South African flavoured BaaBaa's

New Zealand is known for it's lamb, but it was a distinctly South African flavoured BaaBaa's side that was bleating after Saturdays match.

A good performance by a bunch of talented internationals thrown together in a week overcame a 2nd string No.1 ranked All Black side.

Rokocoko facing the Haka was the first moment that indicated it was going to be no ordinary international match. Clearly lacking a usual test match atmosphere and intensity, there was no lack of entertainment. Habana surely showing why he is the world's best finisher scored a hatrick, and against any New Zealand side this is no easy feat.

The exciting backline of du Preez, Gitteua, Habana, Roberts, Fourie, Rokocoko and Mitchell displayed some exciting moments during the game. Especially exciting was Roberts and Fourie combing in the centres.

The forwards also gave a stellar performance and uncapped international WP Nel showed that he has a future on the international rugby scene. It was only the second time in history that the Barbarians have beaten the All Blacks, and even though it was a second string New Zealand outfit it was a good win and a good way to finish of the international year.

Bad management, good Irish display

It was definitely a tale of two halves. In the first half the Springboks looked comfortable, in control and dangerous. Schalk Burger's try looked to be an indication that it would be a typical Springbok game with the Boks looking to wear out the opposition and secure a comfortable victory.

A "never-say-die" Irish team came out in the second half with a solid defence and secured vital points with the boot. My question is, why did no one tell Morne Steyn that he was very far away from the Highveld!? It was obvious to everyone that the thick air which blanketed Croke Park was keeping Steyn from reaching his usual range.

The Bok lineout was a mess and quite simply the Irish knew what to expect. This was probably a result of lots of video analysis and Gert Smal. The former Bok forwards coach knows Matfield better than most and this proved to be vital.

Why would you take off BJ Botha when the Bok scrum (without Bakkies Botha) was far too powerful for the Irish pack!? When BJ left the field, the difference was clearly evident - bad management Mr Peter de Villiers.

Forget fatigue and forget blaming the ref, the Boks gave a very lacklustre performance and lacked any urgency. This was not due to fatigue, it was due to lack of motivation and bad management. I feel there is a certain complacency creeping into the Bok team and if management do not stamp it out then it will be a real problem!

The Boks are the the World Champions but didn't play like it. No excuses, it just wasn't good enough.

A disappointing ending to a superb season. Well done Ireland.

2009 End of Year Sringbok Squad

The Springbok squad has been announced and with any squad announcement there are bound to be critics. The main talking points will be BandiseMaku, Heini Adams and Earl Rose's inclusion. Maku plays second fiddle to Derrick Kuun in the Bulls team, Sarel Pretorius surely feel hard done by and Earl has yet to prove he is a consistent performer.

Adrian Strauss has stepped up to the plate to Captain the Cheetahs in Juan Smith's absence and has captained and played exceptionally well, as was showed in the Currie Cup final. Surely his performances has warranted inclusion ahead of Maku?

At scrum half we have plenty of cover in Ruan Pienaar but as an international scrumhalf I cannot see Adams making an impact. Adams is good at Currie Cup and perhaps at Super 14 level, but hopefully he can prove me wrong on the international stage if given a chance.

Earl Rose, rightfully, has plenty of critics and I would rather have seen Lionel Mapoe given a chance with stellar displays on the wing throughout the Cheetahs season.

Click here to see the full Springbok Squad.

Bulls do the double!

The Bulls are the 2009 Currie Cup and Super 14 Champions! Their display saw of a resilient Cheetahs effort and the runners-up can be applauded for not giving up.

The Bulls game play showed a lot of similarity to that of the Springbok game. This is obviously due to the number of Springbok stalwarts in the Bulls team. They executed a brilliant defensive effort with a good kicking game and took the opportunities that presented themselves, much like the Boks.

Fourie du Preez, who is surely undoubtedly the best scrumhalf in world rugby, was brilliant. Habana also ended his Bulls career on a high and had a good game in which he showed that he is the best finisher in South Africa and one of the best in the world.

The Cheetahs had some stand out players too, Frans Viljoen was one of the players to make a big impact for the Cheetahs. The big loose forward had a good game against tough opposition and was rewarded with a try.

It was a typical Currie Cup final full of emotion and pride. At the end of the day it was a brilliant game and surpassed the expectation that was placed on it prior to kick off. Well done Bulls!

