Aug 10
5
Patrick Lambie Is A Must For the Boks End Of Year Tour
South African rugby needs a special kind of player to come along in a World Cup year. Frans Steyn did it in 2007, and this year, mark my words, Patrick Lambie is the go to guy.
I have been over impressed with this youngsters steely determination to just get the job done. When I first saw him play, he reminded me of Frans Steyn. There is a quality about him that just oozes calmness. He has played a number of positions, excelling in each of them. He is only 19… sound familiar?
So who is Patrick Lambie and how can he slot into South Africas’ team? In his own words, he has the goal of playing for the Springboks. In an interview last year, he had this to say.
“My goal is to play for the Sharks and to play for South Africa. I think that it is a realistic goal to have; I don’t think that there are many guys that can say that they played for SA School two years in a row. Just looking at some of the guys in the present South African team they were in a similar position to me a few years ago and they have made it to the highest level. So yes I believe that it all can happen for me.”
It’s great to hear a talented youngster talk with such conviction and show such self belief. This clearly comes across in the way he plays the game on the field. He has bucket loads of faith in his own ability and it shows. So how can SA use this talented player??
First off, he makes a damn fine centre. After only a couple of games in this position, it’s clear Lambie has the x factor. He can play fullback, centre and probably flyhalf with aplomb. He has oodles of time to do anything, and this bodes well for an inside centre berth in his future. SA are a little slim in the quality centre dept, and Lambie joining the ranks of Juan de Jongh, Jean de Villiers and Jaque Fourie will add potency to a dynamic group. He attacking abilities alone should make him de Villiers’ understudy, with de Jongh deputising for Fourie. He ability to kick for goal would make him a third option for the Boks, after the two Steyns. SA simply cannot afford to overlook such talent, and the time is right now to blood this youngster on the year end tour.
The prospect of the Boks fielding a backline of Hougaard, Steyn, Lambie, de Jongh, van den Heever, Aplon and Frans Steyn is a mouth watering one. Morne Steyn will benefit greatly from two such creative players being either side of him, and we can expect his usual steely game to return. He has been suffering this year with the pedantic service offered by Januarie. South Africa have been lacking game breakers in their backline for quite some time now, and this backline would provide this. Don’t forget too, that the rested playes such as Habana will knock very loudly on the door, providing these youngsters with impetus to show us what they’ve got.
Lets hope our brains trust can figure this one out!
