluid… Since my 2nd team now is officially the Big Bull Warrior Priests in Light Blue of Cathedral Loftus – the team of the City of my Abode – I admit error in that brief flight of fancy…
This SharkBulletjie believes the current conspiracy afoot to be all Capey… Its the East West, Cheeky is best conspiracy…
27 Feb 2013, 11:41 am
Los vir Oscar nou
27 Feb 2013, 11:41 am
I would have played JDJ at 13 last year, for the record.
I’d still play him this year,
27 Feb 2013, 11:42 am
@Rockn Rolla-216: Replying not Relying
27 Feb 2013, 11:43 am
I agree with Frans Steyn as our No. 12, he has the skill set, but then we really should be looking at a bit of pace at 10 and 13 – we have it at 13 with de Jongh and Jordaan, but look how more difficult teams like All Blacks and Wallabies are to defend against when you have the likes our Carter, Cooper etc in the team. They are attacking threats in an individual capacity as well, whereas someone like Morne Steyn is at best a good distributor on attack, similarly Grant – simply a lack of pace. Would make a similar comparison at fullback – Lambie vs Dagg – both very gifted, but Dagg is very quick and Lambie not. Would play Frans at 12 if Goosen is our starting 10, but maybe not with Morne Steyn.
27 Feb 2013, 11:44 am
@Heavens Game-217:
“Since my 2nd team now is officially the Big Bull Warrior Priests in Light Blue of Cathedral Loftus ”
27 Feb 2013, 11:45 am
@Tacitus-213: well, he managed to walk about 15m without a problem….
But anyways, he will have his day of reckoning in the court.
27 Feb 2013, 11:45 am
@Rockn Rolla-216: Not quite sure who you referring to… But if you are referring to Nama, dont mind him too much… He struggles slightly – like his hero JdV, he is always slightly off the pace…
I blame it on either an overexposure to the Richtersveld Sun or one of them Gods must be Crazy coke bottles clubbing him on the noggin as an adolescent…
Boggled his brains slightly… So, not his fault.
27 Feb 2013, 11:45 am
@Rockn Rolla-216:
Why dont you just say what you mean
27 Feb 2013, 11:46 am
Na laasweek praat ek liewer k@k na die game.
27 Feb 2013, 11:46 am
@Dilligafrican-223:
Indeed.
27 Feb 2013, 11:47 am
@Tacitus-213:
Have you seen the floor plan?
To go from the balcony to the position from where he fired the four shots, he had to go past his bed (where his prosthesis was) AND the exit from the bedroom.
27 Feb 2013, 11:47 am
I think the Stormers are going to be on 0 points after 2 starts in the 2013 tournament.
And the third game is going to go down to the wire. As will the fifth game, against the Crusaders.
27 Feb 2013, 11:48 am
@Dawn-222: Even got me a light blue jersey which I wore with pride while watching the underdogs roger the favoured Conference Title holders and CC Champs silly on Friday…
Black, White and Light Blue… Eish!
27 Feb 2013, 11:49 am
@wpstormerbok-226: lol.
27 Feb 2013, 11:49 am
@Tacitus-229:
Are you expecting the Sharks to open a can of whoopass?
27 Feb 2013, 11:51 am
@Heavens Game-230:
All you need now is the blue KKK outfit
“@Heavens Game-217:
“Since my 2nd team now is officially the Big Bull Warrior Priests in Light Blue of Cathedral Loftus ”
27 Feb 2013, 11:52 am
@Dawn-225:
Because people don’t throw your bags out of windows because of lies; they throw them out because of the truth…….so may i continue saying what i dont mean !!!!
27 Feb 2013, 11:53 am
@WP-Forever-228:
I’m tired of this now. Because we’re all armchair lawyers here.
But tell me this. If you hear a noise in your bathroom, are you expected to wake the entire household from their peaceful sleep, run out into the street and call the armed response every time?
You’re going to feel like a bit of an idiot if it was just a shampoo that fell from the windowsill.
Surely it makes more sense to go and investigate. You’ll be nervous, but not yet completely terrified. Then when you get there, you see the door is closed and you hear more noise from the bathroom. (While utterly convinced that your wife is still in bed next to you).
At that point, who knows what a “reasonable man would do?
If you heard a pistol slide being racked on the other side of the door, what is reasonable then?
If you hear one guy say to the other – “Ok, let’s bust in and shoot these suckers in their bed!”, what is reasonable then?
The scenarios are legion, and not as clear cut as an armchair debater in a nice, safe environment makes it out to be.
27 Feb 2013, 11:53 am
@WP-Forever-232: a whole case full
27 Feb 2013, 11:53 am
And if you p1$$ him off enough he will slip a drop goal from his own goal line. (I wonder what the stats say about his drop goals these days??)
Heavy respect from a Stormerstrooper to a Sardine side. Awesome on paper. As long as they don’t play like they been nibbling on vrot rooi aas or fall for the press reports hook line and sinker.
Lambie, Steyn, Petersen and (in time) Jack Russel Reinach
27 Feb 2013, 11:55 am
@wpstormerbok-226:
Stem 100% saam
n Stil bek is n heel bek
27 Feb 2013, 11:57 am
@Tacitus-229:
I reluctantly agree with you, odds are 0 after 3, Chiefs are going to be tough.
Am hoping we start getting our butts in gear after the bye.
27 Feb 2013, 11:57 am
@hendrikp-210: so hendrik what would your future picks be for the other 5 positions?
27 Feb 2013, 11:59 am
@Tacitus-235:
I am speaking partly as a jurist and partly as a police reservist.
It really is as simple as “I felt that my life and/or the life of another was in serious and imminent threat of being taken and in line with that fear I used force proportional to the level of the threat”.
As long as you can justify that – shoot. Simple really.
27 Feb 2013, 11:59 am
@nama1-87: Tim-Nanai Williams too.
27 Feb 2013, 12:00 pm
@Rockn Rolla-234:
Weird
27 Feb 2013, 12:00 pm
@WP-Forever-241:
Yes, it is the reasonable man test.
27 Feb 2013, 12:00 pm
@Dawn-222: he is such an amoeba!
during the june tests & beginning of RC he was crying that meyer is a genius for only picking eben & jean.. then meyer made the cardinal sin of dropping keegan cullen for fatspermwhale vermuelen & a few sharkies to.the bench & we had a full blown conspiracy until the EOYT….
Spineless.
27 Feb 2013, 12:01 pm
@Heavens Game-53:
Actually I would pay to see a Lambie, Steyn, Serfontein partnership… Or even better a Lambie, Steyn, Serfontein and JPP partnership…
Thats what I mean!!
27 Feb 2013, 12:02 pm
@Sasuke-242: in the cape he would be known as Natnaai Willemse
27 Feb 2013, 12:02 pm
Cheetahs:
15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Willie le Roux, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Robert Ebersohn, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Sarel Pretorius, 8 Philip van der Walt, 7 Pieter Labuschagne, 6 Frans Viljoen, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Lodewyk de Jager, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Trevor Nyakane
Substitutes: 16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Coenie Oosthuizen, 18 Rynhard Landman, 19 Johannes Prinsloo, 20 Piet van Zyl, 21 Riaan Smith, 22 Ryno Benjamin
27 Feb 2013, 12:03 pm
@Tacitus-235:
@WP-Forever-241:
Listen
You are actually agreeing with each other so just quit it both of you
PS: WTF is a jurist
27 Feb 2013, 12:04 pm
@Dilligafrican-214: Did JDJ play???
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