Ken Borland

Heyneke Meyer is not the sort of coach to make sallies into a brave new world willy nilly, but even if he did want to introduce a new dimension to Springbok flyhalf play this weekend against Australia, the fates seem to be conspiring against him.

With Morne Steyn clearly in desperate need of a break to regain his form and confidence and Johan Goosen having shown he has the stomach for Test rugby even at the tender age of 20, there were high hopes that there might have been a changing of the guard at flyhalf for Saturday’s Rugby Championship Test against the Wallabies.

That was until Francois Steyn rolled his ankle at practice on Monday and Goosen had to train barefoot because of a bruised heel.

Francois Steyn’s absence would rob the team of 53 caps worth of experience at inside centre and Meyer might be loath to introduce a new starting flyhalf because of that. Even moving Jean de Villiers to 12 doesn’t  solve the problem, because then either Juan de Jongh, with just 10 caps, or the uncapped Jaco Taute will have to play at outside centre.

While many would like to see Morne Steyn on holiday, lying on the beach with his hands on his tummy, Meyer explained on Monday that not choosing the 28-year-old in the Springbok squad would not have helped because, due to the South African Rugby Union not having full control over their contracted players, he would have just been snapped up the struggling Bulls to play Currie Cup rugby.

“The pressure won’t go away for him, the Bulls are also under pressure. It’s best to keep him involved with us, he’s taken a lot of criticism, but you’re still working with a human being and I can see that he is himself again back at home,” Meyer said. “I’m not just going to throw Morne away, he just kicked badly and Johan Goosen is not 100 percent fit and I’ve been bringing him through slowly. If I bowed to public pressure, then I would change the team every week.”

Lock Flip van der Merwe, who took his chance with both hands when he started against the All Blacks in Dunedin, is troubled by what team doctor Craig Roberts described as “a very mild calf strain,” while prop Coenie Oosthuizen, who played just once in the Green and Gold against England in June before injuring his neck, is suffering from “general stiffness” having returned to action with 35 minutes for the Free State Cheetahs at the weekend.

Wing Lwazi Mvovo (tight hamstring) and flank Jacques Potgieter (groin) are other players who will be managed with a gentle touch this week.

The Springboks were in touching distance of both the Wallabies and All Blacks in their last two matches and Meyer is confident they can restore the public’s faith by winning their last two Rugby Championship games in Pretoria and Soweto.

“It will definitely be different playing here. We should have won overseas and in the past we’ve done well at home,” Meyer said. “I have a good feeling about this team, it’s definitely developing, there’s a great vibe.

“We had three tough away games in a row, the only team to have that, so it’s great to be back at home and the players are a lot more relaxed. At first with a new, inexperienced team and a new coach, there are going to be doubts and a lack of self-belief. But I could see against Australia and the All Blacks that the players knew that they could win.”

Those hoping for a radical change in how the Springboks approach these next two Tests should not hold their breath, however. Meyer made it clear on Monday that his strategy will still be arm-wrestling the opposition into submission.

“In Test rugby, the teams are so close (in standard) and there’s not as much space, so it’s an arm-wrestle. There’s been a lot of talk about the game plan, but I thought we played them perfectly. We had more chances to win but we didn’t convert that pressure into points,” the Springbok coach said.

So dazzling the opposition is out, but Meyer does recognise the need for better attacking play.

“I was a bit cross today because the players have to get that mindset that if they break the line, then they must finish. They mustn’t look around and stop,” Meyer said.

Despite the injuries, there was a definite sense of the tough last few weeks being eradicated from the memory banks as the Springboks trained energetically and enthusiastically in the stadium where Meyer perfected the blueprint that he will continue to back against the best teams in the world.

http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2012-09-25-the-gospel-according-to-heyneke-meyer-springboks-down-but-not-out

South Africa coach Heyneke Meyer said his team were delighted to be back at home, but injury problems meant he could not totally relax as the Springboks had their first training sessions of the week in Pretoria on Monday.

