Monthly Archives: March 2017

World rugby’s on the move – will Boks play ball?

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World rugby has had its axis rattled by events in Europe these past few weeks.

The Six Nations was a sensation, full of vigour and violence, with four of the six teams all showing degrees of progress. Only Italy and Wales were left behind and even they had their moments.

As the world rankings indicate, the giants of the south can no longer wallow in their superiority. New Zealand may be number one, but Australia are on the slide and we know all about South Africa’s fast diminishing reputation. The Boks lie a dismal seventh in the rankings and if that’s difficult enough to swallow, it will feel even worse when the World Cup draw is made in May.

They’ll be lumped in a pool with either New Zealand, England, Australia or Ireland, their prize for not being ranked in the top four.

Watching events up north, you got the sense that northern hemisphere teams have really moved on. England have made great strides and even though they couldn’t cope with the pace and intensity of Ireland on a teeming day in Dublin, they are just 15 months into Eddie Jones’ four-year project.

EEngland are stroppy and strong and play with more width that they have in ages

England are stroppy and strong and play with more width that they have in ages. Ireland exposed weakness, but as Jones pointedly remarked, rather now than in Japan in three years’ time. They will get better under Jones, who seldom makes the same mistake twice.

Ireland’s bloody-mindedness was best exemplified by Johnny Sexton, who was brutishly targeted by England’s big men. There was nothing artful about it either. It was clumsiness against courage and the sight of Sexton getting up time and again offered a compelling argument for him to be given the number 10 jersey for the British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand.

The soonest England are likely to play the All Blacks is 2018, which is just as well. England fans may have notions of their team being better than New Zealand, but until England comfortably demonstrate the ability to soak up pressure, adjust and execute – as the All Blacks do – they will be in the slipstream.

France are the lot we ought to be worried about because the Springboks host the Tricolors in a three-Test series in June with Durban hosting the second of these. They are very evidently a team trying to get back their attacking potential. We saw flashes of it throughout the tournament with players like Gael Fickou, Baptiste Serin and Louis Picamoles all looking like world-beaters. The French pack is also looking gnarly again as Wales found to their cost last weekend. They may not possess the flamboyance of old, but the strong set-piece remains a glorious tenet of French play.

Innovation, would you believe, came from the hopeless Italians. Their remarkable tactic of not contesting the rucks against England was cunning and caught England on the hop.

“I am the referee, I am not the coach,” said referee Romain Poite to a bemused Dylan Hartley who sought an explanation.

The irony was that this sleight of hand was dreamed up by a South African (Brendan Venter) who may or may not be involved with the Boks later this year.

England adapted quickly enough, but you wonder whether a team like the Springboks would have twigged on and been able to shut down the ploy. Modernism has never been SA rugby’s strong suit, Venter being a splendid exception.

And so to the Springboks. It is hard to draw a bead on their status. Allister Coetzee has kept his head down and there isn’t much buzz around the players.

It’s early days in Super Rugby, but already the New Zealand teams are cutting loose. The signs point to another golden winter for the All Blacks, although the Rugby Championship will be the second prize. The scalp of the British and Irish Lions is the big booty on offer this year.

The Boks need to get a move on. Invention and imagination is the currency of the new game. They must offer something fresh and vibrant in the new season, proving that the slow drift to mediocrity is at an end.

More heart, more fight would do for starters. – © Sunday Tribune

 

 

 

Losing the Commonwealth Games? Spare the tears

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Now that the last remnants of the Commonwealth Games mess have been swept away, we ought to consider what the lessons were for both Durban and South Africa.

The obvious one is not to over-promise and under-deliver. Ever since 1995, when South Africa hosted the Rugby World Cup and we pretended all was dandy in the Rainbow Nation, we’ve been seduced by the idea of staging mega-events.

We’ve had the African Cup of Nations, the Presidents Cup, the World Cup of Athletics, the World Twenty20 Championship, the Cricket World Cup, the Confederations Cup, the Indian Premier League, the ICC Championship and of course the 2010 World Cup.

If we’re brutally honest, we’ve been a little greedy. We pulled them all off to varying degrees of success, but still our desire wasn’t sated. The Commonwealth Games was one more vanity project South Africa seemingly couldn’t do without.

Even though Durban put on its best party dress and sold the city as a great tourist and sporting destination, you never got the feeling that everyone was on-side. The bid was disjointed, the celebrations muted. Bricks weren’t laid and visitors to the city never got a sense of urgency that a big party was around the corner.

The cash was the stumbling block. Officially, R4-billion was on the table, although cost estimates went to double that. Without government guarantees, that was never going to fly. Little wonder people got jittery and the plug was pulled.

It’s just as well. South Africans have big event fatigue and are tired of the public purse being drained for massive events that seldom leave a legacy or create permanent jobs.

HHopefully this also shuts down any nonsense talk about a bid for the Olympic Games

Hopefully this also shuts down any nonsense talk about a bid for the Olympic Games, which was the hope post-2022. Years ago Cape Town got a bloody nose with its attempt to woo the International Olympic Committee, and it’s just as well considering the staggering cost of the Olympics.

