Light on dark ignorance...

FHSteyn0/0917/8/178612325/00/000/0

There you have it. Steyn had a fine general game at flyhalf today. He made some good breaks, important tackles and big gains. But his boot deserted him alarmingly...off the tee and in kickoffs and penalties. He needed to curb his ambitions.
But ball in hand that is the kind of flyhalf play that will fit the Bok model. What do we make of his kicking? Frankly I'm not sure....he certainly seemed very tense.

Disagree it was his worst performance of the season. 

A fine game he says! Bwahahahahahaha stubborn old fool will go to the grave promoting the incompetence of this pathetic hack. Oh well, it's recorded for posterity now. Moz is quite happy to throw his name away defending the indefensible.  
This goes some way to explaining why Apartheid remained for so long in Republic. It's a fine system.....generally.  Keep drinking the F Steyn kool aid. 

 I also thought he ran the ball better, but as his kicking got worse in the game he ran the ball less. At 110kg's he needs to lose a lot of weight.

 LOL! So you're justifying your confidence in Steyn based on one performance 7 years ago and the fact some idiots with more dollars than sense are happy to write him a fat cheque? Is that how you select Bok prospects these days?
 Bwahahaha! What a tool! The only thing Steyn had going for him was his ability to kick a ball a very long way. Once thats been compromised, he is a lost cause. 

Probably about 12 lbs would get him to his maximum potential. The concern coming out of today is more mental I would say. He got rattled early and couldn't self correct. There is a whole lot more pressure having to make all the kicks in a tight game vs making a few long bombs, that you can legitimately miss. Today Fransie wilted and that was a bit surprising.

 I don't think the crowd helped either, really started to get on my nerves with the Boo's. 

 Frans is about 4 or 56 kgs overweight. Moz youare quite correct taht other than his work with the boot he played quite well. But a flyhalf has to be able to dictate a game and of course if he is the palce kicker goal his kicks. So its all up to frans to deliver the goods.
On a long term  basis Pollard is looking very good. to think he is going to the juniour wolrd cup as an under 20 is amazing. He is 96 kg so a solid unit. Huge boot as well and calm temprement. Great exp ort WP!!

 Beeno
A flyhalf is more than just a kicker of balls - he has to read games and dictate play.  If he kicks it must be strategic kicks difficult for the opposition to field because of effective follow-up.   If he decides on a backline attack he should be part of the attack - not slow and ineffective.   
Steyn is probably 10 kgs overweight and as slow as a mule.   He has no idea about strategic kicking.   
You cannot play a flyhalf like Steyn in any backline and expect reasonable results from that backline - they are bound to misfire.  The Sharks backline cannot score tries and the question is why?   there is one simple answer - take out the Steyn factor and they will perform better.      

I'd say Pollard is  a better candidate than Goosen. He can do it all and is clearly a very physical chap. Oom give it a rest for a day..... enough stupidity for a while.  

 Mozart
I asked a decent question - which you avoid like the plague.  Do you still think that Steyn is the answer at 10 for the Springboks?   

Yes I would, and he won't have another game kicking balls dead, or in touch from the. kickoffs. That was an error of commission, he was trying too hard. Even at the end of the game from way out he kicked  a penalty 5 metres out from the line. Once he gets advised and thinks about the risks, he will dial it back....and we will get the benefits, evident yesterday, of his physicality.
The aspect I have always had reservations about is whether he can consistently goal the shorter ones....much harder than being a hero occasionally goaling a 55 metre kick. After yesterday there has to be more doubt about that. 
So he is still my choice,but only if he can confirm the goal kicking. We don't have an alternative kicker at 15... and Pienaar is unlikely to be a starter....so our 10 has to be a superb goal kicker

 Mozart
What a joke - he must have been trying to hard for the whole season - because he made exactly the same mistakes game after game. 
There is something that you have refused to recognize by refusing to evaluate his performances over the series - he made the same mistakes game after game and they added up.   Yesterday was not the first time he missed to find touch with penalties or the first time he kicked balls out on the full.   It happened in virtually all games.
Steyn has had success with a number of long distance penalties provided they were nearly straight in front of the posts - his misses were always at an angle.   I do believe the problem will increase rather than decrease as the season progresses.  
His physical condition is regressing again and his speed is seriously affected - two issues that impact on his performances.  and his decision making is seriously defective.   
     

Number nine....number nine....number nine  

Lambie out

F Steyn struggling to put it all together

Goosen still playing with pain and a shell of the confident player from a couple years ago

JLP taking a backseat to Pollard

Pollard off to JWC

Boshoff losing a lot of his early season shine


Morne seems to be a shoo-in for the June Internationals.