Lets go back in history a bit. Steyn played for the SA under 21 team in Argentina. We played in the final against Argentina and Steyn flopped with every kick at goal. We should have won by a mile - but for that. - and the game was really evened out - we nearly lost. That was my first memory of Steyn as a player.
I can remember the game of the Lions when Pienaar was played out of position and failed as a goal kicker. Then Morne Steyn came on as goal kicker and he was brilliant in that case - won the game for the Boks. On average since then - I would give Steyn a mark of 8 insofar as goalkicking is concerned. Howeverr, in the last seven games played by him - both on Super 15 and international level - his goal kicking has deserted him and he on average had a success rate of between 50 and 60%. On any level that is just not good enough - he is badly out of form and seems incapable of reversing it. The kicks he did make in those games was in most cases relatively easy - the more difficult ones he missed.
Looking at his goal kicking performance at this stage - he has come down to a 5.5 rating - according with the successful rate over a period. One off day is excusable - seven is NOT. Something has gone wrong and the question really is whether he would be able to correct this key element of his game. His strongest element has become an average element in this case.
The key to backline play is how a flyhalf reads the game and exercise his reading - when to kick strategically, when to pass effectively and lastly how to defend effectively. Flyhalves more than any other player - bar the scrummie gets instructions on how to play and what to do - but in essence they have also on the field have to exercise options - which no instruction could override. That is where the difference lies between a good flyhalf and a brilliant one. That is where players like Naas Botha and Carter - to name just twe - was different and stood out. I was amused by the comments made by Botha on TV yesterday - to the effexct that he would not have made the present Springbok line up - but be that as it may. The key words are not instructions - but an ancient term in rugby history - the question relates to BALL SENSE.
Now lets look at Steyn again. and look at his strategic kicking ability as a starting point. The key issue here is how to handle the issue. When in your quarter of the field - do not kick and give the opposition the chance to run at you - in 99% of the cases kick the ball out as far away from your goal line as possible. That allows your team to re-organize their defences and to start off again on a more organised basis. Steyn often misses the target - because he wants to kick too far and land the ball inside the field of play - giving the opposition an opning to counter-attack and that should be a no-no. The seond issue is strategic. If you want a high kick to charge down - make it not too far for the purpose, otherwise it allows for open play by the opposition. The third issue is kicking to open field away from the opposition. Steyn started off well in this aspect - but again deteriorated in his last seven games. He was a 7 early in his international career - less so this year and I would give him a 5.5 or 5 at present.
When Steyn started off - he read games badly and was not a good linkage to the rest of his backline. I for instance noted that in recent games he has a tendency to stand too far back and not serve as an effective passer nof the ball. In the first two internationals it did not happen - but yesterday it was back to that tendency. I can remember in the second test - when he was in fact performing better than yesterday - that he did pass the ball to Francois Steyn twice in what can best be described as hospital passes. In essence this element always was to my mind the weakest component of his game - and I never rated him higher than 4 points in this essential element of the game.
When Steyn started off - the opposition thought his defence was questionable and started running in the channell to exploit that weakness. He was a 3 - but to his credit in the last two years - he increased his capacity to an average to good defender. I would say he nowadys warrant a 6 for that compnent of his game.
Now lets put the points together for all-round purposes. It leaves us with a count of 5.5 and the question is - is that good enough for an international flyhalf? To my mind it is not - bearing the strategic importance of the flyhalf in back line play - where I believe at least a 6 should be the absolute minimum requirement. Bearing in mind thse three elements of his game we really should look for another flyhalf - as I believe we need a player with more BALL SENSE than we have at present.
What do you people think about that?