Moreover, the legacy is questionable. Just look at Rio de Janeiro where Olympic venues now lie wasted and dilapidated. And that bill is still to be paid.

The curious thing about the Commonwealth Games was why South Africa was so fixated on the event in the first place. The relationship with the old British Empire has long been rocky, dating as far back as 1934 when the Games were taken away from Johannesburg and given to London because of the poor treatment of black athletes in South Africa.

The country ultimately left the Commonwealth 66 years ago, choosing to go it alone.

The Commonwealth Games celebrates this relic of British imperialism, which is an odd thing for modern-day South Africa to endorse so enthusiastically.

It’s an anachronism that has little value to everyday South Africans. Frankly, it’s weird how we’ve pursued Commonwealth Games medals every four years in the context of where South Africa is now. Bowing down to the queen just wouldn’t fly.

And so to 2023 and South Africa’s bid to host the Rugby World Cup. At the risk of seeming schizophrenic, this is a goal worth pursuing. It wouldn’t require massive investments in infrastructure. All the stadiums are in place, our travel network is extensive and accommodation is plentiful. It would still cost plenty, but the difference is that SA has a great appetite for rugby and corporates would willingly get involved. World Rugby was in town this week, taking a look around, although both France and Ireland are in the running too. Their bids are thoroughly impressive, meaning it wouldn’t be a one-horse race, as was the case with Durban.

Rugby will have learned much from the Durban shemozzle, chiefly that any big event is a non-starter without government’s buy-in. With an economy in freefall and social unrest the national sport, investors are understandably nervous about doing business here. At a minimum, World Rugby would need to be assured of the inclusiveness of South Africa’s bid.

Relief ought to be the prevailing sense in the wake of the failed Commonwealth Games bid. Yes, getting the gig might have reflected well on Durban’s status as a true international city, but the truth is that the city dodged a bullet. – © Sunday Tribune

 

 

Build a statue to this man

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CConstant Beckerling, right, a breath of fresh air.

Thhe most significant South African sports moment this week wasn’t produced by Dean Elgar or Akani Simbine, notwithstanding their excellence.

For my money, it came in small-town Potchefstroom where Wits upset NWU-Pukke, the defending Varsity Cup rugby champions.

A delirious Constant Beckerling, Wits’ captain and the man of the match, delivered the most rousing post-match television interview I’ve seen in years. It was high on passion and joy and was a stark reminder that clichés and stock-standard responses don’t need to be the norm.

He even flipped effortlessly between English and Afrikaans.

Beckerling’s missive was like a beacon in a sea of insipidness. Media officers and higher-ups have sucked the life out of players and coaches, who are encouraged to toe the line and deliver monotone responses.

Sportsmen have largely become disengaged in the modern age and have little idea about what the fans want. I’ve known sportsmen to prattle on for 10 minutes and say nothing. The jargon flies about and they sound vaguely interesting, but when you distil what they’ve just said, it amounts to very little.

Press conferences are the bread and butter of reporters, but I’d wager a large sum that without them we wouldn’t notice much difference. Coaches give little away, as you’d expect, and players are too shackled to talk freely. Mind-numbing caution abounds.

There are exceptions. An Eddie Jones media conference is a must-see event shot through with humour, sarcasm and acute analysis. You invariably come away having learned something, or had your ear bent.

Jean de Villiers was always good value. You’d never get any dramatics from him, but he had a sharp line in humour and perfectly understood his job – to sell his game to the public with the media acting as the megaphone.

PPeter de Villiers with a microphone shoved beneath his ample moustache was always fascinating

Peter de Villiers with a microphone shoved beneath his ample moustache was always fascinating, probably because no-one could predict what he might say next. He could be cutting and funny in equal measure. He was never dull.

If halftime interviews with rugby players is mostly an exercise in frustration, interviews with boxers can be illuminating and exciting. One of the best ever occurred a few years ago when legendary commentator Larry Merchant interviewed Floyd Mayweather jnr in the ring.

Mayweather: “You know what I’m gonna do? Cause you don’t never give me a fair shake, you know that? So I’m gonna let you go and talk to Victor Ortiz, alright? I’m through. Put somebody else up here and give me an interview.”

Merchant: “What are you talking about? What are you talking about?”

Mayweather: “You never give me a fair shake! HBO needs to fire you! You don’t know shit about boxing! You ain’t shit! You not shit!”

Merchant: “I wish I was 50 years younger and I’d kick your ass!”

It might have been off-colour, but it was pure gold for many viewers who loved the sight of someone finally giving Mayweather some lip.

To be fair, most athletes don’t speak in clichés because they’re dumb. Often, they are bombarded with inane questions, sometimes over and over again. Many would prefer not to talk to reporters, but do so because they must. If they develop a reputation for being boring, they’ll be left alone.

