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Archive | October, 2011

Lions fans can rub it in

31 Oct

Elton Jantjies brought down the house at the Four Ways mall Eagle Falls Spur restaurant after the Lions won the Currie Cup

Lions fans countrywide will be packing their middle finger for work on Monday after they smashed the Sharks to take home the Currie Cup.  In winning in emphatic fashion they have overcome all the criticism and cheap shots directed at them this season.

There were many who said the absence of the Boks during the World Cup favoured the Lions and for a while it looked like the early Springbok exit of the World Cup would be bad news for their supporters, but the Lions silenced their critics by putting away to teams laden with Boks in both the semi-finals and the final.

The Lions have had a shocking decade.  For a team that plays in the financial heart of South Africa, you’d expect them to be put out a team that conquers everything in front of it, New York Yankees style.  Sadly, instead, long-suffering Lions fans have been tortured with poor coaching, poor management and poor squads.

So seeing Elton Jantjies flaying the Sharks on Saturday evening must be sweet comfort to Lions supporters.  Elton was written off by many early in the season who tend to forget the basic rule of talent: that it needs to be nurtured with some experience. Jantjies looked the genuine article on Saturday getting his backs away and slotting his kicks – even with the disturbing spectre of having Hugh Bladen refer to him as a “boy” during the broadcast.  Clearly Hugh never took lessons on class and taste in the new South Africa. Elton looked on form and the future of Bok rugby looks good when you consider that we have Lambo, Jantjies and Steyn with years left in them all pushing for the Bok flyhalf spot.

Rumour has it, Elton was seen celebrating at the Eagle Falls Spur restaurant until all hours of the night.

Well done Lions fans, bring your coffee mugs, smug grins and your middle fingers to work and show them proudly all week. You deserve it.

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Golden Lions: Currie Cup Champs 2011!

30 Oct

This, my friends, is the face of victory…

Joshua Strauss: It's OK to be attracted to him...

 Well done Lions…great stuff indeed!

 

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Gavin Henson saves the day yet again!

28 Oct

Post World Cup blues? Nothing on tele worth rolling out of bed and finding the remote for?

Well the fun’s not over yet (at least for those of us in the UK),  as tonight is the finale of The Bachelor – the Channel 5 ‘reality’ show in which Gav, the host with the most, is on a quest to find his dream woman.

While his erstwhile Welsh team-mates have been putting their bodies on the line down in a cold, windswept New Zealand, Gav has had more important things on his hands – such as sunning himself in a luxury love-nest on the island of St Lucia.

Following a succession of romantic dates, he has now whittled a bevy of 25 beauties down to the final 2. But in the immortal words of the highlander ‘there can be only one’.

His most recent date with one of the two finalists ended with them both sipping champagne in a hot tub and her commenting that ‘I didn’t realise it would pop so quick!’….Oh dear, not what you want to hear at the end of a romantic evening! Let’s just blame the pressure of being on camera, hey Gav!?

If this still doesn’t wet your whistle, then there’s always a repeat of Weekend at Bernies over on the BBC.

Animals were harmed in the taking of this photo.

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Congratulations New Zealand

24 Oct
The Rugby World Cup trophy - the William Webb ...

The Kiwis were worthy champs. Nobody can argue with that. Image via Wikipedia

Well done All Blacks. They were the best team in the Rugby World Cup by a long, long way and deserved the Webb Ellis trophy.  Some may argue about the quality of the refereeing in this tournament, but it has been pretty clear from the start that the Kiwis were the best team in the tournament and it stayed that way throughout.

France put on a massive performance this weekend to make the final so close – most of us had written them off completely (again) and were worried that the final would be a washout. But France stepped up big time and made the All Blacks sweat for their glory.  Had France got that final kick over, they would have been 10-8 up with just a few minutes to play and all the pressure would have been on the All Blacks.  For a side that was in complete disarray after the Tonga loss it was immense to play that well in the final.

