De Jongh Borchardt - Rapport

Pretoria - Tact may not be Luke Watson’s strongest suit, but there can be no doubt that he has courage.

Watson, who is one of the most controversial rugby players in South Africa after his comment last year that he had to keep himself from vomiting on the Springbok jersey, was jeered every time he touched the ball in Saturday’s Super14 match between the Bulls and Stormers at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.

It started off tamely, but increased as the match wore on and reached a crescendo when Watson and new Bulls wing Gerhard van den Heever were involved in a scuffle shortly before half-time.

Watson then decided enough was enough. He snapped back at the crowd and invited them to give him more by waving with his hands.

A minute or so later he grabbed the ball and threw it in at the lineout while hooker Schalk Brits was in the sin-bin. He was loudly booed and it was the only lineout the Stormers lost.

Watson’s jeering nightmare already started during the warm-up, while Bulls fans were also creative with banners.

One referred to the Joost sex-video and insinuated it was Watson and not Van der Westhuizen in the video. “Luke wears polo socks and has holes in his underpants.”

Another pleaded for the late rugby boss Danie Craven’s dog, Bliksem, to be unleashed on Watson.

Watson’s vomit comments also featured, while he was also welcomed to the “home of 50,000 Dutchmen”.

Watson played very well and made life difficult on the ground for the Bulls. As far as his form is concerned he is on a high, but his popularity is at a low.