Former Springbok flyhalf and captain Naas Botha is adamant that Stade Francais flyhalf Morné Steyn must be part of Heyneke Meyer’s Springbok World Cup squad.
Steyn has seen little game time at international level since Bulls flyhalf Handré Pollard was handed the Springbok No10 jersey last year but Botha is unequivocal in his belief that Steyn could be the Springboks’ trump card at the Cup.
Even with 59 Test appearances and having scored the most points by an individual, 62 points, at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Steyn has dramatically dropped down the Springbok flyhalf pecking order with Pollard and Patrick Lambie ahead of him.
Botha says Steyn is back to his best not just with the boot but with his general play and proved this by guiding Stade Francais to winning the French Top 14 title. It was Steyn’s boot – he kicked four penalties – in the final against Clermont Auvergne that earned his team a 12-6 win at Stade de France last month.
Botha believes Steyn has unfortunately been stereotyped as a kicking flyhalf because of the way he played within the Bulls’ structures during their golden era when they won three Super Rugby titles in four years but says there is more to Steyn than just kicking.
“I made an effort to watch his quarter-final, semi-final and final games for Stade Francais and he was absolutely brilliantly. Apart from the kicking, he played very good rugby. He has to be in the mix,” Botha said at the launch of his book Creative Rugby which he co-authored with Dr Kobus Neethling in Midrand yesterday.
Botha questioned why Steyn had to shoulder the blame for the Springboks’ last minute 24-23 loss against Australia in Perth last year after he failed to find touch from a penalty and the Wallabies went on to score their winning try.
That Test was the last time Steyn played for the Springboks. “Unfortunately South Africans only remember that he didn’t kick it out. That happened to me once. But there are 14 other guys who can help a little bit. Did they help against Australia? How did Australia get through? Not by running past the flyhalf but through 14 other players,” said Botha.
However Botha still feels Pollard should be the starting flyhalf going into the World Cup and has attributed his slump in form to the Bulls’ appalling Super Rugby campaign.
Botha feels Pollard should take more control of the game and dictate terms, adding that flyhalf will be the least of Meyer’s selection problems going to the World Cup with the quality of Lambie, Steyn and Elton Jantjies.
“I feel strongly that the Bulls’ season hurt Handré, especially confidence-wise. But I think he is getting it back and is looking good at the moment. Sometimes you kick badly and according to everybody you’ve played badly. After the first game against the World XV I never really worried about the kicking even though it wasn’t that great. We know what we’ve got in him (Pollard), he is a fantastic player and we are very fortunate that between him, Lambie, Steyn and Jantjies we’ve got four excellent flyhalfs. I’d like to see Handré take more control though,” Botha added. - The Star