Steyn set to miss end-of-year tour as Mapoe is called up
JOHANNESBURG: Heyneke Meyer has called last weekend’s defensive effort against the Wallabies the best he has experienced in his short time as Springbok coach.
The Boks dominated proceedings against the men from Australia, winning 31-8, with Meyer hailing it the “most satisfying performance” of his tenure. “It was good ... we wanted to open it up against Australia, and we did that,” he said yesterday ahead of Saturday’s Rugby Championship match against New Zealand. “Defensively, it was our best performance.
“We were asked to make 178 tackles ... the most so far in the competition, and we completed 90 percent of them. That means we missed just seven. Australia had to make only 109 tackles.”
Meyer added that the five-try showing, with several players producing their best rugby for the Boks in ages, was “the type of rugby we want to play”.
“I’m really proud of their performance ... and I can tell you, this team is only going to get better. This weekend, though, will be another big challenge. The All Blacks are full of confidence, having won the title in Argentina, but we will also be confident. The key for us will be finding the balance between being tactically astute and playing the attacking rugby we produced at Loftus.”
Meyer said he had a good idea of the team he wants to push into the field at Soccer City. “It’ll only be injuries that will force me to change ... so there won’t be too many changes. I want to show the guys I back them and believe in them. They also need to be rewarded for their effort at Loftus ... and I’m not one to chop and change anyway,” said Meyer.
There would, however, be some change to the gameplan and approach. “You’ll never beat New Zealand by playing their type of rugby. To beat New Zealand, you have to pressurise them ... at the breakdowns, in defence and by kicking. That way, you force them into making mistakes, and then you can play from there.”
And even though flyhalf Johan Goosen sat out of training yesterday with a sore heel, he is likely to wear the No 10 jersey on Saturday. “We want to make sure he’s 100 percent fit come the weekend,” said Meyer. “And we need to make sure his ankle is fine so he can kick too ... because we can’t expect to beat New Zealand if we kick as poorly as we did at Loftus.”
Goosen isn’t the only Bok nursing an injury. Zane Kirchner has a hip bone problem and will be managed over the next few days, Jannie du Plessis has pain all over his body, while Willem Alberts also has an injured hip bone.
But in the biggest blow for the Boks, Frans Steyn is set to miss Saturday’s match and also the endof-year tour to Europe. The experienced midfielder, who sat out last week because of an ankle injury, will have an operation tomorrow to “clean out the ankle”, according to team doctor Craig Roberts.
“Frans has had scans and he’s seen specialists, and it’s not getting better. There appears to be some loose bodies in his joint, and we want to clean those out,” he said. “He’ll be out for three months ... but managing his long-term future is far more important.”
In another blow, promising prop Coenie Oosthuizen will see a neurosurgeon in Durban today for a second opinion on his sore neck. “I’m not completely happy with it and, like Frans, he has a lot of rugby ahead of him, and we want to make sure we do the right thing,” said Roberts.
Jacques Potgieter has also been withdrawn from the Bok squad as he is struggling with an abdominal strain. Blue Bulls loose forward Arno Botha and Golden Lions back Lionel Mapoe have been called up.
“Seeing that Willem is also not 100 percent at the moment, we only have three fit loose forwards in the squad and needed someone to provide cover at blindside flank and No 8, which is why Arno is coming to join us,” said Meyer.
“Lionel has been in great form lately, and apart from providing cover in the midfield, he can also be used on the wing if necessary.”