Rugby videos of tackles, tries, funny incidents and more: Francois Steyn's monster drop goal against Clermont

Sunday, May 09, 2010

Francois Steyn's monster drop goal against Clermont

Clermont booked their place in the Top 14 Semi Final as they battled their way to a 21-17 win over Racing Metro on Friday night. Morgan Parra starred for the home side, but it was young Francois Steyn of Racing Metro that produced a moment of magic that you need to check out.

Parra kicked his side to victory after Brock James had initially got two, but then missed his next two attempts. A late yellow card for Racing Metro lock Santiago Dellape didn’t help the visitors’ semi final aspirations either.

Racing scored the only try of the match through flanker Jacques Cronje, but Parra punished them with the boot whenever he got the chance. One of his late kicks at goal left the Racing players and coach furious as they felt it had drifted wide.

One guy who made no mistake though was Francois Steyn, playing flyhalf, as he gathered a clearing kick well inside his own half an unleashed his monster boot to slot a huge dropgoal that flew through the posts.

It’s not the first time we’ve seen him let rip from his own half, but he struck this one so well that it would have easily had the legs if he were a good ten metres or so back. For interests sake, the guest commentator with our Eurosport favourite is Racing Metro player Simon Raiwalui, hence the comments about training.

Congratulations go to Clermont though, as they now move on to the semi finals, where they face Toulon, while Toulouse will go up against Perpignan.

Highlights from the rest of the weekend’s action will follow soon. If there’s a match or incident in particular that you feel needs to be shared here on RD, please get in touch.

Time: 01:22

1st haha sum drop goal

By Anonymous, at May 09, 2010 6:53 pm
Bloody hell! Going on that he could whack one from inside his own 22 :S how awful do those eurosport commentators sound?

By That's not shepards pie in my knickers!, at May 09, 2010 6:58 pm
Pretty damn big. If he's playing against you, you seriously need to make an effort to charge him down. Won't take long for him to get those every time judging by that connection!

By Clinomaniac, at May 09, 2010 6:59 pm
I HATE this Eurosport commentator - he has no clue.

Amazing kick.

By Anonymous, at May 09, 2010 7:01 pm
Napoleon Dynamite's got quite the toe

By cheyanqui, at May 09, 2010 7:09 pm
Wow that's just amazing ! Oo
RD would it be possible to have the highlights of this game please ?? Maybe those from the toulouse's match too ?? :p
Thx !

By Anonymous, at May 09, 2010 7:13 pm
Incredible. I've seen Steyn try to slot these kind of drop goals through the entire tri nations and he always felt a metre short or wide. This one nailed it though!

If the commentators had been french, they would have gone nuts.

By Joost, at May 09, 2010 7:28 pm
unbelievevable.. awesome drop kick goal.. he have a strong leg..

By Anonymous, at May 09, 2010 7:29 pm
Uh-maze!!!

By Alexander, at May 09, 2010 7:30 pm
If yould watch a match with him playing, he misses these 9 times out of 10, he's a disaster because he loves doing it! that being said, he could easily have put that over another 15m back!
and if he gets consistent it'll be a sad day for rugby!

By Mikee, at May 09, 2010 7:41 pm
I think the racing will be an amazing team next year. Fall, Hernandez, Durand and can be Ouedraogo will arrive in the club. The Coach, Pierre Berbizier (former french national team's coach) do still a good job. There is a polemic in France because many thinks that with an another umpiring Racing would win this match.
This club has an unlimited budget and an enormous ambition.

By Mister Rugby, at May 09, 2010 8:03 pm
Wonderful kick. But he has also made mistakes. With more experience and better choices, he will be a true legend.

By Anonymous, at May 09, 2010 8:09 pm
The most beautiful drop goal i've ever seen. Steyn is the only player in rugby history who can do that with this facility.

By 3/4 centre, at May 09, 2010 8:15 pm
Warick at munster has a monster drop goal boot too, but, and here's the difference, he doesn't miss that many .

By mise, at May 09, 2010 10:50 pm
My goodness, this boy has some boot!

By Laura Guglielmo, at May 09, 2010 10:53 pm
I am so glad he is in France, he was single handedly killing the All Blacks.

By Josh, at May 09, 2010 10:58 pm
Yeah he can belt the shit out of the ball, amazing drop goal, but he does miss quite a lot and watch this,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKqd5vva82g

80m metre kick, bounces another 20, yes it is an amazing belt of the ball, but I would prefer a 60m kick that goes out because they just get the 22 drop out.

Quite simply the most talented rugby player in the world, but just sadly doesn't have a smart rugby brain to know when to kick it out or not.

