Boks target Cooper, Giteau
24 Aug 2010
Morne Steyn has great admiration for Quade Cooper and Matt Giteau, but has intimated that as a combination they could be defensively vulnerable.
Flyhaf Cooper and inside centre Giteau’s attacking prowess needs no elaboration, but there is a widely held perception that they don’t pack the same punch on defence. That perception is reinforced by their defensive statistics in the Super 14.
Cooper missed an average of two tackles per game, but it’s his performance against teams with hard-running loose forwards, like the Springboks possess, that is telling. He missed an incredible six tackles against the Brumbies, four against the Bulls and three against the Stormers.
Giteau also seems susceptible against powerful back rows, slipping six against the Reds and three against the Sharks.
‘I wouldn’t say they’re bad defenders but we have spoken about attacking the 10-12 channel. We could get some reward in doing that,’ Steyn told keo.co.za.
‘We’ve got a big centre combination in Jean de Villiers and Jaque Fourie, and some strong, quick loose forwards who’ll relish the opportunity to run at them.’
Steyn tempered his comments by acknowledging the attacking threat the Wallabies’ duo posed.
‘We have to close Cooper’s space down,’ he said of the player who led the Super 14 in linebreaks. ‘When we’ve done that in the past he hasn’t been as big a factor. Giteau has the potential to create something from nothing, but the same defensive principles apply with him.’
Steyn has paled in comparison to Cooper and All Blacks pivot Dan Carter from an attacking perspective. Much of that has to do with the directive to play a pragmatic game marked by tactical bombs. He’s made just two linebreaks in the four matches he’s played, and conceded that that statistic has to improve.
He, however, countered by saying that the platform hadn’t been set in most matches, and stressed the importance of the heavies taking the ball over the advantage line in order to generate the momentum needed to trouble the Wallabies. Steyn also highlighted the importance of nullifying openside flank David Pocock.
‘Our forwards have a big role to play in keeping him quiet, especially Schalk [Burger],’ he said. ‘If Pocock gets his hands on the ball you’re likely to lose [possession]. We have to be hard in the clean and support our ball carriers in contact. As soon as we’re isolated he becomes a major factor.’
Steyn will have the comfort of the Springboks’ most experienced midfield combination on his outside. He said that they were unmatchable as a defensive pair, and that that would ease some of the pressure on him.
‘They communicate so well, especially Jaque who is always talking and organising the line,’ he said. ‘It’s comforting to have them back, especially against the Aussies who pose a threat out wide.
‘Furthermore, having Frans Steyn there also helps spread the responsibility when it comes to tactical kicking,’ he added. ‘The scrumhalves and fullbacks we’ve had in Fourie du Preez and Frans’ absence are good kickers, but not in the same class as those two, so it’ll be a weight off my shoulders to throw it to Frans sometimes and let him put his monster boot to it.’
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14 Comments
24 Aug 2010, 14:43 pm
Creative Dragons
24 Aug 2010, 14:48 pm
Are we going to attack them by kicking the ball over their heads?
24 Aug 2010, 14:49 pm
Hopefully Steyn puts his money where his mouth is, and attack the gain line more often.
24 Aug 2010, 15:17 pm
C’mon Morne. Silence those Steyn-haters!
24 Aug 2010, 15:26 pm
KICK, KICK and CHASE……KICK more and more and more…….
Thats life!
24 Aug 2010, 17:36 pm
since when has Morne attacked any gain line.
he stands so deep that he kills any chance of a quick ball.
he doesn’t comprehend what is called play what is in front of you. we would win a turnover where most defense system are a mess, and have an overlap, but no Morne will just kick the ball without looking on his outside.
24 Aug 2010, 17:54 pm
@Stoan(Stoan)-6:
Morne Steyn made a linebreak after a quick tap that led to the first try. He also carried the ball up on a few occasions. His attacking play isn’t perfect, but I don’t know how he managed all these things by standing deep and kicking. He must be the first flyhalf in history that can kick and carry the ball over the advantage line at the same time. Either that, or you just didn’t watch the game.
24 Aug 2010, 18:11 pm
@coherence(coherence)-7</a@coherence(coherence)-7: i did watch the game. my point is simple and that the times you talking about him carrying the ball up, there was a massive overlap on the outside and chose not to pass. as for the tap and go for a the penalty, i will give him vredit for that it’s a pity he couldn’t have many other suprises like those, for the rest of the game.
24 Aug 2010, 20:08 pm
@UnbeataBULL(UnbeataBULL)-4: You would have agreed with the MS haters if u were not wearing ur blue tinted glasses.
24 Aug 2010, 20:09 pm
MS is one dimensional and has been exposed!!
24 Aug 2010, 21:36 pm
Drop-kicks and intercepts…
Opportunism.
That’s not proper rugby.
25 Aug 2010, 03:10 am
I thought he looked pretty good on Saturday with your new halfback inside.
Remember that he has been the one constant in a permanently fluctuating bok backline.
I’d select him.
25 Aug 2010, 04:35 am
steyn should just worry about improving his own attacking prowess….right now he looks like a 4th XV flyhalf compared to Quade Cooper and Dan Carter. And forget about pulling out stats from the Super 14 coz cleary that comp has counted for sh*t in this tri-nations.
25 Aug 2010, 09:46 am
Ja Morne. We all know that you will just kick the ball straight at the full back and give Cooper and Gits all the posession to run at the Boks all day long showcasing their magic.
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