On Friday the rugby romantic in me was awakened after a long slumber, only to be given a strong sedative a couple of hours later.
The necessary evil which is professionalism has all but killed the romance associate with the game of union. The days when blood was spilled on the field only to be washed away with a couple of beers with the transgressors afterwards, is all but a memory.
The days when a team was a brotherhood, and friends were made that would last a lifetime, a rarity.
And the days when the jersey meant more than the paycheque you would receive at the end of the month, lost forever.
It is not often that we get reminded about these kind of days in rugby, but Friday night’s Vodacom Cup semi-final was one of these occasions.
The Pampas XV from Argentina hosted the Sharks XV in their South African adopted home of Potchefstroom in what was for a Vodacom Cup match, a thrilling encounter.
Many forget that these men are the second string outfit from Argentina, a country in which rugby is still very much an amateur sport. With their top boys earning top dollar in Europe, the team that we see in the Vodacom Cup is at best a collection the best club rugby players whom I would bet my house on, all still have day-time jobs back home.
Not only have they progressed to the final of the Vodacom Cup, a professional competition in South Africa, they have not lost a game in the process.
The passion and pride you see in these guys are obvious every time they score a try and after every game they win, and although it might sound unpatriotic, I for one wish that their fairytale season has a happy ending when they play the Blue Bulls in the final.
After they demolished the Sharks XV, I sat wondering how tough this must be for them? They sit for months in a country thousands of kilometres from home, most of whom are possibly on tour for the first time let alone first time visitors to South Africa, playing against professional teams and professional players who compared to what they would be used to, have the best structures and coaching available to them not forgetting earning top dollar for their efforts.
This was amplified when not even an hour later, I sat through one of the most shocking displays of Super rugby I have witnessed in a long time.
As much as the Cheetahs have turned their season around and gave their fans something to feel proud about, the depth of chaos the Lions have fallen to is shocking.
For weeks now I had to listen to comments about the Lions where the lack of quality players are continually highlighted as the biggest reason for their continued failure. What utter rubbish.
There is a case to be made when you are outclassed by a better team on the pitch, and the Lions might not even have a handful of Springboks in their ranks, but a quick glance at the team shows me they have enough seasoned professional players with a number of Currie Cup and Super rugby seasons behind them to give a far better account of themselves than the rubbish they dish up for their fans at the moment.
It is not a case of losing, but how you lose or how you continue to lose because of the same reasons week in and week out.
Millions have been invested into the union, top coaches appointed, and still nothing has changed.
What we do see is a lot of finger-pointing and excuses, and I can just imagine the chaos that must exist in team and management meetings at this union.
Money has changed a lot of things in rugby, but one thing that will never change is having pride in what you do, and the team you play for.
There is nothing wrong with losing to a better team, but giving up, and losing respect and pride for the jersey you are wearing and what and who that represents, is unforgiveable.
The rugby romantic in me might have joined Rip van Winkle again for a long slumber, but at least the Pampas have shown there will always be some things money can never buy.
All I can say is that sitting through that lot on Friday night, I along with some of the other Lions supporting scribes were embarrassed and (for me at least) disgusted with what I saw, and I think my comments throughout the game bear testament to that for the most part.
I sure as hell don’t know the answers, but I don’t need to. Manie Reyneke, Kevin de Klerk, Robert Gumede and John Mitchell need to have the answers, and I honestly am not sure that they do!
Oh and for the record, I think the Pampas XV go about their game in a VERY PROFESSIONAL manner and deserve to win this competition.
Mitchell said again at the press conference that they have let their Rugby Community down, but the team never seem to come up with the fixes. Quick, slow, enduring or temporary!
I was so depressed after Friday night I couldn’t bring myself to concentrate on real work all weekend.
Even the Captains nectar tasted bitter and twisted.
Of course they’ll probably go and set a record by winning every game “down under” now!
Ok, perhaps not.
Geluk aan die Blou Bulle, wat hulleself en hul ondersteuners verras het deur die finaal te haal. Weet nie hoe hul dit reggekry het om die swak seisoen wat hul gehad het om te draai nie (agtste ge-eindig op die log), maar nou het hulle ‘n kans om die VC beker te verdedig.
Die Pampas is die oorweldigende gunstelinge, maar dalk kan die Bulletjies verras.
Weet iemand iets meer van die gerugte dat Ruan Pienaar dalk as leenspeler vir die res van die seisoen by die Bulle gaan wees ?
