Lions in SA
SA hail 'diamond' Steyn
2009-06-29 09:51
Email | Print
Pretoria - Morne Steyn has been hailed as a "diamond" after his last-second penalty kick handed the Springboks a dramatic 28-25 second Test win over the British and Irish Lions.
The result on Saturday also gave the reigning world champions an unassailable 2-0 series lead with the third and final Test to come next weekend at Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg.
"I just went back to the basics. When I struck it, I knew it was over," Blue Bulls flyhalf Steyn, in just his second Test appearance, said of the winning kick at the final whistle at his home ground of Loftus Versfeld.
Former Bulls and Leicester coach Heyneke Meyer, writing in his Sunday Times column, said: "Morne Steyn did brilliantly when he came on. His up-and-unders were perfectly weighted and he showed such character with that last kick.
"His character is like a piece of charcoal - pressure turns him into a diamond.
"As soon as the penalty was given I knew he would get it, and the kick out of the corner was even better."
Steyn made his Springbok debut from the bench in the first Test in Durban, which was won 26-21 by the home side, producing a remarkable try-saving tackle on winger Ugo Monye, dislodging the ball as the Englishman crashed over the whitewash.
He came on in the 61st minute of the bone-crunching match here, with the Lions 18-9 ahead, and kicked a vital touchline conversion and two penalties, including that 53-metre effort at the final whistle to seal the win.
Steyn, however, is not an unknown quantity, having top scored for the Blue Bulls in the recently-finished Super 14 competition with 191 points, a factor not lost on Springbok captain John Smit.
"That was a really big kick," said Smit. "At times like those, I'm glad I only have to scrum and don't take those kicks.
"Hats off to Morne Steyn - to do that in only his second Test was massive. I was also glad he took it, after doing the damage in the Super 14."
The SA Rugby website, headlined with "Morne, Boks man of the moment."
And the Blue Bulls, who play out of Loftus Versfeld, added that they would "like to use this opportunity to congratulate Peter de Villiers and his Springboks on their marvelous series victory over the British and Irish Lions".
"To clinch the second Test match and with it the series after trailing at the break says a lot about the team's character as well as their fighting spirit and this match will be in the annals of SA Rugby forever," the team said.
"It is a privilege to watch this group of players, who truly are world champions, and as supporters we are going to talk about Morne Steyn's last minute penalty for years to come.
"Well done Boks, you made us proud!"