‘Not filling 15 may bite Boks’
30 Jun 2010
Without Frans Steyn and Fourie du Preez, the Springboks have lost key components to their Tri-Nations title defence.
Peter de Villiers explained Steyn’s omission from the 28-man squad due to the Racing Metro-based back being off pace and that the standard of European club competitions wasn’t as fast as Super Rugby, but still picked three players (BJ Botha, CJ van der Linde and Butch James) who played there last season.
The June Tests also haven’t been used well in trying to find the scrumhalf and fullback’s respective replacements. Steyn started against Wales but since, Zane Kirchner, Gio Aplon and even Ruan Pienaar have run at 15, showing the confusion over the position.
Steyn was also the difference the last time the Boks met the All Blacks, his three long-range penalties a feat no other player in the world can achieve.
Eddie Jones says it’s no coincidence that the six Tests that Steyn started at fullback last year, the Boks won.
‘Frans is one of the most gifted players in the world, and to leave him out when he’s available, you must think you’re going pretty well,’ Jones told keo.co.za.
‘At fullback, he’s a big guy who can kick the ball as long as anyone, is reasonably safe under the high ball and he has something about him. Kirchner still hasn’t proved that he’s a Test player although he’s played very well in the Super 14, and he tends to have that habit of making two or three iffy mistakes a game. Aplon is a very good little player but he’s probably a better winger than fullback at Test level.
‘There’s a potential hole there that they haven’t filled and not picking Steyn may come back and bite them. He also kicks goals regularly from over 50m.’
The loss of Du Preez is not by choice, but his exclusion due to injury will hurt the Boks even more. Even though the law interpretations have changed since last year’s competition, Du Preez’s boot, brain and all-round brilliance will be missed.
‘They’ll be massive losses,’ Jones said of Steyn and Du Preez. ‘South Africa haven’t faced good enough quality opposition to realise how much they’re gonna miss them, particularly Fourie.
‘One of the things that stood out in the Super 14 was that the Bulls were the best attacking team in the competition – they scored the most tries per game – but having said that, they were also the side that kicked the most. It’s a simplistic way of looking at it but it’s quite true: their kicking was so accurate, it gave them field position to score tries.
‘The architect of most of those kicks was undoubtedly Fourie and to not have him playing for South Africa when games get tight, with long kicks or high kicks that are contestable, they’re really going to feel it. The other part of Fourie is that his tactical nous is second to none in the world and they’ve lost huge intellectual capital, which again will hard to replace in big Tests.’
Finding Du Preez’s replacement during June also hasn’t been executed well, with Ricky Januarie seemingly having a monopoly on the No 9 jersey. De Villiers gave Pienaar just 16 minutes throughout four Tests in his favoured position of scrumhalf, with Januarie playing 304 out of a possible 320.
‘Ruan’s shown his hand by signing for Ulster that his confidence has been dented, there’s no doubt about that. If he was confident about where he was, he wouldn’t go to Ulster because he’s a proud South African who wants to play for the Boks,’ said Jones.
Jones still rates Pienaar as a flyhalf, but the player has shown his desire to play scrumhalf and Jones says he must only be played in one position by his coaches.
‘It’s interesting to look at his performances at flyhalf, he was good there in the first Test against the Lions. He missed some kicks but still played reasonably well in the second – people tend to forget that. Every time he’s played at 10 for South Africa he’s played well,’ he said, including the Boks’ opening Tri-Nations fixture against the All Blacks in Bloemfontein.
‘He’s past the stage where he’s a young kid and he really needs to become a specialist. You find guys who are shifted around, as they get older, they tend to become bits and pieces players. The only thing they’re good for is limited overs cricket or 20/20, but not for Tests anymore.
‘He’s a tough and talented kid who plays hard for his country, but he needs to find his position.’
By Grant Ball
380 Comments
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30 Jun 2010, 18:42 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-350: Good call. With Tony Watson
30 Jun 2010, 18:53 pm
@gecko(gecko)-351: Yup, Watson before he tangled with Uli though…
30 Jun 2010, 18:56 pm
@gecko(gecko)-351: A certain Dr. Graham Hefer was quite good and would not have disgraced the no 8 position.
Am betraying my roots…
30 Jun 2010, 19:33 pm
lets hope Ghana looses by 3 on Friday night. Racist pigs
30 Jun 2010, 19:36 pm
@makethecirclesbigger(makethecirclesbigger)-354: what did they do?
30 Jun 2010, 19:42 pm
I agree that we will struggle against ABs with a sub grade scrummie and nothing solid at 15.
30 Jun 2010, 20:12 pm
@gecko(gecko)-300: @willievz(willievz)-307: @Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-316: You guys can say about Botha Rossouw what you want but in the ‘Battle of Tucuman’ he was the man that dropped four Argies and then had to help other Boks sort out their fights too…
30 Jun 2010, 21:22 pm
@gecko(gecko)-348: Yes but never tests.
30 Jun 2010, 21:50 pm
@panniepeet(panniepeet)-357: Are you sure? He only toured in ’92 to France & UK
30 Jun 2010, 22:40 pm
the reason the bulls have scored more tries this season is ……. Brrrrrrrupppp! ………. They have two white wings! Yes yes it’s true ! For the first time in a very long time a south african team has risked it to have two wit okes on the wing.!
