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
24 Nov 2009, 15:18 pm
Recon the bluster of the Irish news Dragons is not so bad!
24 Nov 2009, 15:20 pm
You have been flat on tour so far Morne.
Come end on a high for us.
24 Nov 2009, 15:23 pm
keep the ball in hand, play the basics and keep possession.
When they have the ball apply strong defense and let them make the mistakes and capitalise,and let the Honey Badger(Brussouw) nic a few of their balls.
wont be a pretty game but the side who sticks to the simple and safe game will take it…
24 Nov 2009, 15:31 pm
heard a funny one, thought id share it……
this bloke’s wife stays out all night, walks in the next morning looking all roughed up, when he asks her where the hell she was, she replies that she slept at theer mate’s place.
So he phones 10 of her mates and not one confirms that she was there.
All pissed off he decides to get her back by doing the same the following night.
When he walks in the morning after being out all night, she asks him where the hell he was all night.
He replies that he slept at HIS mate’s place.
She then phones 10 of his mates.
The first 8 confirm he did sleep there and the other 2 sit trying to convince her that he’s still sleeping on the couch.
lol.
24 Nov 2009, 15:31 pm
*her mate’s place
24 Nov 2009, 15:35 pm
1st This is not the weather for kicking and 2nd, the Irish back three is not the AB back three during the 3Ns that couldn’t deal with high balls. The Irish can handle high kicks very well. A different game plan is required.
This game is ideally suited for kicking for the corners and mauling. And keeping ball in hand as much as possible as Baller mentioned. learn from O’Gara, he has played there for the last “50 years or so.”
24 Nov 2009, 15:37 pm
Correction: This is not the weather for constant high kicking
24 Nov 2009, 15:43 pm
BREAKING NEWS:
IRELAND SIDE FOR THE BOKS:
Sexton in for O’Gara!!!!!!
R Kearney
T Bowe
B O’Driscoll
P. Wallace
K Earls
J Sexton
T O’Leary
C Healy
J Flannery
J Hayes
D O’Callaghan
P O’Connell
S Ferris
D Wallace
J Heaslip
Subs
Cronin
Buckley
Cullen
Leamy
Stringer
ROG
Darcy
24 Nov 2009, 15:48 pm
@Just Another Paddy:
Damn it man!! I was hoping our good friend O’Gara would be playing. I’m so glad of what happened to him in the second Lions test. Talk about karma coming back to bite you in the ***! remember 2004 at Lansdowne Road when the ref (tosser) told Smitty to talk to the boys, and then O’Gara took a sneaky touch and go penalty from the 5 meter line with our boys backs faced towards him. We would have won that day if it werent for him.
I hate that oke!! Toss!!
24 Nov 2009, 15:52 pm
@Just Another Paddy:
Deysel must run down that channel the whole day!
he must make it a long day for this oke!
24 Nov 2009, 15:52 pm
@johnnic27: he is playing, just off the bench.so he can come on as a substitute and lose the game for his side just like he did in the lions tour.
24 Nov 2009, 15:56 pm
Keo and co are testing their alliteration. Bluster bothers Boks, Brussouw breakdown battle…. bla bla bla
24 Nov 2009, 15:57 pm
I am happy with Wallace at 12 – i reckon Darcy is the better option for them.
24 Nov 2009, 15:58 pm
There are three changes in the backline with Tommy Bowe returning to the team on the right wing in place of Shane Horgan.
Paddy Wallace moves from the bench to start at inside centre with Gordon D’Arcy named in the replacements. Tomas O’Leary is selected in the starting team at scrumhalf.
The forwards have also seen three changes with Cian Healy starting at loosehead after recovering from his shoulder injury and Tony Buckley is retained in the replacements.
Donncha O’Callaghan also returns to the side in the secondrow with Leo Cullen moving to the replacements. David Wallace, who was not involved in the match 22 against Fiji, is selected at openside.
IRELAND TEAM & REPLACEMENTS (v South Africa, GUINNESS Series 2009, Croke Park, Saturday, November 28, kick-off 2:30 pm):
15 – Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
14 – Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 – Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (capt)
12 – Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)
11 – Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
10 – Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
9 – Tomas O’Leary (Dolphin/Munster)
1 – Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)
2 – Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster)
3 – John Hayes (Bruff/Munster)
4 – Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
5 – Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
6 – Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
7 – David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
8 – Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)
Replacements:
16 – Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)
17 -Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster)
18 – Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster)
19 – Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
20 – Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)
21 – Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
22 – Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
24 Nov 2009, 15:59 pm
@BALLER canREADY:
Great. I feel much better now! Hopefully he can get involved in a ruck so Bakkies can give him a ‘Hows your mother!’
24 Nov 2009, 16:12 pm
I think Sexton kicked 7/7 last week. It was in the RDS which is a different stadium but stil….
24 Nov 2009, 16:16 pm
@Bellboy: You’re right, not easy ones either. It was even more impressive as the weather was appalling.
