The Stepfontein hype....again

Whilst I don't share the same opinion that he played a blinder on Friday, I have yet to see you give him credit when credit is due.

I will Shezza....just as I gave Jantjies credit a few weeks back.  Look there is nothing offensive about this kid....he conducts himself well, was a star at junior level.....is clearly committed. I would like to be positive, but I just don't see him winning the battle against the world's best centres. 

 You went wild about the Steyn performance - yet the try he scored meant nothing, since he got the ball with no defenders in front of him - while the tries scored by Serfontein showed some really good play on his part.
Both the players got run over in defense by their opponents -  Steyn missing 3 tackles out of  12 attempts - while Serfontein missed 3 out of 11 attempts.  Yet in  another thread you started you went on about Steyn being in your book the number 1 choice as Springbok 12 - while in this thread your normal criticism  and running down of Serfontein is evident.   
I am still waiting for the day when objectivity takes precedence over prejudice in your assessment of player performances.    
    

Puleeze. The Serfontein tries " showed some real good play on his part" ....what good play,  running a few steps and falling flat? The first Step try was all down to Pollard, the second unopposed. What in blue blazes are you talking about. That's your standard for real good play...you can't be serious. 
And it's not a question of missed tackles. It's the unedifying sight of Serfonten being handed off much as Jordaan was last year. Man handled by Ioane.
Face it, you just grabbed hold of this because you wanted to go after me Moronic....Step was bog ordinary.

 Mozart
It is the issue of good play in all cases - not going  after you in any way.  Lets face facts - thus far in Super 15 Steyn was sub-par in all matches bar the one on Saturday - while Serfontein did not show much and I did say it clearly before.   I try and be objective in player assessments which I am afraid is not your strong suit.
What has the fact that Jordaan in two years missed two tackles - one of which led to a try being scored - to do with Serfontein on Saturday?   Fact is the way Steyn missed tackles on De Allende was as bad as the tackles missed by Jordaan and Serfontein.  Fact is that both Jordaan and Serfontein are physically smaller players than their opponents and Steyn is physically a bigger player than De Allende.   
Jordaan's tackle on Read was poor - but what about Albert's effort on Treeby in the Sharks - Highlanders game last year - when Treeby caused him to land on his backside.
Players make mistakes in technique they use in making tackles and that does not mean they make the same mistake repeatedly.   In the game between the Sharks and the Blues last year - Jordaan's defense against Nonu was so good that the latter lost possession of two balls in tackle situations.   The same cannot be said of Steyn's defense against Nonu in the game the previous week.
As to the case of Serfontein - he was opposed by Moala in the game on Saturday.  Since you obviously did not watch games in which Moala played in previously - you missed out that Moala was outstanding in recent games - especially in attacking play.
On the other hand on Saturday - Steyn's direct opponent last week was Beale and Beale has been atrocious in all games I watched this year.  He was abysmal in defense in the case of the try scored by Steyn and the commentator clearly said that.   
In objective player assessments the player assessments should be made with due regard to who their direct opponents are and in this case  Serfontein was opposed by a top class performer this Super 15 - while Steyn was opposed by a way below par Beale.  
I am sorry Mozart - but with due respect you are not being objective in this case and your prejudice takes precedence over objectivity.   
       
               

The obvious point you missed is the Sharks were playing a team 5 places above them in the table...the Bools one 10 places below. And Moala was the MOM for Rugby365....no great bragging rights if you take  on a tough opponent but he ends up as the  MOM.

I have dealt with Frans on a separate string. This is about Step, and I'm still waiting for one reason why your comments about his strong game are accurate.

 I have been clear on the issue - I have not been impressed by Serfontein this year in Super 15 and has stated as much in other threads.  Even when dealing with potential selection for the Springbok team I have been rather hesitant and did not make him my first of even second choice no 12. 
However - he had a better performance on Saturday and most objective assessors would say that.   I never said he had a strong game - I said he had a better game - which is different.  A strong game would imply a better record on defense than he showed on Saturday.  
    

So not a strong game...fine.  

Well done to our senior citizens on a discussion with no name calling and based on good arguments from both sides! There is hope yet!!

 wait for it........