You have to wonder though, if France had won, what would that say about coaching and strategy in general?

What could other coaches and teams looking to emulate the French do?  Go on massive booze-ups during the tournament? Rebel against the coach mid-tournament? Spend more time fashioning your ‘staches and sideburns than working on your set pieces? Sack the coach before the tournament starts but keep him on anyway, knowing as a lame duck he has no authority to enforce discipline?

New Zealand almost boggled this one.  One intercept or one penalty deep in their own half and the schadenfreude could have been cut with a knife . But it was not to be.  Well done Kiwis, worthy winners and all that.

Maybe it was the fact that the final was between two teams that I don’t mind winning the cup, maybe it is getting older, but somehow when my team got knocked out I wasn’t all that gutted. Life carries on.  Maybe all the rugby that is played these days devalues rugby overall or maybe it is just that you don’t stay fifteen forever.

If your team didn’t win the World Cup, the best thing about waking up the morning after the final is the thought that it is time to start a new era. It’s time to get rid of the dead wood. For the Springboks the theory that experience is everything can be put to rest and hopefully they can focus on putting the best team available on the park.  For the Wallabies, they have an exciting squad but need to focus on building up a tight five that can hold their own against other top nations. Wales look like they have a team to build on for the future, while Ireland are staring down the gun barrel of some pretty important retirement.

On Monday, the rugby world will look a little different. Old story lines have come to ending, some neatly tied up, some left unanswered.  But the chapter is closed on those tales.   And that’s not a bad thing.  The show must go on…

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All Blacks vs France World Cup Final – post game analysis

23 Oct

Fair enough.

New Zealand vs France: Final Preview: Au revoir Marc!

21 Oct

Regardless of what you think of the French teams’ displays at this World Cup you’d be lying if you said Lievremonts’ presence didn’t add a little “joie de vivre” to the whole affair.

From a pure entertainment level we’re happy to give Marc a solid 8/10 for his efforts. In fact, for a coach who was informed that he would be out of a job before the tournament even began, we here at Big Daddy Rugby reckon that Marc has acted with considerable restraint and shown great courage in what must have been a rather testing time for him.

Bravo Monsieur! Bravo indeed!

With regards to a preview for “Le Big Game”, well I have it on good authority that Marc will be dressing appropriately for the occasion.

Here’s an exclusive sneak peak of his look for Sunday…

Marc Lievremont: ne regarde mes fesses grand en cela?

ALLEZ LES BLEUS!!!

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Sam Warburton sees red….a nation continues to mourn

20 Oct

So it looks like this little talking point has not quite been put to rest…and I completely understand why.

I for one didn’t agree with the decision to send Warburton off in Saturday’s semi-final. Quite frankly I’ve seen worse tackles in football – and that’s a game played mostly by purse-snatchers and people who don’t know how to tie shoelaces.

But that’s just my opinion, and that doesn’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.

On the other hand…the opinion of the British public does  (let’s remember the Poms did invent the game – even if they don’t play it very well) and they appear to agree with me for a change.

In a recent online opinion poll conducted by the Telegraph, their readers were asked if the Welsh captain deserved to be sent off for the offending tackle:

60% of people didn’t know what the question meant, 20% thought his performance as a paraplegic in Avatar was commendable, BUT more importantly, the remainder thought that the World Wrestling Federation’s loss was rugby union’s gain.

Pity that none of this changes the result though. Now we are left to watch a final in which the Kiwi’s will most likely make pate of the French.

Viva Alain Rolland!

Sam Warburton's tackle...the camera angle that the Welsh don't want you to see.

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Does Bismarck du Plessis have a girlfriend?

20 Oct

Picture from Bleacher Report

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Rugby World Cup 2011 Drinking Game

19 Oct

It’s that time of the tournament when the stories are running thin and BDR turns to cheap gimmicks to keep our immense traffic volumes up.  In the spirit of commercialism and with no tip of the hat to our own journalistic integrity we present the World Cup Rugby Drinking Game 2011 edition:

The rules are very simple: Take a sip every time one of the common ‘take a sip” events happens in the game, take a chug when one of the unlikely “chug” actions occurs.   Keep yourself armed at all times with a six-pack of beer, some hard tack and a few pink drinks.  Girls, guys and people of all persuasions are welcome.

