You just knew I had to get my two cents worth before arguably the greatest North / South Derby to ever hit the world. But the Final isn’t all that’s weighing on my mind, I have quite a bit of other matters that need to be unearthed. So, keeping that in mind, this article will take no prisoners, if you are squeamish, don’t read it…this article is entirely my own view, and not necessarily that of anyone involved with Rugby-Talk.com.
I want to dedicate the first few paragraphs to all South African Rugby Players applying their trade overseas, be that ex-Springboks or just players in general, who left SA with reasons like…the quota system, or disagreement with SA Rugby, or having to look after the interests of their families, or simply, because of the money…which is actually, one of the ONLY two reasons, the other being, you are just not good enough.
In South Africa we have this irritating little habit, of blowing a player’s attributes completely out of proportion as soon as that player isn’t available for the Bokke anymore.
For instance the latest craze…Butch James and Francois Steyn.
Yes, James won a World Cup with SA, but would he have achieved it without Fourie du Preez? He was merely a guy that passed on possession, nothing great, merely a guy doing what every flyhalve in the world is supposed to do, being a link. His main claim to fame, is that he has a collection of discipline Cards that rivals the amount of red available during the age of communism.
He expressed his wish to again be a Springbok, but then, while negotiating with the Sharks, priced himself so far out of the market (allegedly R2,000,000.00 a year), not even the Sharks (One of SA’s richest unions) could afford him. Why would they? He is the wrong side of thirty, and has missed 3 months of rugby due to injury already, what does he have to offer, that we can’t find in SA? What makes him think that he is worth all that?
Francois Steyn is even worse, he landed a few drop goals, from 50 or 60 meters, (which is incidentally the same place Riaan Viljoen kicks them from), but has an overall kicking accuracy of less 50%. Meaning he either wins or loses a game for you, (much the same as Sireli Naqelevuki), but he is hailed as a player that MUST play for the Springboks, which we couldn’t do without, and who must at all costs be brought back into the team. (Much like Carl Heyman with the All Blacks, and we all know how that ended.)
However, Mr. Steyn is special, the day following the latest Springbok announcement, his agent, Gerrie Swart, made it clear there was still some issues regarding payment, that needed to be cleared up, before MR FRANCOIS STEYN would confirm his participation. In other words, HIS client, wouldn’t be treated the same as other Springboks, which then leaves me with the assumption that he must be much better than the rest.
What a slap in the face of all South Africans, especially the other 21 players in the team. It’s an insult to the green and gold jersey, and a big “Fluck You!” to all of his supporters. If you want to see him play, you will have to pay! It’s no secret that I do not think he is a great player, but now I am forced to think, he might even be a crummy human being as well.
I fully support the notion that an overseas-based player shouldn’t be considered for the Springboks, it is a leaf that we can take out of the NZ playbook.
There can never be unity in a team, when halve of its participants are only there because the price is right. We will never again see a Super 14 or Super 15 final played between two SAFFA sides, is SA Rugby decides to suddenly play foreign Boks. Everyone with even half a reputation, would get up and leave, chasing the buck, and dropping our provincial teams to battle it out for the Wooden Spoon with the Lions.
OK, enough of that.
Saturday will be the game to end all games. A contest of test-calibre, between two rivals, that has been antagonists since the day that “Die Groot Trek” took place.
I will even go so far as to say, that the Super 14 trophy is merely a side-mission, and that the true value of Saturday’s game is the bragging rights that comes with the spoils.
On paper, the Stormers face a Bulls team, that has done it all, won it all, and owns it all. They have the respect of the rugby world, their fans, and now even South Africa politicians commending them for playing at Orlando Stadium.
They boast players like Victor Matfield, Fourie du Preez and Pierre Spies, players who have been known to be the best players in their positions, in the world. To cap that, they head a team, that has more Super Rugby winning experience, than ANY other team in the world.
They enter this clash with a confidence second to none, and an aura surrounding them, saying, this is our trophy, if you want it, just try to take it…
But all of the above counts for nothing when heading into a derby.
With the expectations of a 100 years of WP Rugby legends on their shoulders, coupled with most probably the biggest rugby fan-base in the Southern Hemisphere or maybe the world, the Stormers will not be bowing out to champions without a serious talking to.
Jacque Fourie, Bryan Habana, Alistair Coetzee, Rassie Erasmus and many others, swore that they would get this team back on track, and they had done just that. So, with the Storming locomotive heading up to Johannesburg…expect heads to collide, and reputations to be shattered, because come 19:00 on Saturday evening…one team would fully have deserved the title, of the best provincial side in the Southern Hemisphere…and possibly the world.
@ Tripples:
Hallo, hoe gaan dit met die hande ?
rugbybal wrote:
hehehe stem 100% saam
linkerhand nog erg seer, regterhand ok solank ek nie iets hectics doen met hom nie!!!
wat se jy Blouste!!!! GO BULLS!!!!! kan nie wag vir saterdag nie
29@ Tripples:
middag bbb !