24 Nov 2009, 17:10 pm
“We told the forwards they’re going to have to protect the ball a lot more” – I hope you did tell them that Morne, and I hope they listen!
“one of the best scrumhalves in the world on my inside” – ahem Morne – THE best in the world laaitjie
It has been an awesome year – lets finish it in an awesome way!
Bokke!
24 Nov 2009, 17:21 pm
What an arrogance. The team has not been anounced yet, but Morne is sure he will be in. Considering his play so far in the tour I would leave him out.
I don’t like his “hails” a la ” small cesar ” after the games.
24 Nov 2009, 17:26 pm
@tedanica: Thats now a kak post man. The players know before the announcement (eg. the ABs twittering that they were not playing England).
Remember how you felt when Morne got that kick against the Lions and when he was winning the Tri Nations for us.
Then think twice before you insult him.
It is his first NH tour and he has only been a Bok in about 12 tests! Give the okie a chance. He has done amazingly well
24 Nov 2009, 17:28 pm
No news on the Bok practice??
Who ins training where, etc ?
24 Nov 2009, 17:51 pm
@tedanica:
Huh, ‘hails’ a la ‘small ceasar’? what the hell is that?
24 Nov 2009, 18:08 pm
morne your tactical kicking has been off on this tour, there’s no point in kicking every ball only to have their backs punch holes into our defence. Try and practise your touch finders.
24 Nov 2009, 18:15 pm
@tedanica: Now that’s a nothing post if ever!!!
24 Nov 2009, 19:19 pm
This is why we should have a global season. No-one in world rugby really wants to play in those conditions. If they do finally get a global season, please let it be a SH season. Rugby there would be far better played in their better weather months. March to October. Something like that.
Morne will be back for this game. He got his kicking back in the 2nd half of the game on Saturday. Also they played with different balls on Saturday.
Good side for Ireland. Now hoping FdP and all the others nursing some injuries are over their injuries and ready to play on Saturday. Especially Bakkies and FdP.
24 Nov 2009, 19:22 pm
@tedanica: Who else would you play hey? Ruan wont take those kicks if the condition is bad. Morne will be more solid.
24 Nov 2009, 19:40 pm
Dis means one half we have employ da kicking game while da other half less kicking, wat do u think guys?
24 Nov 2009, 19:52 pm
As much as i hate to admit it (them being Bulls players) du Preez and Steyn are masters at their craft. I’m sure they’d be just as good kicking a ball down a wind tunnel. I wouldn’t worry too much; 2 more kicking sessions before Saturday and they’ll have it sussed
24 Nov 2009, 19:59 pm
@Richie_7: Your mouth to God’s ears.
I am a bit surprised that France have changed it up so much. Your man 7 had a super game this last weekend. Daniel too. Rest – not so much.
France by 4 is my guess. What do you think?
24 Nov 2009, 20:29 pm
@Puma: All right I know that you all don’t rate Ruan but he has loads of talent and this tour could have been a great opportunity do develop him as a number 10. Instead he was thrown to be eaten alive together with dirty trackers with no chance to win only to break him down even more.. Despite that he showed glimpses of art against Saracens. I was watching on Sky and Will Greenwood was just singing praise on him – what a lovely player to watch he was.
And Morne doesn’t move a world around does he , apart from his kicking for post.
@bokfan1: No need insulting me. I am not insulting Morne just I am not his fan , I suspect it is legal?
@johnnic27:
I mean that his gesture with hand above greeting the crowds, just look at the pictures. Sorry but it looks like ave ceasar.
24 Nov 2009, 20:31 pm
@tedanica: How many great opportunities to develop does he need?
He blew it.
24 Nov 2009, 20:59 pm
@tedanica: Wrong mate, I do rate Ruan. Very talented player. Just been messed about too much. Playing between scrummie and FH wont help him much. Think he wants to play SH. Just in the wet conditions think Morne will be far more solid and Ruan has nerves when kicking at goal.
Ruan must be left to just play one position to get back up to the level he was at in 2007. Think he will play scrummie for the Sharks unless PdV wants him to play FH. Plum will probably let Ruan play there if PdV wants Ruan at FH. Then we have Hernandez playing FH but is injured at the moment. Hernandez can move to centre though. Just think Ruan really wants to play scrummie mate. Then at the Boks gets pushed back to play back up FH. So it is just messing him about a bit. Just like it did with Frans Steyn.
24 Nov 2009, 22:03 pm
@tedanica: amen mate
is it not amazing how most in here when p0ienaar has one bad game is slandered to death
morne steyn has not played well on tour yet not even a boo about his **** play
i for one am not saying morne should be dropped , not at all , but it just shows the bias in here
morne has not been messed around like ruan , yet he still plays **** and misses kicks and not a murmer
**** ruan messes one and is castigated like a dog
granted right now to poles morne is the better kicker
better flyhalf ?? pienaar by a long shot , just needs to regain his form and self confidence
24 Nov 2009, 22:09 pm
@sharks_lover: Sharky – I think you’re being extreme. Ruan arouses such emotion, mainly because unlike for most players, people want him to succeed.