  • Take a sip if the one of the Pacific Island teams (Tonga, Fiji, Samoa) hits an opposition player, late, high and without the ball
  • Chug if the aforementioned late hit is actually criticised by a New Zealand commentator as foul play.
  • Sip every time you think it is possible, that this time – just this once, one of the minnows is actually going to beat one of the fancied team.
  • Chug if you called it on Superbru.
  • Sip every time a Bok player mentions Jesus in a post match interview.
  • Chug if the same player doesn’t have a track record of being one of the dirtiest players in the game.
  • Take a sip if you switch to Xhosa commentary because you’re afraid of hearing Bobby Skinstad mispronounce the word “Bok”.  It’s only three letters Bobby… how can you get it wrong?
  • Take a sip every time you’re confused as to whether the Supersport “kick-off time” refers to the actual kick off time or the time that the pre-match drivel begins in studio.
  • Sip for the closeup of the hottie in the stands.
  • Chug if her boyfriend/husband isn’t as ugly as a lorry.
  • Sip if you are more concerned with what is being said on Twitter about the game than the game itself.
  • Take a sip every time Bryce Lawrence overlooks a ruck infringement.
  • Chug if Richie McCaw is pinged for hands in the ruck.
  • Sip if a prop forward is passed the ball at first receiver and ignores the three man overlap on his outside by clattering straight back into the ruck.
  • Sip if the highlight of your Saturday consisted of watching Currie Cup rugby after the big match and convincing yourself that the future of SA rugby is golden, if only they’d get selection right – and the coach of course.
  • Take a sip each time one of the Supersport studio guests’ insight into the game consists of discussing “who wants it the most”.
  • Take a sip if you saw too much of the moon when the Maori blew that trumpet thingy before kick-off.
  • Sip every time you see an offensive sign or banner “disguised” by being written in Afrikaans.
  • Sip if Quade Cooper flubs a kick at goal, chip, up and under or reverse pass.
  • Chug if Jannie Du Plessis somehow doesn’t have gel in his hair.
  • Sip if Habana is introduced as being “due for a return to form”.
  • Sip if you consider changing your hairstyle or growing facial hair after the pre-match close-ups of the French backline.
  • Sip every time an Argentinian shrugs off an injury by simply pouring water on it and hobbling back to the next ruck.
  • Sip if a politician suddenly makes an appearance as a “true fan” just as his or her team makes the World Cup final.
  • Sip every time the French players rebel against their coach.
  • Sip if an England player sexually harasses a local or throws a dwarf.
  • Chug if you find yourself agreeing with Peter de Villiers.

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Dear Dr Jannie: The 6th Letter

18 Oct

Dear Dr Jannie,

I love my husband very much but lately it seems that his only interests in life are watching rugby and drinking beer.

We’ve just recently moved into a new house and there’s a lot that needs doing around the place, but with the games being on so early in the morning and with his insistence on having a few beers whilst watching them, absolutely nothing is getting done! It’s REALLY driving me mad!

Are all men like this Dr Jannie? What happened to the sensitive caring man I married?

Please help Dr Jannie! I want my sweet old Jermaine back!

Deeply Frustrated.  

Dear Deeply Frustrated,

When Bismarck and I were growing up on the farm the highlight of our school holidays was when Groot Oupa would take us on a trip into town for what he liked to call a “Cultural Experience”.

We’d get dressed up, which meant wearing something other than just PE shorts, and set off down the dirt road in the back of his Bakkie, whilst munching on some of Mummy’s special Pad Kos.