Ek lees daarvan op die Bulle se blog.
6@ bdb:
Nee dis nuus vir my bdb maar as dit waar is sal ek baie bly wees hoop dit is nie net ‘n rumour nie. Maar sy span Ulster moet nog semi finaal speel in die Magners League Vrydag aand so as hy op pad is sal ons seker bietjie moet wag, hulle speel teen Leinster so sal verbaas wees as hulle wen en in die finaal beland.
Morne thanks for the bit on Pampas, just this last Saturday I was commenting on here how remarkable I thought they were competing away from home for the whole tournament and was asking Gbs a few questions to get a bit more on their background, as you say money can’t buy everything.
Jislaaik bdb en Bullscot, hoeveel scrummies wil julle nou eintlik he? Wats verkeerd met FdP en Tuindienste?
Morne, I gotto feel for you. Analyst but romantic at heart? It can’t be easy…. 😉
@ fender:
It is a nightmare!
But I quite like the idea that some things cannot be explained in black and white! 😉
morné
i rather hoped that you were at newlands on saturday! your thoughts on sbw, just for interest sake?
i think strenghts have been highly quite enough, thank you, so you can just go on and give me weaknesses!!
#12
shouldve been
…
think strenghts have been HIGHLIGHTED quite enough .. 😳
@ Ashley:
As an athlete, there aren’t many I am afraid!
His biggest weakness as a player is his experience or lack thereof and I am very surprised that teams have not looked to exploit that more.
SBW relies on his ability alone at this moment, unfortunately for SA teams, he has damn good ability.
To take him out of the game will be to take him out of his comfort zone, he is simply allowed to do what he does best and teams need to wake up to this.
He currently does not have the experience to think himself out of trouble and relies only on instinct and ability.
Personally, I would like to see him rushed and isolated, force him to do things out of the norm (like kicking) or isolating him from supporters and support runners.
Also, his temperament can be tested a lot more. I picked up (in the Force game) that it is quite easy to get under his skin and when that happens, he loses structure and gets irritated.
He is also not tested on defense enough. A simple loop around and pop pass to Sadie on Saturday exposed the inexperience of the SWB/Robbie partnership and this should be done a lot more.
His biggest strength is off-loading in the tackle but that has as much to do with SBW as the guys running off him. Deny him this comfort and let’s see how he handles pressure (which he has not had much of imo).
You’re right Morne,
Reason is a vastly overrated realm and easily surpassed by emotion. But faith, hope and love know no boundaries.
Having said all of that, I like the way you think, hehe!
morné @ 14
well said!!
1. i think isolating him within that crusaders team would be a bit difficult, but i would love to see how he reacts to that!!
2. i also think the stormers missed a trick by not testing that midfield more!! unfortunately up to now, he’s not been really tested there!! for the times that i followed him (especially on defence) he look vulnerable and not quite so sure about himself!!
Danny Cipriani has been voted off the Rebels squad for the next two Super Rugby games in SA by his team-mates.
What is next, a strike called out by th teams union, collective bargaining on the next game plan????
Nou verstaan ek ook hoe dit werk: as SBW die Bulle deur mekaar hardloop is hy skitterend. As hy dieselfde doen (sonder 4 van sy beste spanmaats saam in die agterlyn) met die Stormers en ons bokke senterpaar, dan is hy ‘overrated’ ? Eina 😉
Ja, sit goeie druk op hom, en beperk sy geleenthede, en dan sal hy (soos met enige wêreldklas speler) geneutraliseer word. Niks nuwe nuus in daardie plan nie.
Maar wees eerlik en maak vrede manne, en erken die man is in ‘n klas van sy eie. Die feit dat hy skaars ‘n handvol S15 wedstryde agter sy blad het, maak sy prestasie nog soveel meer merkwaardig.
Onthou, die teenoorgestelde kan ook gebeur, as hy Carter langs hom het, en hy meer ervaring opdoen, kan hy nog beter word, nie goeie nuus vir SA en Aussies nie.
JF was ook goed Saterdag, maar oom JDV (wat ek nog steeds sal kies vir die Bokke saam met veterane soos Victor en FDP), het ‘n goeie rugbyles geleer van die ‘youngster’ in S15 rugby.
Die beste is om dit te erken en aan te beweeg na die volgende ontmoeting.
The Crusaders showed how much a team can do for the jersey on Saturday.