Ruan Pienaar at 12 for Boks

So the Poll results are in and you have voted Pienaar to take over at 12 for the Boks in de Villiers absence. Would this be a good move? Well the end of year tour may be a good opportunity for some testing.

With du Preez the incumbent and M. Steyn looking having a dream season, there has to be place for Pienaar. He certainly has the talent, but can't be messed around. Let's hope that one of the most talented players in SA rugby doesn't get lost in translation!

Comments welcome!

Achilles, Nomads & Currie Cup

OK, hi everyone. Sorry I've not posted anything in a while. I'm sure you've missed my postings...no? OK, well I'm gonna continue anyway!

OK, main reason for lack of postings is lack of Rugby involvement by myself. This is mainly due to me snapping my Achilles tendon three games into the season and being in a cast. You'd have thought I'd have more time to write about rugby. Anyway, the Achilles rupture is in all likelihood a 12month to full recovery process. Needless to say my season is over. At least there is tour to look forward to! Being a non-playing traveller might be a good move.

The Nomads in my (and our meat gobbling Captain's) absence have continued the unbeaten trend and have looked good so far. We have had one or two tough opposition but have pulled through with real character, the rugby has also been testing at times. Let's hope we can have the perfect season!

The Currie Cup semi-finals were played this past Saturday and while my team, the Sharks, were surprisingly beaten by the Cheetahs, the Semi's proved what a good state SA Rugby is in. Both games were 2 point affairs and could've gone either way. With 3rd and 4th placed teams on the log making the Finals, SA undoubtedly have a wealth of talent in their ranks.

Anyway, I will be sure to make amends for my lack of postings.

P.s. Come on Cheetahs!

Never underestimate the scrum

To say that rugby is purely based on the scrum would be hugely ignorant, but it is a massive part of the game that can decide who wins and loses.

The team I play for, Nomads, played their first league game of the season against league newcomers Grasshoppers who were promoted from the league below. Although the 'hoppers had some big men in their forward pack, a feature of the Nomads has been the ability to dominate opposition at scrum time. Over the past two seasons the Nomads have generally enjoyed a solid platform from which to unleash their silky smooth backs. This past Saturday was no different with the Nomads forwards making scrumming look like child's play. Consequently, the backs were running in tries from all angles and with no clean ball to work from, the Grasshoppers were dead in attack.

This near total domination was only the story of the first half, as the 'hoppers (cunningly) had a frontrow injury during half time - yes half time! With no replacement frontrow the scrums became uncontested for the entire second half. While the Nomads still dominated the game in the second half, there was a real difference in the 'hoppers attack as they now had clean ball to work with.

Although this seemingly put a spring into the 'hoppers jump, the Nomads stepped up a gear to make up for the loss of the advantage of their scrum by increasing intensity in other areas of the game.

Everyone that was present on Saturday clearly realised the impact scrums have on the game, so remember to appreciate a scrum everytime you witness one!

P.s. Nomads 62 - Grasshoppers 5...well played boys!

English rugby...

The Guinness Premiership and Heineken Cup are great rugby competitions that England clubs take part in. There is history, tradition and the standard of play (although differing in style) creates equal excitement for fans as their southern hemisphere equivalents.

Club rugby in England has made news headlines for the wrong reasons lately. We saw Bath Rugby club in the spotlight when star England prop Matt Stevens tested positive for recreational drugs and was banned from all rugby for 2 years. Consequently other high profile members quit the west country club because of the drug-related scandal.

Bath's limelight was hugely overshadowed by the "bloodgate" scandal at Harlequins Rugby where Director Dean Richards was seemingly the mastermind behind the use of fake blood capsules.

The only way to get an already substituted player back onto the pitch is to make a blood substitution. Richards, on more than one occasion, instructed the club physio to pass a blood capsule to a player in order to fake a blood injury by biting into it. Everyone found guilty were handed suspensions, some longer than others.

News of this finding shocked rugby circles and put Quins rugby in huge disrepute. However, it is always said that the best way to rectify any mistake in rugby is to show it on the pitch. Start winning and all will be forgiven, well almost all.

England rugby on the National scene are re-building. New manager Martin Johnson is still finding his feet but in my opinion will prove to be a quick learner. All head coaches and heads of teams will have their critics and Johnson has a fair share, but if he starts winning things will change. There is definitely rugby talent in England and it's all about harnessing the talent and producing the results.

