Steyn's a Mauger Bok asset

sport365 columnist Robbie Fleck looks back at South Africa’s last two Rugby World Cup warm-up matches against Connacht and Scotland, before picking his starting fifteen for SA’s RWC opener against Samoa next Sunday.

Firstly, let me apologise for my silence over the past two weeks. It won’t happen again, especially with the World Cup starting next week. Also, dealing with an irate editor is not the greatest experience, so lessons learnt all round!

It’s a bit too late to talk about the Connacht game in too much detail, but I want to touch briefly on the Scotland match, which I thought was an excellent showing by the Boks.

Look, let’s be honest, the Boks were never going to hit their straps against a Provincial team from Ireland. You can only play as well as your opposition allows you too, so nothing could really be taken from that match – except, perhaps, the performance of Ruan Pienaar at fly-half.

The Scotland match, however, was a different kettle of fish and you could just see how determined the Boks were to stamp their authority on a Scottish side that was really up for it, especially after their recent win over Ireland. Scotland are always a tenacious side, especially at Murrayfield, but the Boks had a common goal out there – to dominate their opponents physically, which they did, but I also enjoyed some of their other moves and attempts to get the ball wide.

For me, the big winners on the day were Fourie du Preez – who in just his second match since the Super 14 Final showed just why he is the best scrum-half in the world – and Frans Steyn, who was excellent at inside centre.

Du Preez is a vital cog in the Bok machine because of his ability to read a match so well and he adds a different dimension with his communication, quick taps, educated boot and decision-making at the base of the scrum. He is a key man in form, which inspires confidence in those around him.

Steyn, in my mind, should be groomed to take over the No.12 in the future, but for you loyal readers of this column, that is nothing new to you – it is something I have said before on numerous occasions!

I thought he was brilliant against Scotland (also after a long lay-off), with his option-taking, eye for the gap and ability to create something out of nothing. Maybe his youthful exuberance is spurring him on, but he is a much better option at inside centre than Wynand Olivier and he could make a very big difference in a tight match at the World Cup, with Jean or Jaque, perhaps, moving to the wing to make space for him. He has a massive boot, which would take pressure of Butch James – like Mike Catt did for Jonny Wilkinson in the 2003 World Cup – and he is constantly looking for work, he is strong (on attack and defence), he off-loads well in the tackle and his distribution is fantastic.

Inside centre is a very important position; New Zealand have Aaron Mauger and Luke McAlister, Australia have Matt Giteau – Steyn could give us that same impact, if used properly and as the match situation dictates.

Steyn would obviously be a huge factor in the wet because of his booming boot – but in dryer conditions his ability to beat the opposition, one-on-one, adds yet another string to his bow. There are not many steppers in the current Bok side – another reason why Pierre Spies will be missed so much in France – and it’s something that concerns me.

New Zealand have plenty of steppers, McAlister, Rokocoko, Sivivatu, Muliaina – their names just roll off the tongue; Australia have Larkham, Giteau, Mortlock, Latham. Who do we have? Probably only Habana… I know you can’t play with an entire team of steppers and I guess they can be frustrating to play with – perhaps, like myself and Pieter Rossouw back in the day… – but it’s all about mixing up your selection and choosing steppers and bashers together to get the necessary go-forward.

Speaking about selection, I’m sure Jake has his first starting fifteen – for next Sunday’s Samoa game – pretty much worked out. The team won’t differ too much from the side that beat Scotland. John’s obviously due back from injury, with the only two contentious selections on the right-wing and at No.8.

My Bok starting XV to face Samoa would look like this:
15. Percy Montgomery – He picks himself.
14. Ashwin Willemse – Nobody has put their hand up in this position, so I am going with Ashwin’s greater experience.
13. Jaque Fourie – A class act.
12. Jean de Villiers – His well-being will be crucial to the Boks during the World Cup.
11. Bryan Habana – Need I say more?
10. Butch James – He picks himself.
9. Fourie du Preez – The best scrum-half in the world.
8. Bob Skinstad – I would start with Bob and then bring Danie Rossouw on later. This team is physical enough, we need Bob’s subtlety to complement that early on.
7. Juan Smith – He picks himself here along with Schalk.
6. Schalk Burger – He picks himself here along with Juan.
5. Victor Matfield – Need I say more?
4. Bakkies Botha – He forms the best second row combination in the world with Victor.
3. BJ Botha – BJ’s shown his worth, but he will be under pressure during the World Cup, especially against the likes of England and France.
2. John Smit – It will be good to see him back on the park!
1. Os du Randt – Os’s experience is invaluable.

Replacements:
16. Bismarck du Plessis – Gary Botha has done nothing wrong, but Du Plessis is the future of Springbok forward play.
17. Gurthro Steenkamp – After 50 brutal minutes from Os, bring on this man to carry the ball up strongly and make some big tackles.
18. CJ van der Linde – I really believe in going for two props on the bench, especially with Os not being able to last a full 80 minutes.
19. Danie Rossouw – I rate Danie, but I am convinced he makes a bigger impact from the bench.
20. Wikus van Heerden – With Danie able to cover lock and loose forward, I have opted for a fifth forward and a loose forward in the shape of an openside flanker. Wikus is the most underrated player in South Africa and a few late turnovers from him could turn a game on its head.
21. Ruan Pienaar – He can play virtually anywhere from No.9 to No.15. His selection is crucial on a five-two bench.
22. Frans Steyn – Like Pienaar, his versatility makes him a sure thing… However, and as mentioned above, he should be groomed for that No.12 position and that super-sub role.

Until next week,
Robbie Fleck

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