Beckerling was different, no doubt because he’d never been interviewed live on television before and doesn’t have a media person telling him the do’s and don’ts. He took the gap, probably unwittingly, and has enjoyed his unlikely moment in the sun. He was even interviewed on national radio, all because he was interesting and bucked the trend. We got to see some of his personality which was a delight. Little wonder he’s captain.

Granted, many of our local heroes are often talking in their second or third languages which limits their ability to be colourful or provocative. This is understandable.

We’re probably too far gone down the road of professional sport to hark to the old days when sportsmen said it as it was, but it’s not too much to hope for more Beckerlings to pop up. No-one wants to hear the boredom merchants. Chalk one up for the few mavericks and personalities who are still out there – if you just know where to look. – © Sunday Tribune

Job vacancies sign goes up for Bok positions

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Talking on a rugby podcast last week, Stuart Barnes opined that the Springbok team that travelled through Europe last year was the worst to have ever left the shores of South Africa.

It was a bold statement by the former British and Irish Lions flyhalf, but it’s difficult to dispute in the aftermath. They’re still mopping up the blood.

Even now, people are embarrassed to talk about it. But it’s there, a bold black mark in the history books.

Fast forward four months and the battle lines have been redrawn. Local rugby has undergone a brutal self-analysis. We aren’t good enough, is the general refrain. But we’re fighting on.

All bets are off as regards the Springboks going into the new season. Numerous positions are up for grabs and even the playing style has been prised from the old template.

Super Rugby is much less a chase for silverware than an audition for the Springbok squad. There are openings everywhere.

IIf a team was named to play against Mars tomorrow, the only guarantees would be Pieter-Steph du Toit and Eben Etzebeth

If a team was named to play against Mars tomorrow, the only guarantees would be Pieter-Steph du Toit and Eben Etzebeth. These are the only two who would reasonably have a shout for a spot in a World XV.

Beast Mtawarira has done yeoman work over the years at loosehead, but the endless toil has worn him down. Lizo Qhoboko of the Bulls and Ox Nche of the Cheetahs are both in the mix, ready to unseat the grizzled warrior.

Hooker also presents a quandary following Adriaan Strauss’ extraordinary decision to vacate the role. Malcolm Marx had a bruising blooding against New Zealand last year, but he’s a tough kid who will emerge the better for it. He’s the closest thing we have to a Bismarck du Plessis locally, being both highly physical and athletic.

Unfortunately the tighthead beasts of old no longer exist in SA rugby. There are, though, some grafters – Vincent Koch, Lourens Adriaanse, Julian Redelinghuys and Frans Malherbe – who can carry out a holding operation.

South Africa has the precious gift of vibrant loose forwards; the trick is getting the brew right. The recent experiment with Du Toit and Willem Alberts flanking the Bok scrum flopped spectacularly.

Duane Vermeulen would ordinarily be a certainty for number eight, but selecting overseas players is a murky business, especially ones who play for eccentric team owners like Mourad Boudjellal.

Warren Whiteley is the man in possession, but he needs to learn to boss big games like Kieran Read or Louis Picamoles do. Hanro Liebenberg and Sikhumbuzo Notshe are both chasing hard.

We have a healthy stock of top class flankers and any of Nizaam Carr, Uzair Cassiem, Oupa Mohoje, Flo Louw, Siya Kolisi, Jaco Kriel, Roelof Smit or Jannes Kirsten could come into consideration. Super Rugby could be the making of them.

For my money, Francois Hougaard is the go-to man at scrumhalf, but only if the air is cleared over foreign-based players. If not, expect usual suspects Rudi Paige, Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach to duke it out.

For years the number 10 jersey was the most important backline selection in SA rugby. Morné Steyn was the last true matchwinner (on account of his kicking), but none of Elton Jantjies, Pat Lambie or Handre Pollard has offered consistent excellence. Pollard needs to win back his form after a cruel run of injury and Jantjies and Lambie need to assert themselves in Super Rugby. Jean-Luc du Plessis of the Stormers, a beautiful passer of the ball, isn’t far off either.

The most significant development in the Bok context was the inclusion of Seabelo Senatla in this week’s training squad. He possesses the energy and razor-sharp instincts that have been absent among the backs.

Chuck in the like of Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Ruan Combrinck, Warrick Gelant, Cheslin Kolbe, Travis Ismaiel, Jesse Kriel, Sergeal Petersen and Jamba Ulengo and there’s much to work with. Perhaps even Jan Serfontein will rediscover his mojo. The excellent Harold Vorster is also lurking after a year on the sidelines.

Looking at all these names, the picture isn’t quite as bleak as the calamity of last year’s tour indicated. Super Rugby will weed out the shirkers. Those who remain can help revive the old Bok beast. – © Sunday Tribune

 

 

 

 

 

Born to fight: the dreamers and schemers

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Almost 200 boxers, dreamers and no-hopers among them, tried out for their boxing licenses in Booysens on Saturday. If they’re lucky, they’ll receive the scrap of paper that welcomes them into a brave worls. If not, there’s always another time . . .