Amazing drop goal though, nothing I say can take away that.

By Les Bleus, at May 09, 2010 11:02 pm
While we are on the topic of Francois Steyn, he has had quite a bad time in rugby.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU6mlwaBbgQ&feature=related

He was clearly bitten and was given a yellow card and cited, because the person who bit him, Vatu, had bite marks on him, which were supposedly done by himself. His reputation was on the line.

I just don't understand why you would go overseas at the age of 21/22? He would have been one of the greatest of all times if he just stayed in South Africa, another world cup probably in 2011 aswell, youngest person to win 2?

By Les Bleus, at May 09, 2010 11:08 pm
Yeah mise, but does he ever attempt any from over 50m out?? Not many players do (because they cant), so obviously their success rate will be higher.

Steyn going for them is much the same as kicking and up and under from that position, except that A: there's a good chance his side will get 3 points, and B: they'll get the ball back from the resultant 22 drop out anyway.

Great kick.

By Benson, at May 09, 2010 11:29 pm
"Amazing drop goal though, nothing I say can take away that."

You are trying your best though Les Bleus.. as always pal. ;)

By Benson, at May 09, 2010 11:31 pm
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

By Anonymous, at May 10, 2010 12:17 am
I don't know Les Bleus. To say he's the most talented player in the world and that he could be an all-time great is a bit much I think. I mean he's big and strong, and he can get a long-range dropgoal or penalty every so often, but he's pretty uncoordinated and as you said, doesn't really have a good brain for rugby. A great in the dropgoal books, but not really as an all-round rugby player.

And for why he went abroad so young, it's probably about this: €.

By Kearney for tests, at May 10, 2010 2:26 am
Morne Steyn also got a 50m and 40m at an angle drop goals against the Crusaders this week, but those were at altitude.

Yeah, Franc is the youngest player to ever win a world cup, lets not forget his monster place kicking too. He gets them over more often than not, or comes very close.

By Anonymous, at May 10, 2010 2:27 am
He is so young, his game will be more and more better...

By 3/4 centre, at May 10, 2010 3:58 am
boring rugby, just kicking, typical blah blah bullshit bullshit......

oh no....wait, its ok, its a south african doing it!!!

WOOOO yeh, amazing, nothing better, we rule...

bokke bokke bokke yeah number 1...

zzzzzzzz

By Anonymous, at May 10, 2010 4:23 am
I see that he's playing No 10. How's that working for him? I understand that when he was in South Africa, he was a utility or a full back, but he always wanted to play 10 (couldn't, though). Is he performing there? Perhaps that was part of the reason he went overseas.

By granite, at May 10, 2010 4:51 am
Steyn...well as far as full backs go he isn't a Cullen or Blanco. He's a poor man's Gavin Hastings.

By Unknown, at May 10, 2010 5:05 am
I know it sounds arrogant to say he is the most talented, he is one of the most talented. I can't think of anyone more talented in the rugby world right now, probably Caucau edges him a little but tough to call. But like Caucau, he doesn't use it, he needs to use his head, he isn't the best, but he is one of the most talented. Talent = the best, talent = potential to be the best.

Brian O'Driscoll is a brilliant player because not only is he skilled but he uses his head and is quite inventive, something I feel Steyn would have learnt from staying in South Africa with the calibre of players that were around him like Montgomery.

By Les Bleus, at May 10, 2010 5:13 am
That was incredible... that ball must have traveled more than 70 meters!

By Tui, at May 10, 2010 5:26 am
You'll notice that many on here will immediately try and discredit this amazing kick and amazing player just because Steyn is a South African, it's pretty pathetic. Some of you need to grow up and drop the jealousy. I'm a Kiwi and even I can see this kid will be one of the greats, he has already won a world cup and lions tour.

By Anonymous, at May 10, 2010 5:28 am
Oh and Genevieve, Steyn has played only a handful of tests at fullback and showed promise, so comparing him to guys that have played FB their whole career isn't fair.

By Anonymous, at May 10, 2010 5:31 am
Incredible ignorance shown there, Genevieve. The kid's a superstar in the making. He's barely 23 and look what he's already achieved, and played a pretty large hand in winning - Super 14 finalist, World Cup, Tri Nations, and Lions Tour victorys.

Give credit where credit is due perhaps? Or if you haven't seen enough of a player, that's fine, but you really aren't in a position to judge.

To have a go at him after seeing a kick like this shows pure spite.. and that applies to all the other pissy comments too. Grow up and love the game, not just your own players.

By Scotsdale, at May 10, 2010 7:25 am
This is the whole point of putting him @ FB: any kicks that doesn't find touch, u face a 60m DG.