They should not have won given their injuries before and during the game.
Those players are playing for the team and for the jersey.
As for SBW,everyone is looking for weaknesses that don’t exist.
He will get better and better, until other players learn to match his skills.
People who say his defense is not good are mad.
tighthead @ 19
😀 ok, his defence is not good!!
again, dont read: he cant tackle, cause he can, and he’s completing a high percentage of tackles he make
just read: if ever you want to exploit one part of his game, then thats definately it!!
..
ok lets rephrase:
just look at his tackle technique:
when he does complete the tackle, which is more often than not, he’s falling backwards rather than
1. stopping the attacker or
2. driving the ballcarier sideways (ie away from his support)
thus
by attacking him, even when he’s completing his tackle, you’re almost always assured of go-forward ball
..
have a look at the stormers’ only try! just watch sbw’s body position
and
contemplate what wouldve happened has jdv decide not to pass, but rather step away from sbw and try a hand-off!!
would he have beaten sbw?
..
you watch it, then we’ll talk again!!
..
btw, whilst doing that … watch what happens when sbw do complete a tackle successfully!! watch where he goes (backwards, forward, sideways?) and watch where the ballcarrier goes (backwards, forward, sideways?) EVERY TIME!!
..
ok guys
i’m out
chat again tomorrow!!
@ tight head:
Yeah like I said, as an athlete there are no real weaknesses in this guy – he has taken that to a next level.
However, I don’t care how good you are, certain skills and most importantly, composure, only comes with experience and that he has very little of.
He certainly deserves the hype as he has brought a new element to the game which is proving to be devastating and that is his ability, and skill in contact and boxing together with league obviously helps this. I also have no doubt all the will soon be copied too, and even ‘worked out’.
For now, people are swamped in the SBW hype, his opposition players and coaches too because they are not applying the same mechanisms against him they would apply to any other union rookie.
I remember the Lomu era, and the difference was that the Boks in particular looked to take him out of his comfort zone. Lomu had to force plays that came naturally to him and worked so well for him, and that made his life very difficult.
Don’t try and compete with Sonny at his own game, he is on another level altogether, rather force him to play your game, and see how that goes…
watch hoe die mighty cheetahs vir sonny bill swak maak,net een buldoser oosthuisen charge en plat op sy gat is die all black idol.oor sy ander spel net dit hy hol met die bal in een hand en hy het nog NOOIT teen brussow gespeel nie,damm die jammer juan is beseer hy sou nou sy verdediging mooi getoets het
bdb @ 18
wie’t gesê hy’s overrated? jammer boet, ekt deur al daai comments gegaan en kry dit nêrens nie … as jy verwys na my comments oor sy “moontlike” weakness op defence … onthou ek was op nuweland en kon hom die heeltyd volg … die weakness waarna ek verwys is nie glaringly obvious nie, maar dis daar as jy daarvoor soek … ñ simpel vb sou wees dat sbw bly terugval as hy tackle … op die oomblik is dit effektief want hy tackle sy man … doen ñ stupid ding soos bv laat ñ support player dieselfde lyn as die ball carrier hardloop en sien wat gebeur as die ball carrier kan offload!! gaan jy DAN sê dat omdat hy nie die ball carrier stop, trugvat of sideways tackle nie (weg v sy support af) dat dit dalk ñ “weakness” is waarop mens kan konsentreer?
please note:
weakness in hierdie geval BETEKEN NIE dat ek meen dat hy nie kan tackle nie, dis net nie op die standaard wat mens van ñ 12 sou verwag nie
en
is dit nie genoeg rede vir enige coach om pressure daar te plaas en te kyk wat gebeur nie?
9@ fender:
Daars niks verkeerd met hulle nie maar Ruan is ook welkom, maybe if he was around it would spur them two on to better things if they were aware of competition for their place in the team. Ruan’s asset is his versatility, he has been used a fair bit by Ulster this year at flyhalf as well and so could be a good backup to Morne Steyn who surely must get some rest sometime soon. Pienaars kicking game at flyhalf has impressed in the games I’ve seen quite accurate to posts and gets good distance and accuracy on his kicks to touch, while his distribution has been good from scrumhalf. By the way Ruan Pienaar has been chosen as the Magners League Player of the year so that says a lot for the form he is in, there is a nice article about it on Ulsters website. Another guy from SA who made the Magners league dream team of the year is Richardt Strauss.
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