Dublin bluster bothers Boks
24 Nov 2009
The swirling conditions in the Irish capital will be difficult to master according to kicking ace Morne Steyn.
The Springboks arrived on Sunday but only trained for the first time on Tuesday. They’ll have another three sessions before meeting Ireland at Croke Park on Saturday, and the kickers have their work cut out if they’re going to adjust.
‘It was swirling when he got off the plane on Sunday,’ Steyn told keo.co.za. ‘Fourie du Preez and I walked to the terminal together and we chatted about it. We told the forwards they’re going to have to protect the ball a lot more. These aren’t easy conditions to play in.’
The forecast for Saturday is a brisk 6 degrees Celsius, and although Croke Park is usually quite sheltered, the wind could be a factor. Jonny Sexton and Rob Kearney, both from local Dublin club Leinster, will know how to exploit the wind, and this could decisive in the crucial battle for territory.
‘The tactical kicking battle is going to be very important,’ said Steyn. ‘It’s helps to have one of the best scrumhalves in the world on my inside. I know he’s going to make the right decisions 90% of the time, and it takes the pressure off me.
‘The Irish have some very impressive players like Brian O’Driscoll in their side. I don’t know a lot about Sexton, but if he’s keeping O’Gara out of the side, he must be useful.’
It’s been a magic year for Steyn, who won a Bok call-up after his inspiring performance in the Bulls’ successful Super 14 campaign. He’s since helped the Boks to a win over the British & Irish Lions and a Tri-Nations crown. Personally, he captured three awards at South Africa’s annual prizegiving, namely The Players’ Player, Super 14 Player and Player of the Lions Series awards.
‘It’s been an awesome year. There’s been highlights like that last kick in that second Test against the Lions, and scoring 31 points against the All Blacks [in Durban].
‘Above my personal achievements, we’ve had an awesome year as a team, and we want to end on a high note this weekend.’
By Jon Cardinelli, in Dublin
61 Comments
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25 Nov 2009, 02:23 am
@SAinNZ: wow 2004, and you guys still havent let it go? makes our 2007 thing seem rather insignificant then doesnt it…
25 Nov 2009, 02:36 am
I think for Saturday we need to keep the ball tight and and play it up the middle with the centres and stand off forwards and then play it wide when its on! But please dont kick so much especially in this weather!! I would definately keep Kanko/Johnson on the bench especially since we are going to need the physicality of Deysel Bakkies and Russouw! I dont think Kanko would be able to add anything in this type of match to be honest! Other selections that need to be made is Olivier for Jacobs and John Smit at hooker even tho we miss out on Bismark!!! I think Bismark should go to flank:) I dont know what the squad will look like since we have a few injuries!! Fullback Zane Kirchner (knee), centre Adi Jacobs (ankle), scrum-half Fourie du Preez (hand), lock Bakkies Botha (back), hooker Bismarck du Plessis (ribs) and backrow forward Schalk Burger (ribs), hooker Adriaan Strauss has a back injury and prop CJ van der Linde is suffering from a groin injury.
1)Beast
2)Smit
3)BJ
4)Bakkies/Russouw (if Bakkies is injured)
5)Matfield
6)Brussow
7)Deysel
8)Russouw/Kanko
9)du Preez/ (if injured then pienaar i wouldnt start hougaard ill rather bring up for a full 40min in second half)
10)Steyn
11)Habana
12)Olivier
13)Fourie
14)JP
15)Krichner/Rose/Viljoen (if krichner is injured)
16)Bismark/Maku (if Bismark and Straus is injured)
17)Cj/ (Dont know who can cover for CJ)
18)Heinke
19)Bekker
20)Johnson/Kanko
21)Hougaard/Pienaar
22)Jacobs/Juan de Jong
Ha ha no wonder they waited before announcing the team!!! We in trouble boys and girls!!!!!!!
25 Nov 2009, 03:18 am
@poppa69:
Says the guy whose country still goes on about a certain underarm delivery : )
Personally, have nothing against the Irish about that incident now, if anything it was Honiss’ fault but it happened.
And one could argue that O’Gara got bitten square on the *** by karma this year during the Lions tour anyway.
25 Nov 2009, 04:44 am
Blaming the weather?
25 Nov 2009, 04:49 am
@SAinNZ:
its just not cricket though…
25 Nov 2009, 05:00 am
The odds are 1:1 on Ireland to win while 2:3 on the boks to win – Ladbrokes of London
I tried to play on my Bookie’s SA patriotism’s sentiments by placing Ireland at 1:5 but he is not to be tempted again,
He lost his pants on the Saris and the French matches.
That however could be changed if The Beast, Kirshner and Jacobs will be assigned to the dustbin, but unlikely
25 Nov 2009, 05:02 am
@SAinNZ:
Honiss’ Anti Boks bias made Morisson and Erickson look like saints
I am sure in the Luyt era he would be barred fron refereeing the Boks’ Test
25 Nov 2009, 07:15 am
Rob Kearney with the wind behind his back… Scary!
25 Nov 2009, 10:35 am
@The Dude: the dude abides…
25 Nov 2009, 16:27 pm
@superbowljoel: uhmmm… Errr… Huh?
26 Nov 2009, 11:17 am
@The Dude: “The Big Lebowski”, watch it and you’ll understand – mandatory viewing!
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