Having drawn with Argentina and lost to Australia and New Zealand on the road in their last three Rugby Championship matches, the Springboks take on the Wallabies at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday in a last-ditch effort to stay in contention to win the competition.

But any hopes Meyer may have had of freshening up his team with new faces could be stymied by injuries, most notably to centre Francois Steyn and up-and-coming flyhalf Johan Goosen.

“We had three tough away games in a row, the only team to have that, so it’s great to be back at home and the players are a lot more relaxed. I wanted to go hard with the full squad of 30 at training today, but we’ve picked up lots of little untimely injuries,” Meyer told journalists at Loftus Versfeld on Monday.

Steyn rolled his ankle and was on crutches as the team practised at one of their spiritual homes on Monday afternoon, but team doctor Craig Roberts said x-rays were clear and a decision on the 25-year-old World Cup winner’s availability will only be made on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Goosen has a bruised heel but took part in some training, albeit barefoot.

Incumbent flyhalf Morne Steyn missed 11 points with wayward kicks when South Africa lost 11-21 to the All Blacks in Dunedin on September 15 and has failed to gel with his backline. When Goosen has come off the bench to replace him in the last two tests, for half-an-hour in total, he has looked the part and general opinion in the republic is that the 20-year-old should start instead of Morne Steyn against the Wallabies on Saturday.

But Goosen’s niggle and the possibility that the Springboks will lose 53 caps worth of experience at inside centre if Francois Steyn cannot play could delay what seems an inevitable changing of the guard.

“You obviously want to give players a break when they are fatigued, but if I hadn’t called Morne Steyn into the test squad then he would play Currie Cup for the Bulls. The pressure won’t go away for him, the Bulls are also under pressure. It’s best to keep him involved with us, he’s taken a lot of criticism but you’re still working with a human being and I can see that he is himself again back at home,” Meyer said.

“I’m not just going to throw Morne away, he just kicked badly and Johan is not 100% and I’ve been bringing him through slowly. If I bowed to public pressure, then I would change the team every week.

“You can’t just throw a whole bunch of 20-year-olds in against the Wallabies and All Blacks, they’ll be slaughtered, and I won’t push anyone unless they are 100% ready,” the coach added.

Meyer said he was confident his team could take the spoils against Australia, even though the Wallabies squeezed home 26-19 in Perth on September 8, with the Springboks failing to turn pressure into points, especially in the first half.

“It will definitely be different playing Australia here compared to Perth, where we should have won. In the past we’ve done well against them at home and I have a good feeling about this team, it’s definitely developing, there’s a great vibe,” Meyer said.

The other Springboks who are dogged by injury niggles are prop Coenie Oosthuizen (general stiffness), flank Jacques Potgieter (groin), wing Lwazi Mvovo (hamstring) and lock Flip van der Merwe (calf).

KB: There’s been a lot of talk about the Springbok backline and a lack of spark. Do you think changes are necessary and will Elton Jantjies and Jaco Taute make a difference?

JdV: The guys who’ve been added will definitely bring some youthful enthusiasm. Whenever someone is called up for the first time, they always bring some good energy with them, so it’s a great thing to have some new faces. If they get the opportunity to play, then I’m sure they’ll cherish it. Whenever there’s competition, it’s healthy and it brings the best out of the other players. Especially Jaco Taute, he can play centre or fullback, so he brings a lot of utility, he’s a quality player and I’m sure he’s good enough for Test rugby.

KB: You’ve formed a new partnership this year with Francois Steyn, how is it going? And are you happy at number 13 rather than your usual inside centre position?
JdV: Frans is such an unbelievably talented player and I believe the combination can still grow a lot. We’ve had sparks of brilliance, but I reckon we’re still only at 50-60% of our potential. I’m very happy at 13, there’s a bit more space and width out there and I think it will extend my career as there’s not as much traffic out there.

KB: How has Francois Steyn changed since his time in France with Racing Metro?
JdV: Without doubt he has matured a helluva lot and it definitely did him well. He’s such a talented guy and he’s already achieved so much at the age of 25. He made his Springbok debut aged 19, he won the World Cup at 20 and he already has more than 50 caps. He can still improve so much, but he clearly learnt a lot in France, you can see how he’s matured in his play and off the field. He’s now got much more of a decision-making and leadership role in the Springboks and he’s showing that on the field as well.