As a Springbok rugby fan, I know how frustrating it can be when your team doesn't perform the way they can or should be. My final word for the England rugby fan...patience.

Introducing the Nomads

Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to bring you the first installment covering the famous Nomads of Rosslyn Park Football Club. I'll begin by quoting a statement taken from the Nomads web page that encompasses the essence of Nomad rugby...

"The Nomads play their particular style of social rugby in Middlesex Merit Table 3 and are always on the lookout for talented players who have no interest in training."

Being part of such a big club both historically and in stature has a slight downfall. The past 2 seasons have seen the Nomads win the Middlesex Merit Table 3 league and playoffs. However, promotion could not take place as Rosslyn Park has a team in the league above. So, twice we have seen our runners up promoted to a higher league.

This situation does not dishearten us in the slightest as we play rugby mainly for the social aspect that the sport offers. Having good chat and being able to handle a pint are key elements of being a Nomad. In fact rugby skill is not a huge factor at all, as we are basically a drinking team with a rugby problem.

Our first game of the season was a friendly match against a well drilled team from Esher Rugby Club in which we won 60 -22. An extract from the match report tells the story of this match.

"...our captain found himself in the unlikely situation of having only 20 metres of vacant space between himself and the try line. Having, only moments before, spoken about the need to pass before the tackle in order to prevent hitting the hard ground, Lapin decided not to take heed of his own advice and in trying to fend off a chasing opponent, fell and dislocated his elbow. Cracking stuff."

To fully understand the spirit in which we play rugby, you must know that our captain returned from hospital morphine induced and arm in sling to celebrate our first game of the season with the team. After being spotted by the club physio, he was reprimanded and told to go home which he duly did.

A good first game of the season boys, here's to a fantastic season ahead!
...may the pints flow.

4 Nations?

SANZAR have extended an invite to Argentina's national rugby side, the Pumas, to take part in the annual southern hemisphere competition currently known as the Tri Nations.

This is a fantastic move and just reward for the Argentines who finished 3rd at Rugby World Cup 2007. Argentina have great players but lack the financial capacity to keep their players in Argentina. Almost all their international stars ply their trade in Europe where the money is better and level of play is higher.

Including the Pumas in the southern hemisphere competition will both bolster their financial constraints and expose their players to arguably the the best international competition in the world.

The proposed format will see every nation play each other twice, once at home and once away, making it a total of six matches per team for the competition. So instead of 1 match per weekend, we will be treated to two!

Great move, let's hope it all materialises!

What next for Springboks?

After winning everything they could in recent times one would ask where to next for these Springboks?

They have set the standard exceptionally high and anything less than a win in the future will be disappointing for their followers. They do however have room for improvement and this is good news as questions have been raised over whether or not they have peaked to soon before the World Cup.

A major area that needs work is the scrum. Although good enough it is not outstanding and just imagine if the Boks had "the best scrum in the world" added to their arsenal. John Smit and co. need to do some work in this department to make sure that their technique is spot on!

Two other exciting challenges is to find able replacements for Jean de Villiers and Frans Steyn as the pair head off overseas. At inside centre, de Villiers is in a class of his own and to replace him in the Bok side will take some doing. Jacobs and Olivier are great Super 14 players but haven't been in the same class as de Villiers on the international stage. They have lots of work to do if they want to gain the same repertoire as de Villiers. This might sound like a long shot, but I'd keep an eye out for Bradley Barrit. He may yet return to South Africa and make a big claim for the No.12 Bok jumper.

Frans Steyn has matured into the fullback position this season and is the best candidate for the role. As he is still young and full of talent, he would be my bet for the No.15 jersey in 2011. In the interim however we need someone to come in and keep the momentum going. Allowing Pienaar to settle in a position might be an answer but when Steyn returns what do you do with Ruan? Zane Kirchner is also knocking on the door but has to add a lot more to his game to make any real statement.

With the trophies safely in the cabinet, PdV still has his work cut out. It will be an interesting end of year tour as we might unearth another Frans Steyn or Bryan Habana when blooding some new personnel.

The days are now here when it's exciting being a Springbok supporter, savour them!

The "X-Pat"

The world has truly become a global village with worldwide travel easier than it has ever been! There are numbers of foreigners living in almost every single country in the world.

While a few have chosen to change their allegiance to their adopted country, many have kept to their roots and support their country in it's endeavours. In sport we see a lot of support for touring teams and not everyone is a travelling spectator. In fact many are living in the home country but still support their country of origin.