By vinniechan, at May 10, 2010 8:08 am
@Les Bleus
"Talent = the best, talent = potential to be the best."

!!??
Make up your mind. You really do write some rubbish.

By Ralph, at May 10, 2010 8:51 am
Nice chance!

By Japie, at May 10, 2010 10:33 am
He actually did a pretty good first season with RM. He played at 12 usually and did a great job in defence specially but also good break trough. Berbizier made him play half to put pressure on James and he continuously swapt with Wiznieski while attacking. Hopefully we'll see all the might of him next year!!

By Anonymous, at May 10, 2010 10:33 am
Phenomenal. Look how fast the ball goes. AND it clears the top of the posts. From that far back. O_O

By Pew pew, at May 10, 2010 10:59 am
Holy cow. I mean, that would have made it over from 20 metres further back.

For the various rugby nubes who have chimed in here, having a fullback able to ping dropgoals from way back is a huge tactical advantage.

For a start, any dropkick that Steyn hits - it's either 3 points or his team retains field position. So there's usually little downside to taking a shot, especially if his team is already in the lead. Where it becomes a problem is if he should be keeping the ball in-hand or the chase is poor and there's a counterattacking opportunity.

But that's all to do with decision-making, and that gets better with experience. Having the raw talent to smash 60m drop-goals however gives your team a rare option, and presents the opposition with a big headache.

Specifically in the Bok context, it means teams have to kick the ball into touch (and well into touch to avoid quick throw-ins), which will mean better field-position and frequent line-outs, which is their favourite attacking platform.

It all explains why Jake White regards Steyn as the Bok's most important asset.

By edbok, at May 10, 2010 12:31 pm
Frans Steyn is truley a legend in the making. Great to see he is enjoying rugby again! BTW...that kick was nothing to what he has done before.

Josh - yeah the All Blacks must feel slightly relieved this during the 3N's... ;)

Fransie, we miss you boytjie - can't wait until you come home.

By Just a Fan, at May 10, 2010 1:25 pm
BTW, the Eurosport pundit perhaps isn't quite a aware of players from the SH, but he's generally very good and stick to the game quite closely.

By vinniechan, at May 10, 2010 2:30 pm
great kicker, great tackler,great defense,great passer, but he looks to have lost a little bit of pace, maybe because he has put on so much weight since he was 20.

By Anonymous, at May 10, 2010 3:34 pm
@Les Bleus
"Talent = the best, talent = potential to be the best."

!!??
Make up your mind. You really do write some rubbish.

Forgot to put the /= in

Talent =/= the best, talent = potential, just to clear it up.

By Les Bleus, at May 10, 2010 3:46 pm
wow amazing kick! Il y avait encore la place pour 10 mêtres de plus!

By brock, at May 10, 2010 4:53 pm
Woah - that was huge - could have gone over from another 10 or 20 out. Insane. Hope Steyn doesn't get left out of the Bok reckoning. when you have a guy who can do that it makes people think twice about hoofing the ball from just outside their 22, and if inside they will make sure they kick it out, so gain less yards.

By codescalpel, at May 10, 2010 9:16 pm
ho-ly shit.

By Anonymous, at May 11, 2010 5:20 am
That's incredible. And if you think this is a fluke, search on Youtube for his monster drop against the Blues (as a 19 year old), a similar one against the Cheetahs and against the Wallabies in 2007 (to tie the game, with another easier one a few minutes later to clinch it). Sure he misses a lot, but when he's alone at the back with few options (and knows that he can nail it) this is better than simply hoofing it downfield or popping up a 50/50 up-and-under.

By Jacques, at May 11, 2010 1:01 pm
People keep saying he misses a lot - but no-one else even tries to kick from those distances - so he has a hellava lot more success than anyone else.

Frans Steyn is a superstar!

By Just a Fan, at May 12, 2010 11:22 am
Ps...to that commentator...go to you tube and see the other kicks he he has put over - like the 3 60mtr penalty kicks against the ALL Blacks last year....

By Just a Fan, at May 12, 2010 11:24 am
It's not a drop-goal it's a punt! Watch closely the ball doesn't touch the ground before he kicks it. Hence the distance!

By Chris, at May 12, 2010 1:12 pm
^ What a spaz! If you've ever kicked a ball you'll know it's pretty damn impossible to kick it with that trajectory at that angle. Plucking at straws Chris. lol

By Scotsdale, at May 12, 2010 2:57 pm
Bliksem, you could actually hear that ball scream "EINA P@E5" the moment Francoi's boot kicked it . .
great job Steyntjie !

By Johannes H Kotze, at May 26, 2010 11:16 am