Anyone notice how he stood up Moala's attempted big hit on him? The same Moala which caused havoc on the Bulls defence and took 3 defenders to take down constantly.

Serfontein got bullied by Roberts and Frans. Can't handle the rough stuff at 12 . He was however very sound on defence at 13. Has played his best rugby by far there.

Dumbass....Serf was at 12 for both the June tests, at 12 after Jean departed at minute 56 in November.....and often at 12 defensively. The latter no doubt because he is vulnerable covering the outside gap.
He was playing against Roberts almost all the time we played Wales in 2014  

 Letsal
Frans had not bullied any oppo sing center since his arrival from France and that is a fact.  I can remember Frans being bullied by Harris of the Reds last year and by De Allende this year.  He tried to bully Kolbe in the Stormers game and disgraced himself in that respect.  

Oh what utter rubbish....Serf played 13 against Wales  

 Yes Saf, he did, but mostly on our ball. On defence he and Jean swapped positions in almost all the tests.

That's my point and the notion that Roberts bullied him is a blatant lie.  

Jeez have you taken dumb pills today. Stepfontein played a total of 240 minutes against Wales in 2014..... 184 minutes he played at 12. He played more than seventy five percent of his time at 12. Is the penny finally beginning to drop?

 Mozart
Why do you persist about this story.  I can clearly remember that Serfontein made a number of good breaks in the June tests against Wales  last year and that was no suggestion that he was "bullied" by Roberts in those two tests.   If you can - please provide the prove that it did happened .
I think that Letsal probably referred to the EOYT test and Dave definitely deals with that test only in his comments.    

 Can you remember that? Really you temember clean breaks Step made against Wales? Would it surprise you if I told you Stepfontein made 18 runs in his three tests against Wales, made no clean breaks and beat one measly defender.
Has there ever been a more toothless Bok centre.

 Mozart
I would appreciate it very much if you  post the stats on the three tests against Wales last year and we can then discuss the issue further.  
Please note that I have expressed reservations about Serfontein performances this year, but not on the basis of personal likes or dislikes - but rather based on his performances - so much so that in recent proposals for selection I place him third or fourth in my list of candidates.
I agree with you he is to a substantial extent deficient in attacking play and as you put it somewhat toothless - but so has a player like Francois Steyn being even more toothless - yet you support him through thick and thin. .    

CSerfontein0/000/5/9360101 6/20/000/0

 

 

CSerfontein0/001/2/5180000 12/10/010/0

 

 

CSerfontein0/000/0/450002 5/10/000/0

 

 

So there you go in sequence, our three games against Wales. One defender beaten in 18 runs, no clean breaks. An average of 3.3 metres per run. Eighty five per cent tackle success. Three turnovers.

 

Grim stuff.  

 Thanks.  I think I remember the one run in the first test - where Serfontein was tackled about 5 meters out by a Welsh player.  Although it showed very little statistically - it is not as grim as the stats of Steyn was on Super 15 level and in the tests in 2012.
So on what do you base your constant support of Steyn as no 1 choice at 12?  

  

Jean was the better of the two. And should we not recount how Roberts ran over Serf for a crucial try. 

 Jean was the better of the two. And should we not recount how Roberts ran over Serf for a crucial try. 

You have to be in awe of the sheer intellectual dishonesty of Davie boy. Presented with the miserable Step performance against Wales, he attacks Jean.
Wouldn't we expect our new young gun to be explosive. But he beat one tackle in 18 runs. But according to this pompous groupie he is the best young centre in world rugby.
But I guess anybody who claimed JJ was our best 13 in the modern era is capable of such silly nonsense.

Roberts beat 6 defenders to Step's 1. Not his best set of games, but way more influential than Step.

 Letsal
Making two line breaks and beating 8 defenders during all games Steyn played in in 2014 Super 15  does not equate with "Yet more lies from you though, 2014 was littered with standout showings from Frans."  But then you would ignore facts and create myths about non-existent performances as you normally do.
I must admit I am a bit baffled here.   "Serf was nearly killed by Frans in the opening Super XV game."   Which year are you referring to here?     

 Stepfontein plays well

I n recent years Taute and de Jongh were better than JJ. JJ is statistically the worst defensive 13 of every player tried by Meyer. 

