The Saint
I live for rugby, I never miss a game, I never pass over an article that has something to do with rugby…but I think I have had enough, not of rugby…but this is the last article I will EVER publish, and I will obviously refrain from commenting in future. I expect this article to be removed shortly after being published, so I hope one or two people can have a glimpse of it.
Show me one unbiased blogger, author, journalist or rugby supporter and I will show you my sister. Basically because she cares so little for the game or its players that she doesn’t even know about the All Blacks’, the Bulls’ or the Stormers’ existence. In her case then, it rarely aids in the cause, seeing as you can’t extract any useful information or opinion from her, other than… I don’t really think that yellow sign on his chest really matches the rest of the outfit, in fact the stripes look more like bars, and everyone knows VERTICAL stripes are slimming, yada yada yada yada….
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Another week, another, so close, yet so far result for the Lions. Another analysis showing heaps of missed opportunities, coupled with poor decision making. Because let’s be honest, the Lions aren’t nearly as poor as their results show them to be, they just have a knack for knowing exactly when to self-destruct. In 2010 we blamed the coaches, in 2011 enter a new coach, but the nett result stays the same, the Lions are STILL languishing at the bottom of the log. This begs the question: What on earth is wrong in Johannesburg?
The World Cup is looming, competitions gone by teaches us, that experience wins World Cups, how that is applicable to 1995 is a mystery though, but that is beside the point. Pundits in South Africa and here on Rugby-Talk, says we can’t win without the old guard, being Fourie, Victor, John Smit, Bakkies, Pakslae and the like, all this while Tim Noakes says, the old guard is overplayed and under rested, and therefore unable to live up to their expected form come NZ 2011. This begs the question: “Can we win the World Cup without our Senior Boks?”
Wow, what a weekend, first the Cheetahs murder the Waratahs in their own back yard (only the 3rd SAFFA team EVER to accomplish this), then we witness the Proteas demolishing Bangladesh at the World Cup, and last but definitely not least, some sweet and sour depending on your perspective, the Stormers burying their Loftus bogey once and for all. I have been severely criticized for my stance on the Bulls over the past week or two, but let’s revisit…
Spectacular, that is the only word to describe the Bulls’ fall from grace against the perennial whipping boys of New Zealand rugby. The 3-time champions were made to look like amateurs at a rugby-trial, each one trying to impress or stand out, and each one failing spectacularly…. there’s that word again. Are the Bulls out of it? Are they done? Naaaah… all things being equal, they’ll probably still head on to the play-offs later on, it’s a long season… but what went wrong?
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Yip, it's a dirty business
The South African rugby public knows very little about scrumming… fact. The reason for this is twofold, firstly SuperSport’s so-called forward experts, being Bob Skinstadt and Owen Nkumane have throughout their brief careers managed to steer well clear of the physical stuff, Bob, because he was a basically a slower centre and Nkumane, because he was basically a quota. The second reason, and perhaps the more pertinent one, is the new law interpretations, which causes so many reset scrums throughout the game, that no-one can stand watching them anymore.
I am probably starting to sound like an agony aunt, but Rugby Press in general really leave so much to be desired, it seems more in place at a kindergarden party. I am not pretending to be above the board, because what I do can hardly be described as journalism, partially biased social commentary more like. Everyone knows I am a Stormers supporter, I never pretended to be anything else, however, in the interest of all bloggers and other people who have to read my ramblings, I try to be as honest as possible in my assessments, and I will never decapitate someone for not agreeing with my stance on a subject, and lastly I try to be entertaining…even ridiculous at times…
Luckily for SANZAR the IRB CEO and Chairman, chose to watch the Bulls play the Lions rather than any other game on the weekend. Otherwise, they’d probably think SUPERRUGBY was decidedly underwhelming, and that the criticism of the Northern Hemisphere club rugby is completely misplaced. What a steaming heap of peanut infested uh…well, you know what I mean.