30 Jun 2010, 23:31 pm
The only scrumhalf that I have seen play similarly to Fourie Du Preez is Ruan Snyman. He was the Bulls scrummie that took over from Heinie Adams in the league game of the 2010 S14. The bulls were taking a pasting while Adams was on, with him taking bad options anddropping balls all over the place. As soon as Ruan Snyman came on, teh momentum of teh game changed. He even has a similar pass to FdP – accurate and fast.
His technique is good in the way he positons his body, and steps into the ball, and makes a single movement to get the pass away fast, smoothly and accurately. His kicking seemd to be ok (quite good), but most of all, he chose good options consistently. Mark my words we will see more of him (I hope).
Does anybody know if he is playing in the CC?
1 Jul 2010, 00:07 am
I know that this subject has been drill into the ground, but does anyone actually know why Peter de Villiers and Frans Steyn have this great relationship.
I don’t live in SA and hear talk about it all the time but don’t know the actual reason.
All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.
1 Jul 2010, 00:10 am
@moedeloos(moedeloos)-55: I agree. Frans has made as many screw ups as he has done good things. He made spectacular stuff ups at flyhalf in Durban in 2007, just befor eteh RWC – he lost us teh game against NZ, from being ten points up with ten minutes to go.
His best position is fullback, thsi is clear, but he does not join teh line as well as Zane. the only thing he does have that is spectaular is the ability to drop kick from teh half way line. Morne can even do teh long distance place kicks nowadays. an frankly, that ability was required in 2009, because teh rules did not allow you to run the ball back without massive risk of losing teh ball. So you needed to punish clearance kicks to force the opposing team to try and run it back at you from their own half.
But now, opposing teams (read AB’s) will just run it back (as it means less risk of losing the ball) and avoid his threat. What we need now, is a fulback that is not scared to take teh ball up from a clearnace kick, to sety up another period of protracted pressure that is likely to result in a try. Those ong distance droppies are not really needed now.
1 Jul 2010, 00:48 am
PDV is unwittingly sabotaging himself, and us in the process. It is highly likely we are not going to win the Tri-Nations, nor gain a Grand Slam at the end of the year.
1 Jul 2010, 01:53 am
pdv is the man
1 Jul 2010, 02:27 am
@SjamBok(SjamBok)-363: Interesting point. I think that Frans can quite easily adapt his style by running the ball back, instead of kicking. This is not a big change. He is a strong runner. Plus we would have the benefit of his massive boot when we need it.
1 Jul 2010, 03:05 am
Francois Steyn is a test-quality full-back and only a mediocre provincial-grade midfielder.
1 Jul 2010, 03:42 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-367:
Disagree Tackler, he’s a test quality 12 and a WC winning won to boot!
1 Jul 2010, 03:43 am
won s/b one …hehe
1 Jul 2010, 04:28 am
The Boks have a fair chance to win this year without Styen and FdP
The Wallabies are a rubbles now, with Salesi Ma’afu Saia, Faingaa, Genia and Cooper they will lose 5 out of 6 TriNations Tests this year.
The ABs got better but again will be smashed by the Boks forwards, they failed to capitulate in 2009 on the Quota backs the Boks fielded and I doubt they will do it this year although the prospect of having Habana, Aplon, Kirshner and DeJongh in the back-line will not go unnoticed by Graham Henry, but still, their forwards aren’t up to it YET
1 Jul 2010, 04:39 am
@sglazer(sglazer)-364:
PdV follows instructions: the FB position is now pegged for a quota, either Kirshner or Jantjes, if he doesn’t understand the instructions, the ancyl will remind him,,,,
1 Jul 2010, 06:58 am
@Hondo(Hondo)-371: I hope this is not true. If it is, goodbye Springbok Rugby.
1 Jul 2010, 07:34 am
@sglazer(sglazer)-372: if you believe anything hondo says then you’re more feebleminded that one thought…
1 Jul 2010, 07:47 am
We should think of playing Jacque Fourie at fullback he was originally a fullback and has the size, skill and speed to still play there. We should then play Juan de Jonge at outside center with De Villiers at inside center.
I believe is worth a try but it should have perhaps been experimented in the Italy games not in the Tri-Nations!
1 Jul 2010, 08:43 am
@iceman(iceman)-374:
I’m pretty sure the worlds best 13 wouldn’t want to be the worlds 2nd best 15 behind Frans.
1 Jul 2010, 12:34 pm
@David(David)-375:
Jacque Fourie could also become the best fullback of all time but if don’t try it we will never know!
1 Jul 2010, 17:47 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-373: Thanks for thinking I’m feebleminded
1 Jul 2010, 17:54 pm
Having learned on the job about the importance of having a fetcher and strong props, which almost cost us last year’s season, we are now learning about the importance of having strong 9 and 15′s and stronger cover at 2.
Thankfully we have a core of world class players, while our coach (hopefully) finds his feet.
1 Jul 2010, 17:59 pm
@iceman(iceman)-376: Once a player reaches his mid-20′s he needs to specialize in one position. Look at what is happening with Ruan. It would be folly to select our world-class 13 in any other position. But then again doing this has been de-rigueur for our current selectors.
1 Jul 2010, 18:03 pm
@iceman(iceman)-376: Besides, we already have a world class 15. We just need our coach to realize this.
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