KB: The inexperienced pack surprised everyone by dominating the All Blacks in Dunedin. How happy were you after that performance?
JdV: I wasn’t surprised because the side selected had individuals who are very talented, they’re the best in their position and of course they’re going to add value. They showed that they are good enough there and hopefully we can build on that. You only get experience by playing.

KB: There was speculation that Bakkies Botha would be called up from Toulon. How close was he to selection and do you believe he has a role to play for the Springboks going forward?
JdV: I’m not involved with selection, although the coach will maybe consult with me from time to time, so I don’t know how close Bakkies was to selection. The situation is that we always see what’s available in South Africa first. Eben Etzebeth has come through and Flip van der Merwe showed against New Zealand that it’s time for him to stake a claim as well. He has all the talent and there’s Springbok blood flowing through him [His father Flippie was a 6ft5 prop who played six Tests between 1981 and 1989]. If those guys are injured and Bakkies is available, then I’m sure he’d be considered.

KB: Is the squad feeling the pressure of criticism from outside and is there a sense that you have to win these last two Rugby Championship Tests at home?
JdV: Pressure will always be there. I put pressure on myself to perform and as a team we put pressure on ourselves because we want to win every game we’re in the Springbok jersey. But the fact is it is a rebuilding year, we’ve basically lost a whole team with Gurthro Steenkamp, Bismarck du Plessis, Bakkies Botha, Victor Matfield, Schalk Burger, Pierre Spies, Fourie du Preez, Jaque Fourie and JP Pietersen all unavailable. That’s a massive bunch of experience and we’ve lost it so quickly. That puts our results into perspective, although we need to learn from our mistakes. But we do feel it’s vital to win our next two games and we’re looking forward to the challenge.

KB: How does it feel to be criticised by former coaches and players that were close to the team, for instance Peter de Villiers saying there wasn’t enough transformation in the squad?
JdV: I’d rather not comment on previous coaches’ and players’ comments. Our focus is on working towards a goal and we’re sticking to it. It’s important that we listen to the right people and sometimes I’ve felt that the media criticism has been a bit harsh. We just need to win and then everyone will see that we’re on the right track. We believe that we are and we’ve taken a couple of steps in the right direction even though the results didn’t go our way.

KB: You must have been especially disappointed to lose to Australia in Perth after dominating that game for so long?
JdV: Both games overseas, we felt we should have won, but those are the margins of Test rugby. One or two mistakes and you find yourselves 10 points down, but that’s what we need to learn from. That’s where experience comes in and all those names we’ve lost. It reminds me of 2004, there are a lot of similarities. We came close in Christchurch and Perth and then we won the two games at home and ended up winning the Tri-Nations.

KB: You also made the All Blacks look very beatable. You must take a lot of confidence from that?
JdV: Exactly. We’re not just focused on the result. We were up against the best in the world – the World Cup winners – and we came close to beating them at home, so that was good for us. They will still probably go on to win the tournament, but stranger things have happened in sport. We’re still holding thumbs for our chances, but if we don’t win the title, we at least want to get two good wins to finish.

KB: How big a blow is it for the All Blacks that Sonny Bill Williams is not available?
JdV: He’s a quality player and he brought a lot of confidence and skill to their midfield, on an individual basis. But Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith have been a partnership that has served them well for several years, they were probably the outstanding centre combination in world rugby.

KB: What have Argentina brought to the competition?
JdV: They’ve showed that they’re going to be great for the competition. They bring a new feeling, a bit of freshness to the tournament. They’ve been really good, they’ve definitely shown that they belong and we’ll wait and see how New Zealand and Australia do over there.

KB: Is there any chance of you playing in France at some stage in the future?
JdV: Never say never! If a good offer comes … I’ve always said I’d love to play professional rugby in France, just to be a part of the culture and experience the passion for the game there.

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