Coetzee picks Steyn, April sidelined?

Springbok coach Allister Coetzee called up French-based flyhalf Morne Steyn to provide back-up following the injury to Pat Lambie.

Cape Town - As expected, Springbok coach Allister Coetzee called up French-based flyhalf Morné Steyn on Monday to provide back-up following the injury to Pat Lambie.

Steyn, who is on holiday in South Africa at the moment, ended his season at Paris club Stade Francais last week as his team failed to reach the French Top 14 playoffs.

The former Bulls No 10 has played in 60 Tests and has scored the second-most points in Bok history behind Percy Montgomery (893) with 694. The 32-year-old Steyn played his last Test against USA at the 2015 World Cup in October, and is likely to be used as a stop-gap measure by Coetzee due to the injury-enforced absence of Lambie and Handré Pollard.

Elton Jantjies is set to start in Saturday’s second Test against Ireland after replacing Lambie – who suffered a concussion after a clash with Ireland flank CJ Stander, who received a red card in the second quarter of the past weekend’s 26-20 defeat at Newlands.

Sharks star Garth April is the other flyhalf in the Bok squad, so it was strange that Coetzee said in a statement on Monday that Steyn could be propelled straight into the match-23 and leapfrog April on the basis of experience.

The former Cape-based pivot has been outstanding in Super Rugby this season and deserves to be the back-up to Jantjies following Lambie’s injury, as he has shown all the skills required to play at the top level. April masterminded the Sharks’ return to winning ways with a heroic performance in kicking five penalties in a 15-14 win over the Highlanders in Dunedin in his first Super Rugby start.

April had a 100 percent goal-kicking record and got the better of All Black flyhalf Lima Sopoaga, who missed four kicks to the posts on the day.

But Coetzee is set to opt for Steyn, who has been mostly out of the Bok match-23 since October 2014, on the bench at Ellis Park instead, with the fact that the Irish series is on the line probably swaying his thinking.

April also made several mistakes while playing for South Africa “A” against England Saxons in Bloemfontein last week, but one bad game shouldn’t have counted against him when it comes to Bok selection as he has proven himself several times in Super Rugby this year.

“I made it clear we would definitely consider Morné as a replacement option because of his vast experience, and I would therefore not hesitate to draft him into the match-day squad,” Coetzee said on Monday.

“Garth April is still a talented young man and was selected to learn and to develop. It is his first year in Super Rugby and his involvement with the squad will benefit him in the long run. Pat will return home for this week and we want to wish him well with his recovery.”

Coetzee added that the entire Bok squad will remain together in Johannesburg this week and no players will be released for SA A duty for Friday’s game against England Saxons at Outeniqua Park in George. April, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Nic Groom and Scarra Ntubeni played in Bloemfontein.

“All our players will stay with us for this week as SA ‘A’ coach Johan Ackermann has requested to give playing opportunities to more members of his squad. Our players will be on standby should they be needed on short notice,” Coetzee said.

ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za

@IndyCapeSport

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