 Hahah a Step the doormat.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahaha!
Now that is funny!
Moffie was so quick to bury his snout up LeTwat's fat arse that he missed LeTwat's comments about one of his most hated players ever!
I can pretty much imagine what the crimson-faced Moffie would love to say to LeTwat if he could do it with out losing face (which, hilariously, he no longer can) but, knowing Moffie as I do, let me fill in for him. His response would go something like this . . .
LeTwat: "Fourie's 2013 EOYT was a sheer delight, 100% tackles and made crucial attacking contributions." 
Moffie: "Which Fourie is that? Jaque Fourie? Everyone knows Jaque Fourie hasn't got centre software. He was gassed by [insert name of arbitrary player who once gained ground on Jaque Fourie] and he is a useless centre. If you disagree it's because you're a fool who can't integrate x squared! I know more than anyone here about rugby because I once drove a MakLarrin and I have a big house with concrete gargoyles! How dare you rate Jaque Fourie as a competent centre when I've said on countless occasions that he can't tackle and offers nothing on attack? He hasn't got centre software and doesn't begin to compare to the great Marius Joubert who was the world's greatest defender and never missed a tackle! Can you even integrate x squared? No, then why on earth are you opining on rugby matters? I was once voted World's Most Wonderful Living Being by WalterMittyMagazine and if I say Jaque Fourie is useless then he is useless! How dare anyone rate this donkey after I have said he is useless? It's a disgrace that any of you grunts would disagree with me when I have a Kellogg's Cornflakes Certificate! I have you all by 30 IQ points and I am almost 5 foot 8 and three-quarters!! Jaque Fourie was a hopeless centre and anyone who disagrees is a fool who obviously can't integrate x squared! Don't you silly little people know that I am a doctor with a Kelloggs Cornflakes degree, a MakLarrin, a very big house and a bottle of 2 thousand year old single malt whisky??? I demand more respect around here! Do you grunts even know how much money I have? Well, do you?"

LMAO!

 Letsal
I am amazed about your ramblings about Francois Steyn and especially the following:-
 "Yet more lies from you though, 2014 was littered with standout showings from Frans."
I already pointed out that the so-called stand-out performances are figments of your imagination and that in 2014  Steyn's performances - also confirmed by stats - were sh!t poor comparative to any other center in the tournament.   Littered with standout performances is the biggest BS I have heard for years.   
"Michael, Serf was nearly killed by Frans in the opening SuperXV game. Was thoroughly dominated."
I asked "Which year are you referring to here?"   Why no response on that one.
I am amazed about your serious misconception about the Dunedin test and Nonu being dominated.  There was one move where Steyn made a break into traffic - not a wise thing for a center to do - and beat some defenders - the only one he did in the whole match.   That break followed space having being made for him by Goosen.  However, the effort ended with him throwing the ball back mindlessly and the AB's recovering possession.   One swallow does not make the summer. 
If you want to see a player dominating Nonu - go back to the Super 15 match between the Blues and the Sharks.  The player was Jordaan who tackled Nonu so badly that he lost ball possession twice in the process.   That was dominating.   
"In recent years Taute and de Jongh were better than JJ. JJ is statistically and factually the worst defensive 13 of every player tried by Meyer."

The moment you mentioned De Jongh in your argument - you completely lost the plot.  In recent years must surely refer to 2012 when De Jongh played two tests and came from the bench once.   In both two tests (Murrayfield and Twickenham) De Jongh went AWOL and was on the field of play and never seen doing anything constructive.   In the Murrayfield game he knocked on a ball with virtually a tryline open to him - then he  went missing.   In the Twickenham test he was invisible throughout the test even though supposedly he was in the team.
In the case of the bench appearance against the Aussies in Pretoria  - De Jongh played for 6 minutes and in that six minutes he managed to fluff a certain try by the Springboks in that game.
However, when you refer to DE Jongh as a better defender I assume you were referring to the Super 15 - where De Jongh's tackle stats stink to high heaven - the worst defending 13 in Super 15 (all franchises).   Nice to flounder around on Cloud 9 - not so.
     

 I thought Stepfontein was the winner in the clash. Steyn was the one wiping blood off his face.