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Frans Steyn's sobering message for Springboks fans
By Chris Jones
Frans Steyn has a sobering message for Springbok fans hoping he can deliver another of his famous long range match winning kicks when the World Cup holders take on Australia in the Rugby Championship in Adelaide insisting the ravages of time mean that his “knees are sore”.
The 35-year-old, who has not played since he sustained a hamstring injury in the Cheetahs' Currie Cup campaign, has been South Africa’s “go to” man when they have needed a miracle kick and he starts on the replacements bench in Australia. He has a special place in the hearts of Springbok fans having kicked a conversion for a 30-28 win over the All Blacks in Dunedin in 2008 and banged over three penalties in his own half that helped clinch the 2009 Tri-Nations title in Hamilton against the same opposition.
However 13 years later, Father Time is restricting Steyn’s kicking ability as he told the media in Australia: “I really don't practice my kicks during the week any more. In my younger days, to be honest, I also didn't do that, but I did train a bit more overall. Now, the knees are sore.
"When I was younger I played mainly wing and fullback and had the opportunity to have a go sometimes with a long-range drop goal or penalty attempt, but now that I'm in the centres there aren't many chances for that. I'm now closer to the breakdowns and tackles. So we'll have to wait and see.
"I don't know when I last played. It was the same last year, and then I got a chance against New Zealand.I've always been a player that doesn't look too deeply into this sort of stuff (a lack of playing time). I just want to perform when I get on the field, that's all that matters and hopefully I'll get an opportunity to do that on Saturday."
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Look there are a few unarguable facts here that are very clear. SARU was close to bankruptcy with SR, bailed out by the Lions and they need the URC and EPCR. Inclusion of SA teams in URC has been a great for for ALL concerned, from a rugby perspective and financially, moreover there is massive growth yet to come. The GP is in financial trouble and this will be the catalyst for EPCR change to further cement the Boks.
If this all plays out with even greater rewards for the urc AND the Top14 & GP via EPCR, the 6N will become 7N. Nz and Aus NEED to get their version firing with Japan & the PI’s, otherwise they will find themselves increasingly regressing…
Go to commentsPerofeta came back and was available for the eoyt right? Or was that why Love was in the squad (but got injured in the last week)?
It was such a frustrating year. Perofeta looked a service stop gap until Jordan was fit, but then got injured. Plummer was selected because of Pero's injury and dmac shat the bed in the second half in Australia but Clarke (?) got himself binned at the 65 min mark so Plummer couldn't come on (at least with the risk adverse Razors thinking) when he was planned to.
So many other exciting opportunities that could have happened without injuries, but then theyre probably balanced by knowing Sititi probably wouldn't have been given a chance without multiple injuries happened.
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