JJ Harmse
The irony could not escape me when I read that Michael Claassens will lead Bath in the upcoming season. I had a chuckle and most of my friends I shared it with, also had broad grins on their faces.
You see, Claassens, formerly from Kroonstad and the Cheetahs, hails from the South African heartland and among almost all who love to stereotype our white population, he would be classified as a Dutchman.
Can you see where I am going with this? A certain Cape Town-based player had an (in)famous incident where he made his feelings with regards to Dutchmen pretty clear.
That incident will cling to that player for the rest of his life and he is still hated by many for his uncalled utterances towards the Afrikaner people.
So this player decided to leave the country and go and play in the motherland (he got married in a kilt, did he not?), but here is a newsflash… the team he will play for has a Dutchman as a captain! Oh, the irony of it all.
Luckily Claassens is one of the friendliest and kindest people you will ever meet.
Luke Watson need not to fear, he will be treated with respect once he arrives at Bath and Claassens will never allow any prejudices to influence him.
Peeve off everybody
On a more somber note, what the hell is going on with Western Province/Stormers? Are they now trying to peeve off everybody in their age group teams?
When it was reported that they are determined to sign Jaque Fourie and Wynand Olivier, rumor had it that three Western Province youngsters made a call to Pretoria.
All three are between 20 and 22. Two are playing at Under-21 level and the other youngster is just breaking into the Currie Cup. All three plays in the midfield and believe you me, all three are very, very talented centres.
Why on earth would they want to leave Cape Town then? Easy. Because it seems that the youth policy down in the sleepy valley is just an afterthought.
And that the talent down there is better being harvested and cared for by others?
WP’s subsequent failure to sign Olivier has created animosity among the other provinces with regards to Fourie and has showed complete disregard in their own youth policy. They do have one, don’t they?
Now the Du Plessis brothers are reported to be on their shopping list. That makes sense as the powder puff masquerading as a tight five is clearly not winning them anything. There are many reasons why Western Province have failed to make the Currie Cup playoffs for the last couple of seasons – and a useless tight five is one of them.
But let’s give credit where it’s due. The decision to draft in Matthew Proudfoot from Klerksdorp was a stroke of genius, as was the call to bring Chris Jack to Cape Town for a couple of months.
But that was undone by the poor decisions to buy high profile players.
Title for them to lose
But enough of that. Let’s focus on the rugby ahead.
The Boks will convene in Pretoria on Thursday and the 2009 Tri-Nations title is for them to lose, rather than the other two countries to win.
The fact that New Zealand have drafted in Daniel Carter so soon and are playing Luke McAlister shows they are fairly desperate.
The Wallabies are clearly uncomfortable with the tempo of rugby played by the Springboks and have now added another dimension to their game – take out Fourie du Preez.
I have heard through the grapevine that Du Preez will be nominated as one of the five IRB Players of the Year, something that is well overdue.
I am still shocked by the way his opponents are trying to take Du Preez out of the game.
He was taken out with a shoulder charge by the Lions in the first Test in Durban and again by Matt Giteau in Cape Town.
I am not sure what the bigger disappointment was: the Aussies reverting to thuggery or the fact that Giteau was the allocated hit-man.
I have the highest regard for Giteau as a rugby player, but his league background clearly boils below the surface.
Du Preez is one of the finest players the game has ever produced and is now standing tall next to Gareth Edwards as one of the greatest scrumhalf legends of all time.
He is also a very intense and proud individual, but his fierce belief in the team environment has earned him the respect of all who have crossed his path.
The fact that a fine player like Claassens has to ply his trade in Bath is testimony to Du Preez’s hold on the Bok jersey. The fact that both of them can look all in world rugby in the eye without insulting anyone, is a true testimony of rugby gentleman.
Pity that not all in Bath can be associated with that!
Jannie Jammerbal 😈
Koos sal bly wees.
Michael is van sy tuisdorp en skool.
Ok mense, tjailatyd.
Praat later, ek gaan eers ietsie skink.
Tjeers, dankie vir die ‘chattings’.
JJ Harmse is about as biased as the late Quintes van Rooyen (Blouen) in terms of his pro-Bulls, anti rest of the country reporting. As the years tick by, the amusement value of his childishly biased reporting wears thinner by the day.
