Solomons on Frans

'Francois Steyn is another big miss for South Africa on this tour. I don’t know what the story is with Steyn, but his absence is being keenly felt. He is strong and abrasive and is an excellent goal-kicker. In my opinion, he is an outstanding rugby player.' No doubt politics is behind all this. And it's a shame we desperately need a competitor in our backline....an abrasive player who will put in a big hit, rip the bll away, offload skillfully in the tackle. We have these timid centres like Allende, Kriel and Mapoe....nobody won anything with wilting flowers at centre.

 I'll give Fransie a look at 15 if he can land 2 penalties/drops from within his own half per match. With his busted knee that's unlikely.  He's probably still good enough at 12, but for how long? Rather give the opportunity for a youngster to try and make his mark. We don't want another Oupa Matfield scenario...MOM in one game, but letting the team down in the next 4....and wasting the opportunities to blood succession. 

Draad, you and I have contrasting rugby views. If I thought a player would even attempt a drop goal from inside his own half I would never EVER even consider him. 
A captain who went for the 3 points from inside his own half instead of kicking for the corner would also not be tolerated in a Rooinek-coached team.

 Rooi, I  was at Newlands in 2006 or 2007 against Oz. We were losing. I went to the bar underneath the stands to drown my frustration.  Frans either slotted a penalty or a drop from inside our own half. In 2009 he played 15 and slotted some long distance scores...and we beat the AB's 3 Zip that year...by the skin of our teath. We need all we can get playing that lot. I would also like us to run NZ wild and beat them with tries, but that ain't gonna happen any time soon.

Draad, you're just confirming what I said . . . that we have very contrasting rugby views.
If a fullback or flyhalf or whatever tried a drop goal in any circ*mstances other than a post-hooter tiebreak situation I would drop him like a hot potato.
One of the most embarrassing rugby matches I've ever watched was Frans Steyn playing for the Barbarians when he tried to win the game by acc*mulating points with long-range drop goals. Absolutely no idea of the traditions of Barbarians rugby and he just continued his "looks everyone for how far I kan laaik to kick" mentality. 
If you're happy playing that kind of rugby then go ahead and punt a pea-brain like Francois Steyn. Me, I'd rather lose playing running rugby than win with long-range penalties and drop kicks. I'm serious.

 Draad Frans started at full back early in his career - but over the years he got way too slow to be effective in that position.   He has developed a serious pace deficiency and the main reason for that is his teeth that cannot stop over-eating,
So where is he usable?   At center he was atrocious for the Shark in 2013 through to 2015.   His defense was poor - worse than de Allende.   His attacking play poor - in two years of Super Rugby he made 4 line breaks and beat 17 defenders - so his attacking play is basically non[existent .
He played at flyhalf most of the time in 2014 and the result was that he lost ball possession 32 times - mostly as a result of a poor kicking game.   Steyn never really had been an effective flyhalf due to slow decision-making and poor execution. 
Steyn's last tests were in 2012 where he played at center and was seriously defective - he produced zero in the tests he played in.  
It may sound good to  have  him in the squad - but the question arises in what position?     Definitely not at full back or center and with a failure record at flyhalf what should he be?


   

Mozart
There is no policy involved insofar as Fat Fransie is concerned - his performances since his return from France in 2012 has been poor over an extended period of time.  He never was up to standard on Super Rugby level - matter of fact statistically and on the field of play he was atrocious.  
So in what position would you like to use him kno wing that his presence in the backline is a sure guarantee that he will destroy the backline performances? 

 I never rsted Fransie other than a 15. Fransie at 15 gave us the 3 - zip against the old foe in 2009. Nuff said.

Draad, I always maintained Frans Steyn was a fullback. Not my kind of player but if I had to pick him then I would use him at fullba ck. While he's lacking in pace he does have that siege-gun boot. As long as he's kicking for touch and not for points. 
Wouldn't want him anywhere near flyhalf or inside centre as he is a ball-hogger who destroys any backline flair or creativity.

This about Lambie vs Trump in the 2013/2014 Super Seasons Steyn has started 9 games at 10 for the Sharks over the last two seasons....and won 6. Many of these games were played in Oz/Nz last year. Lambie has started 11 games at 10 for the Sharks ....all but one played in South Africa. He has won 5. Win ratio for Steyn 66.7%.....win ratio for Lambie 45.5%. There are of course mitigating factors, but they seem to all to make Lambie's task the easier. Is it harder to win in Cantebury or Durban? But Lambie steered the Sharks to victory against the Chiefs one man down you say. Frans steered the Sharks to victory down a player against the Saders at home. Sure it's all random you say, but the sample size is getting rather large. Perhaps a winner that rises above his mistakes is better than a loser who is too cautious to make mistakes.