So Morne gets leeway because he earned it.
Ruan gets castigated because he also earned it. But popel are always just a shade more disappointed than annoyed.
24 Nov 2009, 22:21 pm
@Kronung:
OK Let’s count it.
How many times did he play as a flyhalf for Boks? Three times last autumn tour he was brilliant specially in the game against England. Two games against Lions , in the first excellent according to the greatest experts. The second not bad at all only some mistakes at kicking. The third he entered only in the end when whole game was falling apart with Morne in flyhalf.
Then the first test in 3N very good again apart from goalkicking. Even Eddy Jones felt that Ruan had been very badly treated as a flyhalf by Boks staff.
24 Nov 2009, 22:50 pm
ruan on song is a pleasure to watch
I wish for his return to FH
so much time; effortless.
I say that as much as I appreciate Steyn’s work this year;
the big difference is he has to work at it;
it comes natural to Ruan – think of England game eoyt 2008 – eish
his dad was the same
24 Nov 2009, 22:53 pm
Ruan has a whopping 35 test caps already. Admittedly, mostly off the bench as a “utility back”, but a good number of those subbings have been into the flyhalf spot. He’s competent without being brilliant in the number 10 jersey, but he is one of the very best on earth in the number 9 shirt. He’d walk into almost every test team.
24 Nov 2009, 22:57 pm
ruan is far better suited to a running game than morne and sadly, if morne was treated the same as ruan, he would have been dropped for two below par performances vs france (woeful) and italy (couldnt hit a barn door from 5 paces).
you all know it.
morne has had an incredible year, but like donald for the ab’s, he is a stop gap at international level.
fullstop.
24 Nov 2009, 22:59 pm
@jb:
Exactly Ruan is an artist while Morne is a craftsman.
24 Nov 2009, 23:06 pm
@rangerman: Bushy. I disagree. But let’s see how Saturday goes behind a stronger pack.
No one on earth could criticize Morne’s kicking.
24 Nov 2009, 23:07 pm
@rangerman: The creative Pienaar to 10, M.Steyn to 12, it seems straightforward.
24 Nov 2009, 23:11 pm
since when do the boks play a running game?
ruan is a riddle wrapped in an enigma….wrapped in a baket case…
24 Nov 2009, 23:13 pm
This is the same reason why our b team lost in 2006, I remember little Pretorius only managing to kick the ball 20 meters every time, while the untalented O’gara was kicking 60-70 meters at will.
What’s wrong with Ireland? get some decent weather for once, LADS.
24 Nov 2009, 23:16 pm
Not sure Pienaar at 10 would necessarily mean a running game, just get the backline moving a bit. He’s never played badly for SA at 10, just the goal-kicking issue. Probably won’t happen anyway.
24 Nov 2009, 23:25 pm
@Big Hit:
Pienaar is one of the worst non quota players there has been in Springboks colors for a very long time. People say its just his goal kicking, its not. Literally every time he gets the ball and tries to do something himself, he messes up.
Watch him next time, see how he kicked that ball out on the full? See his hospital pass to Olivier? did you see him try and run himself and get turned? Did you see him knock on with zero pressure? Just because he can jiggle his hips a bit doesn’t make him a good rugby player.
24 Nov 2009, 23:28 pm
@Big Hit: The difference between winning & losing a Test match is very slim, and usually down to taking your points opportunities when presented.
Morne Steyn does.
Ruan doesn’t.
Which just means his kicking is ****, unless we double trhe points for hitting the post, then he would be a legend.
But he can do everything with a rugby ball, when he puts his mind to it.
@Kobus Kitty: Overly harsh boet. He’s an excellent rugby player.
25 Nov 2009, 00:07 am
@TheTackler:
Word. Lovely distribution at 9 and 10. It might benefit him to get some game time at 12 for Sharks this year.
25 Nov 2009, 00:30 am
@lightie:
He will be as good as Adi Jacobs is at 12 – meaning he won’t stay on his feet long enough and will get turned. I also can’t see Pienaar punching holes in the defense.
25 Nov 2009, 00:58 am
So Jacobs makes a break and theres no support and he gets turned over. Get him out the team. Or maybe work on running lines in training?
Personally I don’t think he should be in the team but he’s being treated a little bit unfairly just because the best number 8 in the world ran over him the other day.
25 Nov 2009, 01:36 am
Quote from Matt Pierce on Supersport:
“Finally, the item that is all over the Irish media – apart from the disgraceful, dirty Springboks – is the Thierry Henry handball incident in Ireland’s World Cup qualifier in Paris that ended the Paddys’ World Cup dream. The amount of commentary on social conscience, principles and ‘doing the right thing’ is extraordinary, but as a follower of South African rugby, one thing immediately came to mind: Did anyone hear a lone Irish voice back in 2004 saying that Ronan O’Gara should be made to re-take the infamous penalty kick from which he tapped and scored while John Smit was talking to his players at the request of the referee? Ah, thought not…”
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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