SOUTH AFRICA HAVE confirmed that experienced out-half Morné Steyn has been added to their squad ahead of the second Test with Ireland.
The 31-year-old Stade Français man replaces Pat Lambie, who suffered a head injury in the incident that resulted in CJ Stander being red carded in Saturday’s first Test.
Lambie will take at least a week out of rugby after being stretchered off at Newlands Stadium due to the blow.
60-times capped Steyn has spent the last three seasons in France with Stade Français but has featured prominently for the Boks in the past. He started five games at the 2011 World Cup and holds a number of points-scoring records for the Boks.
The out-half is behind Percy Montgomery in the all-time points-scoring charts for South Africa with 694 Test points, which leaves him 17th in the global all-time list.
Steyn, who last played for the Boks off the bench in a World Cup clash with the US last year, was omitted from Allister Coetzee’s original squad to face Ireland in the current three-Test series.
He now joins Elton Jantjies, who replaced Lambie last weekend, and Sharks playmaker Garth April as the Boks’ out-half options.
While Jantjies has been one of the form out-halves in Super Rugby this season it will be fascinating to learn whether or not Coetzee looks to the experience and solidity of Steyn for the must-win second Test at altitude in Johannesburg.
The Boks are due to name their team on Thursday afternoon.
Certainly, the selection of Steyn in the 10 shirt against Ireland would be seen as a regressive move by many Springboks supporters but the pressure is already on Coetzee just one game into his term as head coach.
The South Africa coach came out swinging earlier today by stating that 14-man Ireland “weren’t interesting in playing” in the first Test and also suggesting that Super Rugby is a poor preparation ground for the international game.
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