On one particular occasion we were especially excited to learn that we were headed for the Civic Theatre to see a student production of the famous musical “Cats”! Bismarck and I had never seen a musical before let alone set foot inside a theatre, so as I’m sure you can imagine we were a bundle of nerves beforehand.

As the first half of the show was drawing to a close Bismarck lent over to me and whispered in my ear: “Hey Jannie, you dick, check what I’ve got!”. I looked down towards his lap and there in his hand was Groot Oupa’s whiskey hip-flask. Before I could say anything he’d vanished from his seat and was making a beeline towards the mens’ bathroom.

About 25 minutes into the second half the auditorium doors flew open and Bismarck staggered in. He had a horrible brown stain down the front of his shirt and it was quite clear to all that he was blind drunk. Groot Oupa looked furious and tried to signal for him to leave the theatre but unfortunately Bismarck seemed hypnotized by the rhythms of the music and stumbled towards its source.

It was a crucial part of the show, just as Mr Mistoffelees was about to perform his dance solo when Bismarck stormed onto the stage and made a pathetic attempt to tackle him. Mr Mistoffelees stood unmoved as Bismarck fell to the floor laughing hysterically and shouting: “Jannie, you diiiiick! Look at me! I’m a staaar! I’m a staaar!”.

The crowd erupted in a chorus of boos and security was called to escort us from the building.

Naturally, we were banned from ever returning again and that put an end to our “Cultural Experience” trips with Groot Oupa.

I hope this story helps you to realise just how lucky you are to have a man like Jermaine in your life.

Go well,

Dr Jannie.

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The best of ‘em, the worst of ‘em

17 Oct

The best team in the tournament made it to the final.  I can’t argue with that. Even at the quarter final stage New Zealand were the only undefeated team in the World Cup.

So how do we explain how that miserable French team are still in this thing? They delivered total rubbish in the pool stages losing to New Zealand and Tonga.  They are in full scale rebellion against their coach (this week’s rebellion takes the form of defying the coach’s orders not to go out drinking after the semi-final win).  France managed to completely outnumbered playing against a 14 man Welsh team.  Yet they still found a way to scrape into the final.

You have to admire them. They won ugly.  As a Bok fan, I respect that.  Big tournaments require finding a way to win ugly. Even the All Blacks tried two drop goals this weekend.  France were easily the team to make it out of the pool stages yet this weekend they’ll be in the final.  That’s somehow like that unattractive guy with the beer belly and the mediocre job who somehow happens to pull off bringing the hottest date to the wedding.  You scratch your head, but ultimately you just have to admire someone who achieves what everyone else just talks about.

I’m not one of those who subscribe to the theory that France is only in the final because Wales got screwed this weekend. The referee Roland was there to apply the law. The UK press is bitching about how a “technical” application of the law ruined a good game.  That is rubbish.  Can you imagine what the UK press would be saying if the circumstances were a little different and Roland instead of applying the letter of law decided “in the spirit of the game” not to penalise the French in a phase that was the turning point in the semi-final?  It would be insane.  The law is the law.

The truth is that Wales screwed themselves.   If there is any anger to be directed, it should be at the young 23 year old Welsh captain, Sam Warburton, who got himself into a position to allow the ref to send him off in the most important game of his career.  When your young captain gets himself sent off early in World Cup semi-final, suddenly the “go with experience” arguments makes a lot more sense.  Sadly for Wales, they are learning that hard lesson that every promising young team has to learn.  Winning is a habit.  Great teams find ways to get wins that they don’t deserve.  The All Black team of the mid-2000s were famous for winning games in the 79th minute with that inevitable Rococoko try.  Winning is a habit that Wales haven’t learned yet.

There was a little comfort to be had in watching Quade Cooper have yet another bad game.  It made me feel more human as a Bok fan.  South Africa is not the only country in the world that persists with players who are badly out of form in the hopes that they will come right when it matters.  You get the sense that in sticking with out of form players, Peter de Villiers and Robbie Deans are like gambling addicts at the Grand West Casino.  Each time they lose, they get more and more convinced that they are due for a win and so they increase the stakes.  Well, they’ve each been put out of their misery, and we can focus on watching the best team in the tournament take on their own personal demons wearing French jerseys.  If you think the All Blacks are capable of choking, they’ve given themselves every chance by playing Australia in the semis and France in the final.