 Mozart
Although one player does not win matches as so simplistically always written by you, the role of some players is of more noticeable importance than others.   Fat Fransie has always been a flop at flyhalf for he reasons stated above - poor decision-making and useless attacking and defending play.   You really do not want to be reminded of some of those flops - such as the red card and 5 match ban of Steyn in 2015 - now do you,   Of the mindless kicks of Steyn in games such as the Brumbies in 2013 after which he was dropped from the Sharks team for very good reasons.   Another classic was a kick after the Sharks won a turnover ball against the Highlanders in Durban in 2014 just meters inside the half of the Highlanders.    Huge overlaps outside of him - but Fat Fransie kicked the ball over the tryline for  Ben Smith to dot down and a restart from the 22.   That was the main reason for the 32 ball possession losses in 2014. 
What other means is so associated with Steyn?   Making skip passes to ensure that overlaps outside of him are eliminated - it happened frequently in matches as well.   He does not know when to make skip passes and when not to.     
There are literary dozens of examples that can be quoted - I just mentioned a few.    He needs time to decide on what to do and that time he does not have at flyhalf.   Any player outside of him in the backline can be sure of one thing - it would be a miracle for him to get the ball.   Just check the Hurricanes game in 2014  when the only pass he made to a player outside of him was one to a full back - the rest of the time he hogged the ball - that was when he played at center - but it is typical Fat Fransie.    He collected penalties galore by crashballng and ball-hogging.  
If Fat Fransie was of any use in the games he played in Super Rugby - the negatives far outweighed the positives.     Fact is the only positive was that for a change his goal kicking was more accurate in 2014 - but to state that he is a reliable goal kicker is just not on.  
The best thing he can do is play Jake-ball - same as Morne Steyn - and kick the ball away or by most other means just neutralize the whole backline of teams he plays for.              

 Mozart
Although one player does not win matches as so simplistically always written by you, the role of some players is of more noticeable importance than others.   Fat Fransie has always been a flop at flyhalf for he reasons stated above - poor decision-making and useless attacking and defending play.   You really do not want to be reminded of some of those flops - such as the red card and 5 match ban of Steyn in 2015 - now do you,   Of the mindless kicks of Steyn in games such as the Brumbies in 2013 after which he was dropped from the Sharks team for very good reasons.   Another classic was a kick after the Sharks won a turnover ball against the Highlanders in Durban in 2014 just meters inside the half of the Highlanders.    Huge overlaps outside of him - but Fat Fransie kicked the ball over the tryline for  Ben Smith to dot down and a restart from the 22.   That was the main reason for the 32 ball possession losses in 2014. 
What other means is so associated with Steyn?   Making skip passes to ensure that overlaps outside of him are eliminated - it happened frequently in matches as well.   He does not know when to make skip passes and when not to.     
There are literary dozens of examples that can be quoted - I just mentioned a few.    He needs time to decide on what to do and that time he does not have at flyhalf.   Any player outside of him in the backline can be sure of one thing - it would be a miracle for him to get the ball.   Just check the Hurricanes game in 2014  when the only pass he made to a player outside of him was one to a full back - the rest of the time he hogged the ball - that was when he played at center - but it is typical Fat Fransie.    He collected penalties galore by crashballng and ball-hogging.  
If Fat Fransie was of any use in the games he played in Super Rugby - the negatives far outweighed the positives.     Fact is the only positive was that for a change his goal kicking was more accurate in 2014 - but to state that he is a reliable goal kicker is just not on.  
The best thing he can do is play Jake-ball - same as Morne Steyn - and kick the ball away or by most other means just neutralize the whole backline of teams he plays for.              

 The fact is Frans at flyhalf is more of a winner than Lambie, for the same team over the same seasons....at a statistically significant level. He would make a great difference to the confidence and competitiveness of this team team of mental losers.

 So the duds you support can individually be made out to be tops because their team s won more matches than they lost.    What a imbecilic argument that is.   Teams at times win matches despite the presence of handicapping duds in the team - and Fat Fransie is a dud and handicap in any position in the backline. 
Best advice is to forget about Fat Fransie - nobody other than you will support his selection to the Springbok team.   They have seen how he buggered up and most observers have  realized what he really became. 

Honestly Tokkie if I want advice, your's is not the opininion that would be highest on my list.

 Play him at 12 and cast aside the useless Janse van Rensburg ... right?
Why play with a talented youngster when we can have a foolish hog in his place?

Simplistic bombast Carbuncle....Rohan is our most likely non capped test success. Unlike Mapoe for example, he has the physical attributes to succeed, play him at 12 outside Frans.

 For one thing I am grateful and that is that Fat Fransie will NOT be our 10.   He is utterly useless in that position.   Will you never learn anything about the game?    


  

Sure lets have the lightweights with targets on their backs, Goosen, Lambie or Swiel.

 You are welcome to have a dud witless flyhalf like Fat Fransie purely based on his weight.  

