Quan Horn could be the next Willie le Roux, says Morné Steyn
· Citizen
Former Springbok flyhalf Morné Steyn believes coach Rassie Erasmus may have pulled off another masterstroke by opting to play regular fullback Quan Horn at No 10 for the Springboks when they take on the Barbarians in a pre-season opener in Gqeberha on Saturday.
Horn has played very little rugby at flyhalf, though he often finds himself in that channel for his provincial team, the Lions.
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According to Steyn, who works as a kicking consultant with the Lions, Erasmus may be looking to turn Horn into the next Willie le Roux – a fullback who can slot in at flyhalf when his team are on the attack.
Replacement for Willie
“I think maybe they are looking for a replacement for Willie, who has slotted in at first receiver (during matches) over the years, and Quan does that a little bit in our (Lions) game plan,” said Steyn about the 24-year-old rookie.
“Now, by getting an opportunity to play at 10 (for the Boks), it will open some doors and even in our game he will maybe do it a bit more going forward. We have Chris Smith, but Quan can definitely be our back up.
“Playing at 10 and 15 is mostly about slotting in at the first receiver position, so Quan is used to it. But I think when it comes to organising and controlling the game while running at 10, things will happen a bit quicker now.
“So, he will have to adapt and work on a couple of things, but he is a quality player and he will definitely be up for it.”
Steyn though admitted that he was surprised when he found out that Erasmus had selected Horn at flyhalf for this weekend’s match.
But the former Bok pivot and Bulls legend is convinced that the Lions star has all the tools needed to succeed, and that when it comes to gambles from Erasmus, they mostly pay off.
“It is a surprising selection, especially for a guy who hasn’t played 10 in a while. But we all know Rassie by now, he always has a plan and most of the time it works,” said Steyn.
“I am really looking forward to seeing how Quan does. He is one of our senior players, he is one of the guys who organises things at the back, and this experience will be good for him.”
No kicking pressure
Horn will not have the pressure of kicking for poles against the Barbarians, with Erasmus saying at the team announcement this week that Cheslin Kolbe and Junior Springbok flyhalf Vusi Moyo, who’ll be on the bench this weekend, will handle the place-kicking duties.
But Steyn revealed that Horn has been one of the Lions’ back-up kickers for a while now, and is confident that he could handle the duties if offered to him, while he also said his overall kicking game is on point.
“His kicking game has improved a lot over the last few years. We have been working on it a lot and you can see the upward curve in his performances,” said Steyn.
“In our last few games this past season he was our second kicker for poles. If Chris Smith wasn’t there, he would have taken over the duties, so I feel he would be up for it. It is something that he has been working on. His kicking game is solid.”
Following this weekend’s game against the Barbarians, Horn will hope to make the cut for the Springboks’ Nations Championship squad, which will be named on Sunday.