Wobblies kicking coach

[Sydney Wallabies]

Van Straaten is a great choice.

I wonder if anybody ever thought of asking Michael Lynagh?

If we were looking overseas I wouldn't have minded former All Blacks legend Grant Fox coaching our goalkickers.

 

[Ruggo]

If we were looking overseas I wouldn't have minded former All Blacks legend Grant Fox coaching our goalkickers.

He did great things with John Eales. :lmao:

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Isn't that Morne Steyn?

Or Jannie De Beer

 

[Blue]

Isn't that Morne Steyn?

I can already see that you are going to be a most valuable addition to this forum with your deep and meaningless insights.

Yeah that Morne Steyn, who was at 10 in two Super 14 rugby winning backlines, part of most tries by a franchise in 2010, a 3N and Lions series.

Can't run for shit that bloke.

 

[Blue]

Or Jannie De Beer

Seriously you cannot compare de Beer and Steyn.

 

[qwerty51]

I can already see that you are going to be a most valuable addition to this forum with your deep and meaningless insights.

Yeah that Morne Steyn, who was at 10 in two Super 14 rugby winning backlines, part of most tries by a franchise in 2010, a 3N and Lions series.

Can't run for shit that bloke.

He can't. That said I'd have Morne Steyn over Quade Cooper any day and I'm probably the only one who'd say that. He's kicked something like 37/37 this season was it said? Unbelievable. When you can nail them from the corner, 50m and over the black dot you're the most valuable player in the team. I do not rate any part of his game apart from kicking which imo is the most important. You can get 3 points from a penalty inside your own half guaranteed and an extra 4-6 points from try conversions from him.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Seriously you cannot compare de Beer and Steyn.

I think Steyn is twice the player that de Beer was.

 

[cyclopath]

I think Steyn is twice the player that de Beer was.

2 x nothing = nothing still. Just using Blue's assessment.
Morne Steyn is just fine, IMO.

 

[Blue]

2 x nothing = nothing still. Just using Blue's assessment.
Morne Steyn is just fine, IMO.

He doesnt do anything spectacular but when called on he distributes well and he has scored good tries when close the the line with very good footwork.

Just fine for what the Boks require from a 10.

 

[fatprop]

Morne Steyn is a bloody good 10

 

[PaarlBok]

I think Steyn is twice the player that de Beer was.

Speaking of kicking coaches, Louis Koen x Bok 10 and current kicking coach at Paarl Gym and Boland made a return for Boland as player last weekend after Boland had a horried run the last few weeks.

SARugby.net

VETERAN KOEN STEERS BOLAND TO VICTORY Posted: 3 September 2010

Veteran flyhalf Louis Koen's steady boot steered the Boland Cavaliers to a come-from-behind 41-21 (halftime 13-14) victory over the Valke in their Absa Currie Cup First Division match in Wellington on Saturday.
The 35-year-old former Springbok was as solid in defence as some of the old oak trees that grace the Western Cape and it was Koen who calmed things down with excellent tactical kicking after the Valke had soared into an early 14-3 lead.

Boland coach Eugene Eloff's decision to return his assistant coach to first-class action on the field had been widely pilloried and came after the former Premier Division campaigners had lost four games in a row.

But Koen showed the class that made him a Springbok as he ensured the Boland machine ran smoothly after spluttering in the first 10 minutes.

He opened the scoring with a first-minute penalty, but it was the Valke who played the more thrilling rugby in the first quarter. The visitors earned a fifth-minute penalty just inside the Boland half, but instead of going for poles they kicked for touch and, after recycling the ball a couple of times, it was livewire flank Bradley Fortuin who burst clear to go over for the opening try.

Fortuin scored again three minutes later, but this time his fellow forwards shared more of the glory as their powerful driving play wore the Cavaliers down. Flyhalf Martin Thomsen converted both tries to give the Valke a strong 14-3 lead.

But Koen's tactical kicking and the power of the Boland forwards then gradually brought the Valke to their knees. Fullback Chris Micklewood's stunning counter-attack from his own half, carried on by wing Jeremy Plaatjies, led to centre Alex Kock's try and Koen then kicked a penalty to bring the Cavaliers to within a point at the break.

The coup was complete within two minutes of the re-start as outside centre Cornel Hendricks streaked through a gap just inside his own half and set up Plaatjies for the try, Koen rolling back the years by converting from the touchline.

YELLOW CARDS

The Valke's enthusiasm was then severely quelled by two yellow cards for late tackles within a minute for lock Eddie Gauche and flank Theo Becker. Koen missed a 55-metre penalty after the first infringement, but the second saw the Cavaliers drive the ball up before Hendricks went over in the corner, the flyhalf's conversion making the score 27-14.

Koen's first Currie Cup game in several years came to an end shortly thereafter as he was replaced by Willie le Roux, who brought an added dimension to the Boland attack with his elusive running.

Composed ball-retention and a steady build-up saw the impressive Kock cross for his second try in the 16th minute and Jacquin Jansen's conversion gave the Cavaliers a rock-solid 34-14 lead.

The Valke continued to struggle to locate any possession and replacement centre PJ Vermeulen scored Boland's fifth and final try, which was also converted by Jansen.