Another year gone by, another coach on the brink of extinction, so what’s new in South African Rugby? Well for one, the media conferences are infinitely more entertaining, instead of the old “Judge me at the World Cup” we haven’t got the foggiest idea what we will hear whenever a press conference is convened now. I love the anticipation.
So the EP Kings won the Super 15, no wait, they won the Currie Cup, no wait…wait…they won the Vodacom Cup…darn it, wrong again, what the hell did they win again? Oh yes, promotion to the Premier Division… damn, another mistake from my side… fact is they haven’t won didly squat.
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Much has been said about Peter de Villiers’ insistence on picking players that apparently need a rest, experts on the human condition, ex-rugby players, and everyone has had a go at old SNORRE, and generally the consensus is that this has been somewhat of a bad idea. Well, let’s have the Saint play a bit of Devil’s Advocate…
South Africa, famous for affirmative action, crooked politicians, the 2010 Soccer World Cup and last, but definitely not least, its one-eyed rugby public. Yes, I include everyone in the latter, from little Elton in Cape Town to old Jan in Pretoria, as well as myself, and each and every one of our esteemed bloggers…especially the Bulls…sorry, I had to get a shot in…hehehe.
So we were beaten, by the team that adopted the best strategy for the day. Congratulations to all my fellow bloggers who happen to be Bulls. Be sure that this isn’t the end of the rivalry, and the Stormers will come again, stronger, better prepared, and more experienced.
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 am a fan of rugby-union. In my mind it is the most beautiful and complete sport ever to be devised by the inhabitants of the Muddy Isle. It has speed, power, finesse, brutality, intelligence and mind-numbing idiocy all rolled into one. It sometimes has enough drama to compete with a soap opera, only with more blood, it has action and suspense, and a better story-lines and shockers than World Wrestling Entertainment. It can crush you emotionally, only to absolutely revitalize you 10 minutes later. I blog because I love rugby, I write because I love rugby, I am a member of Rugby-Talk, because when I write or blog, I want it to only be about rugby. Continue reading
Coming to the end of what is probably the most fiercely contested Super 14 competition ever, one has to ask if the Super 14 is really as super, as we in the Southern Hemisphere make it out to be. In reality the competition does not have 14 “super” teams, hell, we hardly have 7. Now we are expanding to 15 teams? What we are actually doing is beefing up the race to the wooden spoon, because none of the newer franchises have any place, or chance to actually compete for the trophy. Continue reading
BJ Botha, Frans Steyn, Jean de Villiers, Butch James, Joe van Niekerk, Shaun Sowerby, Marius Joubert, Luke Watson, Daan Human, Faan Rautenbach, Brent Russel, Neil de Kock, Michael Claasens, CJ van der Linde, Robbie Diack, Ross Skeate, Gcobani Bobo, Schalk Brits, Ernst Joubert, Marco Wentzel, Jacques Cronje and countless other lesser known players.
OK, so the Cheetahs and the Lions has both shown that they simply cannot cut it in the Super 14. Every year, at the end of the competition, there are one or two surprise results, then all of their fans jump back into the fray, proclaiming some sort of an upward curve, just so they are destroyed from the word go in the following year’s competition.
Usually this is not my style, because The Saint, as I refer to myself in third person, prides himself on delivering original contributions every time. However, I feel that many of my fellow-Stormers might be flying a bit high, and in the process confuse form with invincibility, and that could be a huge mistake. I have taken this piece from Fox Sports, just to show, that we, here in the Republic, are the only ones raving about the Stormers, elsewhere, we don’t hardly exist.
There are a number of anomalies in the Super 14 this year, things that some might call ironic, and others just plain stupid. Teams aren’t behaving the way they are supposed to, the Reds think they are championship contenders, the Bulls think they can play running rugby, and the Lions think they are a rugby team.
Halfway through the tournament, and the Bulls and the Stormers are still very much in it, albeit not in the way that they would have liked it to be.