The first part of his “article” dealing with the irony of Watson having to play under the leadership of Claassens, is factual, and good journalism.
The second part of his article ridiculing the WP “powder puff masquerading as a tight five” is comedy at its hilarious best, viewed against the backdrop of the manner in which this “useless tight five” destroyed his beloved Bulls scrum only a few weekends ago at the home of his beloved Bulls. What must rankle in his limited mind, is the fact that the “powder puff masquerading as a tight five” hardly broke a sweat, as they contemptuously dismantled a formerly feared outfit, and pushed them all over Loftus to the horror and dismay of the local fans.
JJ, thanks for the amusement, but is it really necessary to painfully humiliate yourself in the process?
Tipiese JJ Harmse berig.
Nie te lank gelede was iemand soos Enrico ‘n beter skrumskakel as FdP, maar hy word hier as een van die bestes ooit.
Anyway – die Aussies het meesterplan met ons hoë skoppe gehad. Ons skop meestal hoe skoppe net buite ons kwartgebied. So as die spel daarheen gaan, skuif hulle voorry tot op die kantlyn, by die 10 meter lyn. Die ander stut skyf na so kwart in die veld in. Die oomblik as die skop gelaunch word, en die ouens begin chase, dan hardloop die 2 voorrye skuins na binne, na waar die bal gaan val. So pleeg hulle obstruksie.
Stukkie Robbie Deans genie.
Very good article JJ. Everything is spot-on!
@Supa Die Bloubul – BWAAAHAHAHAHA!!!!
@Supa Die Bloubul – Amateur comdey – very lame attempts 🙂
@SA Barbarians –
Dis hoekom JJ joernalis van die jaar was laasjaar en jy nie.
@Supa Die Bloubul – Ek het nie ingeskryf in Tswane nie. Die enigste mense wat JJ ernstig opneem, het verbintenisse met Tswane. Die res van die land smile en skud hulle koppe
@SA Barbarians –
eks weg hier, het groter fish om te fry! 😉
@Supa Die Bloubul – 🙂
Well written nontheless.
SAB, die hele storie oor die voorrye het gister vir my duidelik geword in daai onderhoud deel2 oor John Smit.
Gaan lees dit en kyk of jy die rede kan sien.
This is such a lame attempt to cover up a hatred of all things WP as ‘journalism’, it’s laughable. It really is nothing other than playground teasing. But the funny thing is, he gets paid for it because it gets lapped up by the likes of Xkreni as it supposedly passes for ‘news’ up north.
But I don’t suppose JJ stopped laughing long enough to think that JdV captained Watson recently, and he was an Afrikaner last time I looked. Was this a front page headline in Pretoria or did he miss it? And if any other proof was needed of this ‘journalists’ credibility, how on earth can you take seriously a man who thinks a kilt comes from England? What is that about? ‘go and play in his motherland’? Arsehole!
@JockBok –
Hello Jock.
Don’t even read JJ, he is an arsehole of note.
Pay him no mind my friend.
16@Pietman – Howdy Piet.
Yep, I was laughing as I read it as I know it’s a bit of banter between the teams, but he takes it tooooooooo far when he desecrates the kilt 😉
@JockBok –
Jock,
I read the Sunday papers, on the internet every weekend, but I skip JJ.
Never mind Classens, what about Neil de Kock, both wouldnt disgrace any international team. Giteau is typical of the Aussies….if they make enough noise about dirty play, maybe we wont notice them doing it. I really dont like their national attitude, the Kiwi’s are much better….and more sporting. Greg Smith got found out too, they always snipe at the breakdown close to their line and pull jerseys etc etc. The pity now is that other teams are starting to do it and its not good for rugby…the Aussies started this cheating where its “ok as long as you dont get caught”, the guy at Harlequins, I forget his name now, also Dean something, faking a blood injury….where does this cr*p come from!!!!! its just not sporting man. Maybe I am just too old fashioned now.
Also Luke Watson is going to have to change fundamentally as a human being before I have any kind of regard for him…..you DO NOT denigrate your country. I think of myself trying to defend Bafana when I get asked questions about them abroad….I say they are scared of getting injured as their livlihood is in Europe as footballers, so their national duty is secondary and is an excuse to visit family….I believe it too.
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