Steyn out to end season on a high

By Barry Coughlan

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

AS Jonathan Sexton embarks on an international career he hopes will be paved with gold, he might look for inspiration from someone of similar age from the southern hemisphere, a young man he will get to know very soon.

Today’s sporting headlines are all about the elevation of Sexton ahead of Ronan O’Gara to the Irish team for Saturday’s clash with world champions South Africa at Croke Park, a selection that provides for a mouth watering confrontation with Morne Steyn.

The two square up at Croke Park on Saturday and Steyn is in no doubt Sexton will want to explode, like he himself did five months ago, into the big-time arena.

"Quite honestly, I don’t know much about him (Sexton) other than hearing he has apparently been pushing for a place these last months. I suppose it’s all about competition. I know a fair bit about O’Gara but every out-half has to be aware of the guy coming up to try and take his place. I guess that’s what has happened here, this guy must have done something very good to get in.

"I know he played against Fiji and we’re going to see a recording of that. I’ll be watching him to see what I can pick up on him, his style and that."

Steyn put his hands up high in the Super 14 this year contributing four drop goals to help the Blue Bulls past Crusaders in the semi-final before his top-notch display in the 61-17 final victory over Waikato Chiefs.

Ruan Pienaar was the man in possession when South Africa opened the three-match Test series against the Lions, but Steyn impressed off the bench before kicking the late penalty goal to secure a sensational 28-25 second Test win that clinched the series.

He has gone on to help South Africa to Tri-Nations victory. Steyn has broken scoring records and picked up personal awards along the way. His 31 points against New Zealand was the best ever by a player in the Tri-Nations; it was also a world record for points scored by a player to account for all team points in an individual game.

His eight penalties were also a South African record and, beneath Test level, his four drop goals against the Crusaders was a super 14 record.

To top that, Steyn was voted Super 14 Player of the year, Test Player of the South Africa-Lions series and Players’ Player of the Year 2009. Not bad for a guy many believed would continue to stay in Pienaar’s shadows this season.

It won’t have gone unnoticed then that Sexton’s challenge was launched in similar circumstances through his inspirational display in the semi-final victory over Munster in the Heineken Cup, and that the young Leinster player helped his team to the biggest prize in European club rugby.

More recently, his man of the match display on his Test debut against Fiji swung the Declan Kidney vote.

Although Steyn is almost winding down at the end of a long season, he looks back in awe at what he has achieved. "It has been an awesome year; it was a huge achievement to even get selected for the Springboks squad and I couldn’t have better shaped the way things went after that.

"I was fully aware before the Lions tour that I had a huge way to go. I was being compared to Ruan (Pienaar); he was the senior player and I suppose not many gave me a chance of breaking into the team. I wasn’t that confident, more hopeful than anything."

Eleven caps on, Steyn has eight victories and three defeats (to the Lions, Australia and France) and he hopes to sign off 2009 with a happy memory of his time in Europe.

He is, however, bracing himself for a tough day at the office, not counting the possibility of having to contend with weather not to his liking. "I felt the full brunt of the Irish wind when I got off the plane and said to Fourie (du Preez) that maybe it might be a good idea if the forwards kept the ball to themselves on Saturday," he quipped.

He also hopes Du Preez overcomes a hand injury in time to play. "He is one of the top players in the world and it has helped me a lot to have a partnership with him, both at the Bulls and for the Boks. I know he is going to make the right decision a high percentage of the time so I think that’s part of the reason why my Springboks career started so well."

Ireland? "They’re a quality side, their record speaks for itself. They have some great forwards and a top back line. They can keep the game tight or shift it wide, so we have to be up for all eventualities," he said.

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Wednesday, November 25, 2009