Steyn forwards case for direct route

It was a great pity Francois Steyn spoiled an otherwise great match against the Blues by making the mistake that cost the Sharks the bonus point that could yet be the difference between a home semifinal and having to make a return trip to New Zealand.

Earlier in the game, before he started to become perhaps a little too casual with his clearances and ran into trouble which the Blues capitalised on, Steyn made a massive statement in favour of the lobby that believes Springbok coach Jake White must take the direct route when settling on his World Cup flyhalves.

Not that the other Sharks flyhalf, Butch James, has not done that himself in the past, for he is probably the most direct of all the South African flyhalves. Indeed, it was after his good performance against England in the first test at Twickenham last year that White was moved to comment that it was perhaps time to consider if there was a reason the most successful Springbok teams in the northern hemisphere always had a flyhalf in the Henry Honiball mould.

Of course, the Boks did not win that test. But it was only after James, who delivered a cool and mature performance in the No 10 jersey, had left the field late in the second half that the South Africans botched it. André Pretorius, a more conventional and less direct style flyhalf, is brilliant on his day, but on others he makes mistakes, and on that occasion he cost the Springboks the game.

The conditions did conspire in favour of Steyn’s kind of game in Albany, but then they could again at the World Cup, which is to be played in the northern hemisphere. The field was wet, and let’s not forget that the first time we really took notice of Steyn was when Dick Muir made a late change by switching him from fullback to first receiver when a sudden rain storm before kick-off turned a Currie Cup match last year between the Sharks and Western Province into a quagmire.

Steyn was excellent that night, repeatedly breaking the WP first line of defence with his bulky, explosive presence. He also has the distance on his boot, as was shown against the Blues, to pin opponents in their own territory.

The ability to kick well out of hand is an important part of the direct flyhalf’s make-up in that playing the opposition into the corners when the situation demands it is a crucial part of the strategy. But unfortunately it is what has stopped several of these players from making it – most of them don’t double as good field kickers.

This is probably what stands in the way of Stormers flyhalf Peter Grant if he wants to graduate to Springbok colours. Grant, who has the weakness of not being a natural kicker, has probably done more than any other local player this season to advance the case of the direct flyhalf over the more conventional player who takes the ball further back and is less willing to engage opposing defences.

Grant showed on Easter Saturday, when he was playing opposite Pretorius, just what can be achieved by a more direct style, but the benefits of such an approach have been obvious for a while. The Stormers haven’t set the world alight, but it is not a coincidence that since Grant was selected for the third Super 14 match of the season against the Chiefs, the Stormers pack has become far more of a presence (at least until they played the Bulls).

A direct flyhalf brings the forwards into the game much more for the simple reason that the ball is then always in front of the pack. Instead of having to waste energy and ruin any momentum by dropping back or waiting for a flyhalf who takes the ball well behind the game-line, the forwards find that they are much closer to the point of contact.

It is not just the forwards though who benefit from having a flyhalf who at least varies between taking the ball deep and flat, and who asks questions of the opposing defences. The Stormers centres, again until Loftus, have also shown much better form since Grant was moved into flyhalf ahead of Naas Olivier. This is because he is easier to play off as he takes the ball to the advantage line and there is more space, but also because the opposition defenders are asked questions by the man in No10, so cannot afford to home in just on the centres.

Unfortunately we have not seen much this season of the man who could yet be the best equipped to play flyhalf at the World Cup. Meyer Bosman has played most of his Super 14 rugby at inside centre, but like Steyn, he has the hand speed, the kicking skill and the physical presence to be the player that White said he could be when he was a surprise selection on the tour of Europe in 2005.