So looking ahead to the final, I guess we can once again safely say… that France have absolutely no chance whatsoever this weekend.  New Zealand have this one in the bag, there’s absolutely no chance that the All Blacks will stuff it up from here.  Heck, don’t even bother to watch the game, go to the pub early and start the drinking.  You can record the game and watch it later, I’m sure there will be no surprises.

Welsh captain Sam Warburton's lack of experience showed in the big match.

Wales vs France post game analysis

15 Oct

Well that’ll teach you not to play a World Cup semi final with a 23 year old as your captain.

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Wales vs France Semi Final Preview

14 Oct

I really want Wales to win the whole damn thing now…but ever since Lievremont started sporting his fabulous ’tache I’m finding myself rather confused…and now he’s gone and shaved his head! Merde Marc, merde!

I shudder to think what he’s got in store for us if France reach the final…

Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?

 Wales by 10.

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Replacing love with hate: finding a reason to stay passionate about the World Cup

14 Oct

Many of us are licking in wounds after our team was knocked out the World Cup either in the group stages (poor Scotland) or last weekend in the quarters.  At times like this, it can be tough to stay motivated to get up and drink beer at 7 am in South Africa / go to the local pub in London and have to put up with the ex-pats still in the tournament / face Joseph the Saint’s surly demeanor and blood puddings in Greenwich Village’s Red Lion because it is the only place in New York City with a great vibe showing the game.  Here’s a tip I learned early on in kindergarten when you need to stay motivated:

If you can’t find something to love, find something to hate.

Hate is a pretty good substitute for love.  And it will keep you interested in the World Cup.  So instead of finding reasons to try and support a team that is still in the World Cup, I say, screw ‘em.  Let’s find a team to hate and have our rugby viewing fueled by an intense irrational hatred for a country you’ve never been to.  Who will be your team to hate?  Do you need a few good reasons for each team?

New Zealand:

Damn, I hate them. They’re so good.  So damn good.  Why does my wife seem strangely aroused every time Dan Carter is on screen?   (Him and that werewolf guy from Twilight). What’s up with that little biscuit Weepu leading the haka?  Are they trying to turn the haka into a comedy routine?  Because it really isn’t scary when Weepu leads it.  Damn, did I mention they’re too good for my liking?  Also, it would be pretty sweet to see an Aussie run up to Richie McCaw at the full time whistle, middle fingers extended, shouting “four more years, fellas, four more years”.  One more thing Graham Henry is a sour, sour man who reminds me of my high school physics teacher.  I didn’t like that guy.

France:

You know you hate them, because they just get your hopes up. They’re everything you want to them to be one week, and then the next they’re cold and woeful, leaving you feeling like you just got a lap-dance from a stripper who was crying.  You feel ashamed for believing in their promise.  And just when you’ve fully given up on them – they totally redeem themselves with a bit of magic in the backline.  The kind of magic you used to dream about when you were running barefoot in the back garden, rugby ball tucked under your little shoulder, picturing yourself covered in glory on a rugby field somewhere, someday.  Then they spit you out into the gutter.

Wales:

Yeah, yeah, they’re the plucky underdogs who’ve never made it to a final.  Still.  I don’t like them.  They’re too arrogant for a side that hasn’t done anything since the 1970s.   That’s forty years since you did anything of substance. You’ve beaten the Boks once in over a hundred years.  Once!  Wipe that smug smile off your face, Welsh rugby team.

Australia:

Quade Cooper. Enough said.  Also, teams with crap scrums should never win World Cups.  That’s just wrong.

The team at Big Daddy Rugby were very careful to padlock and secure their laptops for the Quade Cooper interview.