33@ Tripples:
dit sal help as jy ophou om jou man te slaan …
hallo daar en hoe gaan dit met jou vandag bdb?
@ Tripples:
Bulls met 12, as ons sukkel saterdag 😉
‘n Man stop langs ‘n dogtertjie wat terugstap huistoe na skool.
“As jy Inklim sal ek jou ‘n suigstokkie gee.”
Die dogtertjie hou net aan loop.
Die man ry stadig agter haar aan. Weer sê die man
“As jy inklim Dan gee ek Jou hierdie hele sak suigstokkies!”
Die dogtertjie draai om en sê:
“Pa, Ek het al hoeveel keer vir jou gesê, ek ry nie in die flippen Cortina met ‘n Stomers vlag aan nie!!”
35 hehehehe, ek wil maar kan nie, en die ding is hy staan nie stil nie so dan maak ek my seer!!!!
37 ek dink ek het bulls met 15
36: goed dankie
37: Bulle sal net moet pasop dat Habana nie ‘n Habana op ons trek nie (onderskepdrie). Maar gelukkig is Shadow vinnig genoeg om hom in te hardloop, sou dit gebeur.
Koos maak ‘n ongeluk.
Hy se vir die polisieman: “Ek vermoed die bestuurder van die ander kar is dronk.”
Polisieman: “Fok meneer, die ander kar is dan ‘n koei…..!”
By the way… since when does anyone care about ” The Saint’s view ” 😆
@ Blouste:K@k grap sit in die hoek :LOL:
dink net as ek dit reg predict is daar nie n prys vir tweede wenner nie??
Darem voor op die sportspool maar met my luck wen ek net n GELUK OU MAAT WEL GEDAAN TRY VOLGENDE KEER DIE BULLS N KANS GEE ASB…
——-Original Message——-
From: Dries van der Merwe
Date: 26/05/2010 09:24:36 AM
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:,
Subject: Fw: Hypnotist
.
Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 2:17 PM
Subject: FW: Hypnotist
I felt sorry for the hypnotist I saw last night.
He hypnotised seven men then dropped the microphone on his foot and yelled, “F – – k me !!”
….what happened next, will haunt me forever!!
Blouste wrote:
hahahahaha wou ek ook al vra?
Sorry ignore first part… 😳
@41 and 44….you ou’s must stop stealing jokes from Ross….which he steals from me.
Lees hier, raak professionalisme nie te erg nie…
*******************************************************
Buenos Aires – On non-match days with regular partners and no champagne: the Argentina squad at the Soccer World Cup have received a conditional green light to have sex during the June 11-July 11 tournament.
47 hahaha…..maar dit was te goed om nie aan te pass nie!!!!
Team doctor Donato Villami, speaking to Radio Del Plata, said: “The players will be able to have sex during the World Cup in South Africa, but with regular partners and without champagne or other drinks.
“Sex is part of everybody’s social life and it’s not a problem in itself. Problems arise with the excesses: all the extras, a non-regular partner or in hours reserved for rest.”
Argentina will play Nigeria in their first Group B match on June 12, with matches against Greece and South Korea to follow.
@50….good thing Afghanistan are not in the world cup, they will be having sex with each other…..with this attitude Argentina will be having sex with the Nigerians, because they are going to be f$%jed by them!!
@ Blouste:
So as hul n ten dollar love you long time reserve vir die hele maand is hul wiele met n p??
@ 4man:
@ Scrumsaam:
😆
@ 48 & 50
I mean really, I would tell them to go f**k themselves ( excuse the pun ) 😆
Ons het almal ‘n groot stryd verwag saterdag, maar ek hoor die Stormers het glo klaar oorgegee, en die wit vlag gehuis: hulle speel glo in wit truie …
Bumper sticker:
Kids in the back seat cause accidents. Accidents in the back seat cause kids
😆
@ bdb:speel in wit want die Bulls kani onderskei tussen donker blou en ligte blou nie so persoonlik dink ek bulls is kleur blind…
@ Blouste:
LMGA :LOL: klink my daai ou weet waarvan hy praat…
Blouste wrote:
19
Blouste wrote:
Ek wonder hoeveel souties en Amerikaners gaan aids optel gedurende die world cup.
@ rugbybal:
Hulle moet eers ‘n paar tablette viagra optel voordat hulle enigiets anders kan optel…
#54 bdb
Moenie nou deurmekaar rakie, broer….
Net oorlat daai Bulls hensoppers va jou twee weke trug in wit truie op Nuweland innie hek geduik het, beteken nie dattie Stormers nou reeds opgegee hettie.
Wat tog interessant is is dat rugby nou sokker se voorbeeld volg d.i. die tuisspan speel in sy gewone of preferred kit. Dit wassie altyd so nie. Die tuisspan moes altyd in sy “tweede” kleure speel.
Wanneer presies het daai reel veranner?
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