Morne Steyn is braced for an “emotional” Loftus Versfeld farewell and wants to end on a high by helping the Vodacom Bulls progress to the Currie Cup semi-finals.
Steyn is set to make his final appearance at his stomping ground when the Bulls host the Cheetahs in the final league round of the Currie Cup on Saturday.
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The veteran flyhalf will be hanging up his boots at the end of the season, calling it a day on a career that has seen him win two Currie Cup and three Super Rugby titles.
“I believe it is the right time to finish,” Steyn told the media in Pretoria on Thursday.
“If the Bulls asked me to stay one more season, I would definitely say yes. My body still feels good, but a man has to stand aside at some time for the new generation.
“It’s wonderful to end my career at Loftus and that I could be involved in my last days with a group with such a great team spirit. It’s bittersweet, but I’m looking forward to life after rugby.”
Steyn, who arrived at Loftus from Bloemfontein as a green 18-year-old back in 2003, built a reputation as one of the most successful goal-kickers in franchise and Test rugby.
However, Steyn didn’t begin his pro career as a world-class goal-kicker, it’s something he toiled to add to his repertoire.
“At U20 level, I wasn’t even kicking. Jeandre Kruger, who was playing wing or fullback, was the kicker and I wasn’t kicking in the Vodacom Cup either, that was Gideon Roux’s job, our scrumhalf.
“But Heyneke Meyer said if I want to play at a higher level I must work on my kicking game and that’s when I started working with Vlok Cilliers and put in the hard yards.
“We spent all those days [kicking] in the rain. We were the first ones on the field and the last ones to leave. That’s where it all started and the hard work paid off.”
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Ending his run at Loftus against a team he represented at U18 level will make it even special for Steyn.
“The fact that I come from Bloemfontein and the Cheetahs makes this game a good one. It’s an important one for the Bulls, so we can’t take it lightly and we’d like to go further into the semi-finals and final,” the 38-year-old said.
“Free State is still deep in my heart. My family, my brothers are still there and it’s a nice way to finish my career.”
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