The Valke managed to eke out some possession in the final quarter, helped by a red card to Boland's replacement eighthman Zandre' Jordaan after an off-the-ball incident.

A tremendous defensive effort - Plaatjies having a top-class evening in that respect, as did another veteran in lock Hottie Louw, meant the Valke could add just a single try to their tally, Gauche scoring in the corner in the closing stages of the matches.

While Koen lay down the law with his boot, Le Roux showed that he is threatening with ball in hand while replacement tighthead Rossouw Kruger and Kock also stood up well.

Plaatjies showed that he has another impressive string to his bow with his cover-defence, while Fortuin never allowed his head to be lowered despite the battering the Valke took in the second half.

Scorers

Boland Cavaliers - Tries: Alex Kock (2), Jeremy Plaaitjies, Cornel Hendricks, PJ Vermeulen. Conversions: Louis Koen (3), Jaquin Jansen (2). Penalties: Koen (2).

Valke - Tries: Bradley Fortuin (2), Eddie Gauche. Conversions: Martin Thomson (2), Japie Naude.

He is a very good kicking coach in my books.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

2 x nothing = nothing still. Just using Blue's assessment.
Morne Steyn is just fine, IMO.

He does the job that the Boks need him to do, no problem there. I'd rather have QC (Quade Cooper), but we play a different kind of footy.

 

[cyclopath]

He does the job that the Boks need him to do, no problem there. I'd rather have QC (Quade Cooper), but we play a different kind of footy.

Me too, but as I said, Morne is hardly a dud. I was just having fun.

 

[Gagger]

Nice article from the Telegraph

Kurtley Beale's winning goal against Springboks could be his making

By Iain Payten
September 11, 2010

Kurtley Beale was out on the left wing when his gut told him he was up.

It was 79 minutes and change in Bloemfontein and no sooner had the referee lifted his arm the Wallabies' way for a penalty, Rocky Elsom pointed the other way towards the posts.

Quick calculation time. Springboks lead by a point. Matt Giteau off. No time left. Horrifyingly simple: this 55-metre kick wins -- or loses -- the Test match.

Beale walked in.

"I thought 'if I miss this, it's probably the last game I ever play for the Wallabies'," Beale said.

Beale blamed himself for being a point behind. He felt his mistakes alone would extend the 47-hoodoo on the high veldt for a few more years.

The bloke was wrong, of course, but after a roller-coaster 79 minutes, it was understandable.

The Wallabies had started full of adventure and running and before you knew it, they'd put on four tries. Slicing in from fullback Beale had been among the best, and scored the opening try. It was 31-6 after 21 minutes.

"You could feel the energy. I was really excited to get my hands on the ball," Beale said.

"This is game on here, this is going to be a good day at the office."

It had been a good month at the office, in fact. Called into the starting No. 15 against the All Blacks in Christchurch, Beale played superbly and then again in Pretoria, scoring tries in each game.

Beale is quick to explain why: his new body.

After a heart-to-heart with Robbie Deans late last year, where the coach asked if he wanted to be a Wallaby or just cruise in rugby, Beale set about getting in shape.

Fast food was gone. Booze, too. Training "extras" were so routine they weren't extra anymore.

It worked, kilos stripped off and a 10-minute Test debut on the Spring Tour delivered an addictive reward.

"Once I got that taste I wanted more," Beale said.

Seven kilograms lighter and a shift to fullback this year sat well with Beale, and in the end, put him to Bloemfontein and walking towards a kick.

The second half he'd made mistakes. Dropped high balls, a wild pass over the dead-ball line and after South Africa had stormed back into the game came Beale's Falcon.

Slipping as a pass came wide, the ball clanged into his head. Merciless teammates now call him Gilbert, for the imprint on his forehead.

There were three minutes left. A combination of embarrassment and new-found fitness saw Beale make a try-saving cover tackle, but a Bok penalty took the lead -- and 79 minutes ticked over.

At first Beale thought Quade Cooper would kick it, and so did Cooper. But the message was run out: it's Beale's. Teammates turned to humour or feigned casualness.

"Just knock him over mate," said Berrick Barnes.

David Pocock grinned: "Don't worry. If you miss it, I'll still love you."

The distance wasn't a worry. Beale had nailed 10 from over 50m a day before at training, courtesy of tuition from former Bok Braam Van Straaten.

And thin air at altitude would do the rest. That much was clear in the warm-up when Beale was practising from 40m out and Bok fullback Frans Steyn joined him. Kicking the other way. Sixty metres on the fly.

Beale realised he didn't feel tired. Crowd noise blurred as his mind buried itself in his routine and cues.

Stay composed. Keep core stability. Head down. Leaning forward and staying over the ball. Weight going forward and strong into the ball.

"I didn't belt it, but when I hit I knew I had the distance," he said.

"Direction though, it started fading left. But then came back right."

Van Straaten would later tell them the very sweetest hits have a left-right fade.

A week on, Beale now thinks back to the Deans chat. He sees all the training and all the sacrifices and believes 11 months of hard work kicked that ball.

"All that work it adds up in the end, mate. And to get an opportunity to win a game for Australia, well, it's probably the best feeling you ever get."