Publications
Partners
Gary Boshoff
There were some really intense and worrying moments in the Springbok coach’s cubicle when the Aussies ran in their first three tries on Saturday. Peter de Villiers could hardly look up and must have had a glimpse of what it feels like when your world (and dreams) collapse right in front of you.
Dick Muir was mumbling instructions into a small mouthpiece looking very unsure about himself and I imagine about what was happening to his players. This was perhaps the worst start by the Springboks to a Test match ever.
If not completely caught off-guard, I think the Aussies never really recovered from that helter-skelter opening themselves. The match continued to open up, resembling more a classic BaaBaas-style festival match than the close physical contest we expected.
However, notwithstanding all of this, the Boks finally managed to win a Tri-Nations Test and I guess we should be grateful for that. It is after all what we’ve been begging for since the start of the Tri-Nations; dead rubber or not.
Knowing De Villiers, he tends to stick to the players he believes in: so don’t expect John Smit, Victor Matfield, Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana, Morne Steyn, Butch James, Schalk Burger or any one of his other favourites to be axed any time soon.
They will in all probability be rested for the year-end tour, creating opportunities for the next generation of Springboks to be blooded. This will be the ideal opportunity and timing for Smit, Matfield, Burger, Morne Steyn and Habana to go on an extensive mental and physical conditioning programme ahead of the 2011 RWC.
It's clear De Villiers will not go to the 2011 RWC without his seasoned veterans as he believes they hold the key to South Africa’s successful defence of its RWC title.
The Currie Cup has once again produced a competition that both inspires and produces the odd surprise result.
This past weekend the Pumas and Cheetahs demonstrated the unpredictability of the competition by upstaging two of the favourites for the title, the Blue Bulls and WP respectively.
Though the Pumas were helped by a rather inept kicking performance by Francois Brummer, the Bulls’ pivot, who between him and Jacques-Louis Potgieter squandered 16 points in penalties and conversions, they deserved to win this one. They outscored the Blue Bulls by four tries to two.
The Sharks are odds-on favourites for Saturday’s clash against the Blue Bulls at Loftus, which if they win, will send the Blue Bulls sliding further down the points table. Will they be able to recover in time to make the playoffs? Desperate times ahead for the men in blue indeed!
In Cape Town the Cheetahs continued their recovery with a remarkable victory over Western Province at Newlands. Early on in the competition WP looked unbeatable. However, with a showdown against the rising Lions looming at Coca-Cola Park on Saturday they will have to be at their very best to avoid their third consecutive defeat. Can the Lions pull this one off? If they do it will certainly throw the race for semi-final spots wide open.
Finally, I was hugely encouraged by the SARU Executive Committee’s intention to finally take control of its Test matches.
This proposal has wide-ranging implications for the sport with regard to where future internationals will be played, the redistribution of benefits to the smaller SARU unions and the future sustainability of the professional game in SA.
If the proposals are passed, SARU will be able to stage Test matches in smaller centres such as Polokwane, Nelspruit, Rustenburg and other centres with decent facilities. It will allow the national federation to generate more income for its affiliates with smaller unions benefiting from a much fairer distribution of the spoils than they presently are. This will in turn improve the future sustainability of the professional game and ensure the livelihoods of more professional rugby players.
The big four (Blue Bulls, Western Province, Sharks and Lions) have for decades bagged the major share of profits generated through the Springbok Tests. It is high time that this lucrative revenue stream is shared more equitably with the smaller unions. Let’s hope that behind the scenes lobbying and power broking does not derail this genuine effort of the SARU Executive Committee to spread the profits of the game more equitably among its affiliates.
Gary Boshoff is a former SARU player and current Afrikaans rugby commentator on SuperSport.
Disclaimer: Sport24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of columnists published on Sport24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sport24.
There were some really intense and worrying moments in the Springbok coach’s cubicle when the Aussies ran in their first three tries on Saturday. Peter de Villiers could hardly look up and must have had a glimpse of what it feels like when your world (and dreams) collapse right in front of you.
Dick Muir was mumbling instructions into a small mouthpiece looking very unsure about himself and I imagine about what was happening to his players. This was perhaps the worst start by the Springboks to a Test match ever.
If not completely caught off-guard, I think the Aussies never really recovered from that helter-skelter opening themselves. The match continued to open up, resembling more a classic BaaBaas-style festival match than the close physical contest we expected.
However, notwithstanding all of this, the Boks finally managed to win a Tri-Nations Test and I guess we should be grateful for that. It is after all what we’ve been begging for since the start of the Tri-Nations; dead rubber or not.
Knowing De Villiers, he tends to stick to the players he believes in: so don’t expect John Smit, Victor Matfield, Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana, Morne Steyn, Butch James, Schalk Burger or any one of his other favourites to be axed any time soon.
They will in all probability be rested for the year-end tour, creating opportunities for the next generation of Springboks to be blooded. This will be the ideal opportunity and timing for Smit, Matfield, Burger, Morne Steyn and Habana to go on an extensive mental and physical conditioning programme ahead of the 2011 RWC.
It's clear De Villiers will not go to the 2011 RWC without his seasoned veterans as he believes they hold the key to South Africa’s successful defence of its RWC title.
The Currie Cup has once again produced a competition that both inspires and produces the odd surprise result.
This past weekend the Pumas and Cheetahs demonstrated the unpredictability of the competition by upstaging two of the favourites for the title, the Blue Bulls and WP respectively.
Though the Pumas were helped by a rather inept kicking performance by Francois Brummer, the Bulls’ pivot, who between him and Jacques-Louis Potgieter squandered 16 points in penalties and conversions, they deserved to win this one. They outscored the Blue Bulls by four tries to two.
The Sharks are odds-on favourites for Saturday’s clash against the Blue Bulls at Loftus, which if they win, will send the Blue Bulls sliding further down the points table. Will they be able to recover in time to make the playoffs? Desperate times ahead for the men in blue indeed!
In Cape Town the Cheetahs continued their recovery with a remarkable victory over Western Province at Newlands. Early on in the competition WP looked unbeatable. However, with a showdown against the rising Lions looming at Coca-Cola Park on Saturday they will have to be at their very best to avoid their third consecutive defeat. Can the Lions pull this one off? If they do it will certainly throw the race for semi-final spots wide open.
Finally, I was hugely encouraged by the SARU Executive Committee’s intention to finally take control of its Test matches.
This proposal has wide-ranging implications for the sport with regard to where future internationals will be played, the redistribution of benefits to the smaller SARU unions and the future sustainability of the professional game in SA.
If the proposals are passed, SARU will be able to stage Test matches in smaller centres such as Polokwane, Nelspruit, Rustenburg and other centres with decent facilities. It will allow the national federation to generate more income for its affiliates with smaller unions benefiting from a much fairer distribution of the spoils than they presently are. This will in turn improve the future sustainability of the professional game and ensure the livelihoods of more professional rugby players.
The big four (Blue Bulls, Western Province, Sharks and Lions) have for decades bagged the major share of profits generated through the Springbok Tests. It is high time that this lucrative revenue stream is shared more equitably with the smaller unions. Let’s hope that behind the scenes lobbying and power broking does not derail this genuine effort of the SARU Executive Committee to spread the profits of the game more equitably among its affiliates.
Gary Boshoff is a former SARU player and current Afrikaans rugby commentator on SuperSport.
Disclaimer: Sport24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of columnists published on Sport24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sport24.
