for quality writing

Ken Borland



Meyer hedges his bets at flyhalf & fullback 0

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Ken

 

Perhaps Heyneke Meyer didn’t want to spoil the actual team announcement on Wednesday, or he’s afraid of irreparably damaging fragile psyches, but the Springbok coach on Saturday night announced an expanded 30-man squad with three flyhalves and three fullbacks included for the home Rugby Championship Tests against Australia and New Zealand.

That meant that despite adding the Lions duo of Elton Jantjies and Jaco Taute to the mix, there was still place for Morne Steyn and Zane Kirchner, the two most unpopular selections in his teams this year.

Thankfully, the selection of the Springbok team is not a popularity contest, because that would be catastrophically fickle, but Lady Luck has clearly turned her face away from Steyn, with even his kicking boots deserting him. She could well look in Steyn’s direction again, but what the 28-year-old clearly needs is a break from the game and the chance to rediscover himself, his form and confidence, perhaps in Currie Cup rugby with the Bulls.

Instead, the embattled flyhalf will have to pitch up for Springbok duty again, face the uncertainty of playing for his place and feel all the pressure and ugly, nasty public vitriol all over again. For someone who prides himself on getting the best out of his players, it seems cruel that Meyer will subject Steyn to that again, rather than a sympathetic arm around the shoulder and a “Listen, you’re still a great player but I think you need a break” chat.

Or is Meyer hoping that a few sleeps at home will be a miracle cure for Steyn and the confidence that has so steadily been eroded all year will suddenly return?

Common sense would dictate that the starting flyhalf berth will now be between the 20-year-old Goosen, who has looked to the manner born in his half-an-hour of Test rugby thus far, and Jantjies, surely the most in-form pivot in South Africa at the moment, whose all-round brilliance has led the Lions to the top of the Currie Cup log.

But will Meyer back them? The fact that he has not yet summoned the courage to drop Steyn suggests he struggles to have complete confidence in players he does not know intimately.

The same has happened at fullback, where Pat Lambie and Taute could bring some attacking flair, if only Meyer would back them. Zane Kirchner has been solid and done little wrong, but he does not bring any inspiration to a backline that has only played in fits and starts.

The hedging of bets can also be seen in the selection of four tighthead props in Jannie du Plessis, Pat Cilliers, CJ van der Linde and Coenie Oosthuizen, although the latter two are also comfortable in the number one jersey. But at least some good sense can be seen in that over-supply, because both Du Plessis and Cilliers have been struggling with injury.

Lock Eben Etzebeth is also back in the fold after being suspended for an ineffectual headbutt and the battle for three second-row places in the 22-man squad will be intriguing.

Flip van der Merwe, Juandre Kruger and Andries Bekker did their chances no harm at all with their committed performances in Dunedin and Meyer may well want to bed down the forward combinations that surprised everyone by dominating the All Blacks on their home turf. But Etzebeth has enjoyed a dream year thus far.

Squad:

Pat Lambie, Zane Kirchner, Bryan Habana, Jean de Villiers, Juan de Jongh, Francois Steyn, Jaco Taute, Francois Hougaard, Lwazi Mvovo, Johan Goosen, Elton Jantjies, Morne Steyn, Ruan Pienaar, Duane Vermeulen, Willem Alberts, Jacques Potgieter, Francois Louw, Marcell Coetzee, Juandre Kruger, Andries Bekker, Flip van der Merwe, Eben Etzebeth, Jannie du Plessis, Pat Cilliers, Adriaan Strauss, Tiaan Liebenberg, Craig Burden, Tendai Mtawarira, CJ van der Linde, Coenie Oosthuizen.

– http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2012-09-23-rugby-lady-luck-vs-morne-steyn

Three flyhalves & 3 fullbacks in expanded Bok squad 0

Posted on October 09, 2012 by Ken

South Africa coach Heyneke Meyer on Saturday included three flyhalves and a trio of fullbacks in an expanded 30-man squad for the Springboks’ two home Rugby Championship tests against Australia and New Zealand.

    Flyhalf Morne Steyn, who has added wayward goalkicking to laborious attacking play, and fullback Zane Kirchner have been the two players most criticised after the Springboks’ poor away run comprising defeats to New Zealand and Australia and a draw with tournament newcomers Argentina, but both have been retained in the squad.
Meyer has, however, increased his options in both positions by calling up the Lions duo of flyhalf Elton Jantjies and fullback Jaco Taute, both uncapped, although Jantjies has been a member of Springbok squads before.
Veteran 32-year-old prop CJ van der Linde, whose last Springbok appearance was exactly a year ago against Namibia in the Rugby World Cup, has been recalled, as has youngster Coenie Oosthuizen, who has played just 35 minutes of Currie Cup rugby for the Free State Cheetahs after injuring his neck in the first test against England on June 9.
Meyer said in a statement that he had always admired the 21-year-old Taute’s play, but had been prevented from selecting him earlier due to injuries.
“I’d always wanted to include Jaco in the squad, but an untimely injury meant we could not select him earlier. Jaco is big, strong, fast and versatile and it will be good to get him involved,” Meyer said.

With both tighthead props, Jannie du Plessis and Pat Cilliers, carrying injury niggles last week, and Dean Greyling suspended, Meyer has called up Van der Linde and Oosthuizen, who can both play on either side of the scrum.

Meyer is under enormous public pressure to drop Steyn, who succeeded with just one of his five kicks at goal in the 11-21 loss to the All Blacks in Dunedin last weekend, and play either Johan Goosen or Jantjies, who has led the Lions to the top of the Currie Cup standings, as his starting flyhalf.

But Meyer has refused to commit himself by keeping Steyn in the squad and his only comment on the flyhalf situation was to say: “Elton was part of the squad before this season, against England in June and in the first part of the Rugby Championship. He only missed out when we had to cut the numbers of the squad and it’s good to have him back.”

South Africa have to beat both Australia and New Zealand with a bonus point, while hoping the All Blacks lose in Argentina, to have any chance of winning the inaugural Rugby Championship title.

“There were a number of positives we took from the matches in Perth and Dunedin and it is imperative that we build on those.
“The tests against Australia and New Zealand won’t be easy. The All Blacks are unbeaten this year and the Wallabies have done well to win their last two matches, so we will have to be at our best at Loftus Versfeld and Soccer City.
“But I’m happy with the progress we’ve made on tour and the big challenge will be to now take the next step as we grow as a team,” Meyer said.
Squad – Pat Lambie, Zane Kirchner, Bryan Habana, Jean de Villiers, Juan de Jongh, Francois Steyn, Jaco Taute, Francois Hougaard, Lwazi Mvovo, Johan Goosen, Elton Jantjies, Morne Steyn, Ruan Pienaar, Duane Vermeulen, Willem Alberts, Jacques Potgieter, Francois Louw, Marcell Coetzee, Juandre Kruger, Andries Bekker, Flip van der Merwe, Eben Etzebeth, Jannie du Plessis, Pat Cilliers, Adriaan Strauss, Tiaan Liebenberg, Craig Burden, Tendai Mtawarira, CJ van der Linde, Coenie Oosthuizen.

 

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Thought of the Day

    John 14:20 – “On that day you will realise that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”

    All the effort and striving in the world, all the good works and great sacrifices, will not help you to become like Christ unless the presence of the living Christ is to be found in your heart and mind.

    Jesus needs to be the source, and not our own strength, that enables us to grow spiritually in strength, beauty and truth.

    Unless the presence of Christ is a living reality in your heart, you will not be able to reflect his personality in your life.

    You need an intensely personal, more intimate relationship with Christ, in which you allow him to reveal himself through your life.

     

     



↑ Top