Super Steyn’s best Bok matches

MORNE Steyn hung up his Springbok boots this week following an excellent career in which he scored 742 points in 68 Tests.

Here, we took a look at five of his most memorable displays for his country …

June 27, 2009 Springboks 28, British & Irish Lions 25

Having made his Test debut a week before as a substitute in the first Test, Steyn was again on the bench for the second match at his beloved home ground Loftus Versfeld.

But after Ruan Pienaar missed a number of goal-kicks, Steyn was belatedly introduced around the hour mark with the score at 19-8 to the Lions.

The Boks were dead and buried, but Bryan Habana started the comeback with a try that was converted by Steyn, who slotted a penalty soon after that as well to suddenly make the score 19-18 with 13 minutes to go.

Lions flyhalf Stephen Jones replied with a three-pointer of his own, though, and at 22-18, the visitors appeared to have done enough to level the series at 1-1.

But enter Jaque Fourie, who barged his way over in the righthand corner, which Steyn duly converted to put the Boks 25-22 in front with five minutes to go.

The Lions weren’t done yet, and when Jones slotted another penalty, it looked like Ellis Park was going to host the series decider.

But Ronan O’Gara did the unthinkable, taking out Fourie du Preez in the air … and Steyn stepped up and banged over the 55-metreplus kick to break the Lions’ hearts!

August 1, 2009 Springboks 31, All Blacks 19

Having proved his mettle against the Lions, Steyn eventually convinced coach Peter de Villiers that he should wear the No 10 jersey against the New Zealanders ... and he repaid the faith in more ways than one – 31 ways, in fact.

The Bulls pivot scored all 31 points in the match for a convincing 31-19 victory that set the team on the path to the Tri-Nations title.

Steyn kicked five penalties in the first half, and slotted three more in the second.

The Springbok flyhalf also got a try just before half-time, stepping inside the backline defence off a scrum, and knocked over the conversion as well.

November 13, 2010 Springboks 29, Wales 25

In a see-saw encounter, the

Springbok No 10 kept his side in touch with five penalties and two conversions.

When Stephen Jones put Wales 20-9 ahead early in the second half, it looked like the game was over.

But Steyn started the comeback with a 46th penalty, and then converted tries by Willem Alberts and Victor Matfield to put the Boks 26-20 ahead.

George North pulled a fivepointer back for the Welsh, but Steyn secured victory with another penalty.

August 20, 2011 Springboks 18, All Blacks 5

The Boks had lost three Tests in a row before this one – twice against Australia and once against New Zealand.

But De Villiers’ team responded in emphatic fashion, with the forwards winning the physical battle, and the rest was left to Steyn.

The Bok flyhalf delivered a superb performance, kicking four penalties and a drop-goal in the first half, and one more penalty in the second.

August 7, 2021 Springboks 19, British & Irish Lions 17

With Handre Pollard far from his best in the match, Steyn came on at flyhalf with just 15 minutes to go in the second half and slotted a penalty almost immediately to make it 16-13 to the Boks.

Finn Russell booted a penalty over himself to draw the Lions level, but right before the hooter, the

Boks won a penalty about 35 metres out, and Steyn showed tremendous composure to clinch a Lions series victory for the second time in 12 years.