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Tuilagi ferry jump…the catalogue of shame continues

13 Oct

Anyone following England’s world cup campaign could easily be forgiven for mistaking it with the most recent series of Big Brother.

What with the drunken tomfoolery, cheap pick-up lines, cavorting with local blonde floozies and even a bit of ball switching for good measure. Let’s not even get into the dwarf-tossing escapade!

Now that the team’s campaign has come to an end, the English tabloids are going to have to look elsewhere for their ingenious headlines. Well not just yet…as Manu Tuilagi has come to the rescue and shown the world he’s no fish out of water with a daring ferry jump in Auckland harbour.

Hooray! That’s the spirit Manu! You may be out of the World Cup but you can still ferry jump with the best of them! Go down fighting like a true British bulldog and give the great English public something to cheer about – even if it does get you fined £3000 and a nasty icecream headache.

Oh well…it’s just £3000 less you’ll have to spend at Spearmint Rhino when you get back to Blighty!

Manu earns his stripes (Image courtesy of Mail Online)

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Pierre Spies: If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands!

12 Oct

Hiya peeps!

Firstly, I just want to express how totally humbled and honoured I am that the super hot guys over at Big Daddy Rugby have asked to me help out with some grooming tips for you, our beautiful readers. I’m soooo stoked!

It was such a bummer to lose to the Aussies on Sunday and their call couldn’t have come at a better time (I was in the middle of an intense pedicure – I know! Totally weird, hey?) I guess the Universe just works in mysterious ways!!

Anyways, it was a total no brainer for me and I said “YES!!! YESSSSSS BIG DADDY, YES!!!” immediately.

A lot of peeps label me as being rather one dimensional and a few folk even say some really nasty things about me like: “He’s a one trick pony”, or “He’s nothing but a fancy boy” and even “I wouldn’t let him near my sister”, so I’m grateful for this opportunity to set the record straight and to show just how much of an exotic creature I actually am!

Soooo, first up let’s deal with a question that I get asked all the time: “Pierre, how do you look so clean and fresh after playing a hard game of rugby?”

LOL!!! Silly Billy’s! It’s the oldest trick in the book, it’s sooo obvious! The key here beautiful readers, is to make yourself look busy, without actually doing anything;) Give off the illusion that you’re involved when in fact mentally you’re a thousand miles away, sipping a strawberry daiquiri under a palm tree wearing your favourite speedo whilst listening to a Michael Bolton box set. Easy peasy.

Mental visualisation really helps during boring old line outs...

Of course a lot depends on your work environment, but don’t fret my petals, set yourself small goals, don’t get flustered and I promise, soon you too will be doing absolutely zip whilst coming across as being an integral part of any team.

It really is that easy. Be brave, be bold, but most importantly…be ME!!!

I guess you’ll all need some time to digest this little nugget of wisdom, so let’s leave it at that for this week my darlings. I certainly don’t want to overwork you ;)

In closing I’d like to leave you with an inspirational quote from the great Shing Xiong, which has had a huge impact on my life: “In the end, it’s not going to matter how many breaths you took, but how many moments took your breath away”! Wow! Isn’t that just amazing?! Lets meditate on that for a moment…Ok, I’m done.

Shhhh! The coach thinks that these things are heavy!

Until next time…missing you already….


Mwah Mwah!

Pierre.

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Classic Kiwi quotes…

11 Oct

In preparation for the NZ v Aus game this weekend I thought I’d getting things rolling with a few classic Kiwi quotes* from the last couple of years.

There’s some real beauties here, which should hopefully help with any foul moods that are still lingering from what shall now be referred to as “Black Sunday”…

Tana Umaga - ”I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father.”

Colin Cooper, Hurricanes head coach - ”You guys line up alphabetically by height”. And, “You guys pair up in groups of three, then line up in a circle.”

David Holwell - ”I want to reach for 150 or 200 points this season, whichever comes first.”

Ma’a Nonu - ”Colin has done a bit of mental arithmetic with a calculator.”