 In other words ... you acknowledge that your previous choice of Fats at 12 was a mistake ... and that you were wrong even considering him over Janse van Rensburg. 
Apology accepted!!
Pity you went and messed it up by replacing one stupid decision with another.
You really are determined to find a spot for this loser, aren't you?
I suppose he'll be slotted in at 15 one of these days.
I thought you were a Morne fan. Isn't he the god of all flyhalves? Oh ... sorry ... that was last week. 
This week Fats is no longer good enough for the 12 jersey. He's now the new god at 10.
I wonder what next week will bring?

Mozart
I would rather have lightweight players with ball sense than heavy-weighted duds with a poor decision-making record.   Lets not forget what Hansen said about Morne Steyn before the Ellis Park test in 2014 about Morne Steyn's predictability.   The same can be said of Fat Fransie.  
By the way you should borne in mind that Morne has a marker on his back and since he is only 2 kg heavier and ten times slower than Goosen - with dud decision-making ability - it is not surprising that you support him. 

I have never been a fan of Frans Steyn, but I am curious to see if he has matured as a player. I don't watch French club rugby, so I can't comment on his performances over the last while, but based on the current crop of centres (He is not quick enough to be considered at fullback), he could hardly be worse than any of the guys in the Bok squad. He is a solid defender, and offers a reliable boot, and if he has learned to offload as Moz has eluded to, maybe there is a space for him in the Bok mix after all. When I say I am curious to see if he has matured, maybe his head has shrunk a bit, and he has become a little more aware of the fact that he has fourteen team mates he can pass to, instead of always trying to be a hero himself. 


 

Nope I have been a proponent of Frans at 10 for years. I think it's his best position. And Blue, Frans has always been a fine offloader in the tackle....go all the way back to the 2007 WC to see that. We need some experience in this backline.....somebody who isnt gping to wilt in the cauldron at Twickenham.

 You may have been an admirer of Fat Fransie - but his poor performances since his return from France  in 2012 - both on Super 15 level and on test level has clearly gone straight over your head.    He has dome zero to justify his selection on test level and your dreaming about him suddenly improving from atrocious performance to acceptable test level performances is a dream.    If he fails - which is 99% certain - you would obviously blame somebody else for the failure.   Incidentally he will not suddenly wilt under pressure - he has been wilting for years on Super Rugby level.         

 Not exactly zero ....this from Rugby24 scarcely a month ago. When last did any of our current Bok centres score an 'incredible try' Steyn, currently plying his trade with Jake White's Montpellier team in the Top 14, scored an incredible individual try in his side's 42-13 demolition of Brive on Sunday. Steyn, cutting a slimmer figure than in recent times, received the ball after a long pass, cut inside and stepped past three opponents on his way to the tryline.

 In the Irish test and that was when.   That try was against the weakest team in Top 14 - you useless lard.   Fat Fransie was up to his normal when he played Jake-ball on Saturday - he kicked the ball 9 times and passed the ball 4 times and carried the ba ll twice.   That means the backline was 100% neutralized - slimeball.    

 So how many more times do you want us to watch this try?
How many more times do you intend telling us about it? 
Do you not have anything else to show us? Something recent. 
No?? Didn't think so!!
Usually players of class have several moments of brilliance in a match. Your useless chubs manages one fluke event over several seasons and now your pipping him as the man to take us forward.
Haaaaaaaaahahahahahaaa!!!
Talk about desperation. 
You have no choice but to take out a single random snippet and blow it out of proportion. Harp on it for weeks on end. How else are you going to promote this loser.

Oh and yes you did slot him in at 12 ahead of Janse van Rensburg. You even wanted to play Janse van Rensburg out of position (13) so that space could be made for this lard ass. 
Seems you realised your error. I guess the penny will drop eventually. Even with you.
Poor Morne ... discarded by his biggest fan. From a rugby god to a flop in a mere week. 
So ... to summarise ... Fats Fransie was the answer to all our dreams at 12. Janse van Rensburg has defensive issues and isn't good enough to play a test at 12. It's better to play him at 13 even though he's not really suited there. 
"Now if only we could find a true 13".
That's now changed. Janse van Rensburg seems to have made significant improvements to his game because he's now the obvious choice at 12 ... apparently ... AND Fats is out.
No more 12 jersey for Fats.
To add to this ... Morne Steyn is apparently a rugby god and we need him at 10. But he's been dropped by the foolish coach because he's not popular with the public. We heard you go on and on about that for weeks. That darn weak coach succumbing to public pressure ... blah, blah, blah ...
Suddenly it seems as if you've had a change of heart cause the incredible Morne is no more. To hell with his god status. Discarded like a used condom. Replaced by the new rugby god ... Fats Fransie.
Haaaaaaaaaaahyahahahahahaaaa!!
Then it's this ... then it's that ... around and around we go ... clueless to the end.
Dumb Ass!!