19 May 2007 saw the first Super 14 final contested by two South African teams, the Bulls from the North of Gauteng, and the Sharks from the East Coast of KZN, held at Absa Park, Durban, home of the log leading Sharks, who was indomitable for the whole competition. Shortly before the final whistle, the Sharks were leading, they had victory secured. Amongst themselves, it seems, they started discussing who would say what at the awards ceremony, how wasted they were going to get afterwards and probably the merits of the Sharks’ Flashing Girls. While this discussion was going on, one Bryan Habana slipped over the tryline, almost unnoticed, and beat the final buzzer, to clinch it for the Bulls.
I hate referees, bloodsuckers each and every one of them. They give me the shivers, from their cold staring fish-like eyes, their cruel salmonella induced twitchy mouths, their scaly exoskeleton, with its slug-like grey-bluish tinted qualities, sometimes called a skin, their limp-wristed, cold clammy hands, down to their sweat drenched, vomit inducing, skinny legs, ending in their silly verucca encrusted feet.
OK, GBS is busy, so it gives me a chance to entertain you with MY version of what I believe will happen this weekend. My team isn’t playing, so I do not stand a chance of seeming over-confident or arrogant, so let’s look at what’s on in Super 14 Round 7.
Yesterday, me and Morne had a little discussion regarding Wynand Olivier and his alleged position as the No. 1 inside centre in South Africa.
An interesting weekend of super rugby, even though it probably caused premature cardiac arrest in a number of Northern households. Even though the Bulls did little to inspire any of their supporters on the night, it got me thinking, what went wrong? Where is this supposed Total Rugby, that the Bulls are allegedly the only disciples of?
Rugby is a game that I, as well as, I am sure, multitudes of people from all around the world feel very strongly about. We will wait in anticipation for the season to kick off, moaning constantly about the lack of any “real” sport in the off season. During the games, we will sit, breathlessly waiting until the final whistle, whether the result is a foregone conclusion or not. We will passionately defend our team in any situation, blaming anything from the ref, the touch-judge, the other team’s supporters or even imaginary people “read 1995 World Cup’s Suzie” instead of admitting that our boys were in the wrong.
Firstly let me say this, The Saint is no Saint, and everything I say must be taken with a little laugh and a lot of patience….
Enough is enough, the Lions have messed up my whole Superbru season…how the hell am I supposed to predict exactly what margin they are going to lose by next week? For the uninformed, this my way of joking….
Oops…with all the exitement of the Super 14…we seem to have forgotten that there is another trophy to be won this year as well. I thought I might try my hand at some team talk…
Please don’t be offended…but if you are…whatever…
For as long as rugby existed, there has been arguments about who is good, and who is better. However, we never argue about who is absolutely rubbish, we all know that, well most of us anyway. So, instead of writing about how good some players are, I have decided to concentrate on the more forgetful guys, the guys that history will NOT remember, and history has some very good reasons not to.
Loftus Versfeld, home to the Currie Cup and Super 14 champions, home to Wynie Strydom and last but not least, home to probably the greatest mass of copyright infringement agents in South Africa, also doubling as ‘the fans’, and please, if you own a cap that says BULL’S and you don’t know what I am talking about, and you don’t understand what is wrong with a cap saying BULL’S, stop reading now (because you probably already missed the thread of the story), and hand yourself over to the nearest police officer.
The GLRU does very little to cover themselves with glory in recent times, and Manie Reynecke is fast becoming notorious as a moaning myrtle. The GLRU has lodged an official complaint with SARU regarding the Sharks making use of Willem Alberts in the game they so spectacularly lost against the Force on Tuesday evening.
Sometimes it is hard to tell which is worse? Finding out that the cute chick that you just played tonsil hockey with, is actually a dude, or coming to the end of yet another rugby season, with no trophies, no honour and still maintaining that the Stormers is the best team in SA. Continue reading
The Sharks are probably the team in World Rugby that made the most of the game going professional, for one thing with the help of Mr. Price they sure sell a hell of a lot of T-Shirts. Continue reading