Don't know if these guys are related or not but both seem pretty handy with the boot.
Mate, just give the ball to Franz as he can pot the ball from anywhere.
Major loss losing Franz Steyn after that Samoa game really - probably cost SA the World Cup
Don't know much about Morne but looks like he just saved the day for the Bulls. Steyn certainly seems to be a name that stands out in SA rugby so we'll be marking them closely i thnk
No they are not related, though they both share a deadly boot and a hard-edge competitiveness. It sickens me how under-appreciated Morne in particular is. He is a very sensible and well rounded player with superb game management. Some of the things he has done for club and country have been out of this world. Fans however are keen of candy-floss 10s that offer little substance and who fold easily under pressure. Quade Cooper anyone? Not a patch on another under-appreciated 10; Berrick Barnes. He too is a real class act. I will never forget how he steered a 13 man Aussie side to nearly win the first 2009 test against the Boks. That's something truly special.
Regarding Frans? He was one of the many gaffs Peter made during his term. Frans should have been retained at 12 from the very first game of 2008. Our backplay in that season was utterly repulsive and it was largely due to a very poor centre combination that stunted out entire backline. Peter typically had to be forced into the selection of Frans at 12 through injuries (Just like Brussow!). Given how the Aussie test turned out I don't think we can say that Frans' absence would have affected that game. We utterly savaged Australia in every way possible. I cannot say with certainty though that Jean would have been as effective in a final against Nonu. New Zealand were far from spectacular, but Nonu was carrying that backline and along with Frans as the best 12 on display.
Just a bit of trivia, only two Steyns have played for the Boks! The most common surname is du Plessis with 11 counts. Next are Morkel (10), Botha (8), van der Merwe (8), Louw (7), Muller (7) and Smith (7).
By the way Aristo, I just wanted to correct one thing. You have stated in the past that Jean created breaks in the RWC QF because he was up against McCabe. The searing break he made that led to Lambie's near try was straight past Ashley Cooper, no mean defender.
True, but McCabe was soundly outplayed. Ashley-Cooper was even more of a spectator though. Both their centres were utterly shocking and both in combination have struggled to string anything meaningful together. Australia, to date, have no World Class 12 or 13. At best they should have Barnes at 10 and Giteau at 12. Nobody remotely looks like becoming another Mortlock.