Jerry Collins - ”I’ve never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body.”

Tony Brown - ”That kick was absolutely unique, except for the one before it which was identical.”

And then a couple of classics from everyone’s favourite Kiwi commentator Murray Mexted: 

Murray: Fighting hard against his natural instincts...

“Andy Ellis the 21 year old, who turned 22 a few weeks ago”.

“He scored that try after only 22 seconds – totally against the run of play”.

“I would not say he (Rico Gear) is the best left winger in the Super14, but there are none better”.

“Strangely, in slow motion replay, the ball seemed to hang in the air for even longer.”

And finally, the best for last…

“I don’t like these new rules because your first instinct when you see a man on the ground is to go down on him”.

* They probably said no such thing…but we don’t care. It’s kinda funny.

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Finding a reason to get up in the morning

10 Oct
Tin foil hat 2

It's not all doom and gloom. You might be able to find a positive ray of sunshine somewhere on the horizon. Image via Wikipedia

The first version of this post was simply one word that began with an F and ended with a K.  The second version of this post added the words Bryce Lawrence to it.  But I decided that complaining excessively about the ref is not a good place to be. It’s the kind of thing that ends up in you wearing a tin foil hat and reading David Icke.  Besides I’ve said everything I need to say about Bryce when became the first legally blind man to ref at a test match level. If you’re like me you need a better reason than that to drag yourself to work today.  Especially if you were one of those wearing a Bok shirt on Friday talking up a good game.

So here are some positives you can take out of the fact that the Boks crashed out of the World Cup:

  • your suspicions about Peter de Villiers being a crap coach were proven right, the only statistic that matters is the scoreboard in the knockouts and by that measure, PdV ends up in with Straueli, minus the public shame of having dragged the Bok name to new lows (people forget that however embarrassing it may have been to have had PdV as coach – it was nothing compared to Straueli)
  • You won’t have to listen to the “expert insights” of your coworkers as they explain to you why they think Bismarck du Plessis is a better hooker than Smittie for the 10th time.
  • PdV did the honorable thing and resigned before he was pushed. He’s no Syrian/Libyan/Egyptian/ANCYL/Zimbabwean despot.
  • Heinrich Brussouw is one step closer to getting the Bok captaincy
  • The squad that is left behind has a lot of promise. Francois Steyn, Gio Aplon, Andries Bekker, Bismarck du Plessis, Frankie Hougaard, Schalk Burger and the Lambo all look they will flourish under the right coaching setup
  • Even the good doctor Jannie looked solid at tight-head
  • No more Darren Scott at Supersport
  • New coaches always clean house after a poor World Cup showing. Pierre Spies, Bryan Habana and Fourie du Preez can now be honestly compared to their rivals.
  • You won’t have to listen to Bobby Skinstad justifying Habana’s place in the team by saying “he’ll peak at the World Cup”
  • SA Rugby management tends to go in cycles when they respond to a failure. An inspiriational/visionary type coach like Carel du Plessis or Peter de Villiers is likely to be followed by a technical coach.  Sure vision and passion and all of that fluffy stuff is important, but you also need to understand that if you kick the ball aimlessly upfield a good team will hurt you. SA rugby picked Mallet last time they were in this position. There are a lot of good coaches out there.

Well that’s about all I can muster. If that doesn’t quite get me back, I’ll be returning to position I found myself in for most of Sunday. In the fetal position, clutching a bottle of Johnnie Walker, crying incessantly, looking at old photos of my under 10 rugby team wondering where it all went wrong.

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Breaking news: PdV quits

9 Oct

That was fast. PdV has just quit after the Bok quarterfinal loss. You have to say “fair enough”.

So it will be a new start for the Boks on Monday morning. Good on PdV for taking it on the chin and not hanging about like some in his squad.

The king is dead, long live the king…

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Boks vs Wallabies

9 Oct

75% territory and you still lose. Please, please, please sack the coach now.

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