Living in London, in Rugby there is plenty of support for the All Blacks, Wallabies and Springboks even though they have travelled hemispheres. Personally, second to actually being at the game, I watched the Rugby World Cup 2007 Final in England (on telly of course). The pride and emotion you get as you proudly parade in your team's colours is unexplainable. I am not the only 'X-Pat' to have experienced this, many others from other countries have experienced the same.

I recently received an email with a picture from a close friend now living in Australia who watched the Tri Nations game between Australia and South Africa in Brisbane. It was a game in which the Boks played terrible rugby and deservedly lost. Here's what he said...

'Hey buddy wow that game was sh1t! but entertaining at the least, i got soo much shit from the "wannabies" after that game haha but i just mentioned the ashes and they shut it.Otherwise working hard and staying out of trouble, I'm going to visit Sydney at the end of the month so should be good.cheers cheers'

Being an ex-pat has it's advantages and disadvantages, but as you can tell from the excitement in his email it has more advantages. To all the 'X-Pats' out there, have fun!

then ThinKayak!

A bit off the rugby track, in this post ThinkRugby brings you ThinKayak!

Kayaking or competitive paddling is a relatively small sport but is increasingly growing in numbers! On the global scale growth is evident by the number of entries into competitions each year and on the South African scene we have our very own Louw brothers, Ryan & Greg, increasing the interest in the sport with big international competition wins. Their latest accomplishment was when they recently defended the Liffey Decent - a world famous event!

The following extracts will give you a better idea of what they've achieved...

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Entries for Liffey Descent reach 1,000

Extract: "ENTRIES FOR the 50th Liffey Descent this Saturday have been closed for safety reasons. They had reached 1,000 competitors by Tuesday. The race has had an uninterrupted annual staging since 1960, when it ran from Butt Bridge to O’Connell Bridge in the city centre.The event was switched in the 1970s to its current course, a 28-kilometre stretch from The K Club in Straffan to Islandbridge. The eight weirs – the first very close to the start – can make it a tricky and thrilling course.South Africans Greg and Ryan Louw set the record for the fastest time for the race when they won last year in a K2 racing kayak in one hour 48 minutes and 59 seconds."

Monday, September 7, 2009

Revenge sweet for Louws

Extract: " LOCAL RIVALRY is local rivalry, even if the parties go head-to-head thousands of kilometres from home. Ryan and Greg Louw won the 50th Liffey Descent on Saturday in one hour 46 minutes and 53 seconds.It was their second consecutive victory and they bettered the record time they set last year – but sweetest of all was they beat compatriots Gavin White and Graeme Solomon into second.White and Solomon edged out the Louw brothers by .81 of a second for third place in the South African flatwater marathon championships earlier this year. Ryan Louw said that this time they had a plan to deal with their rivals’ strengths as sprinters.“We knew we had to get ahead at the start and we did that.” Solomon had earlier attested to the success of the plan. “We didn’t make any mistakes but we were under pressure from the start when they opened up a gap.”

Well done Ryan and Greg! Liffey Champions 2009!

Barnes conrtibutes to deserved Oz win over lacklustre Boks

Referee Wayne Barnes had a bad night with some inconsistent refereeing, which now sees him add critics from South Africa to his New Zealand critics' "fan" base.

Above the poor officiating, the Boks were their own worst enemies and turned in their worst performance this year! Credit to the Wallabies as they deserved their win with a far more superior performance with the only tries being scored by Adam Ashley-Cooper and the young O'Connor.

The Boks made school boy errors and did not prize the ball as they should have. They were outplayed by the Wallaby forwards and need to up the intensity to the usual level that we are used to. There were a few moments of magic by the Boks with some try saving tackles, and also de Villiers and Fourie once again combining well in the midfield.

The Wallabies simply never allowed South Africa to play and the young Aussie outfit showed that they have real talent in their ranks. Robbie Deans will surely be delighted at the result and knows that he can build a formidable team with his young squad.

I always said that I don't mind if the Springboks lose playing well against a good side, but lose like this often enough and the Boks will have some fans turn to critics.

Let's just hope yesterday's performance was just a brain freeze and that it was a learning lesson for the World Champions. We all know that it is difficult to win away from home in the Tri Nations, but with this Bok side it has now become expected.

It's times like these when management need to step in to eradicate, vindicate and motivate!

Back to the future...

If you stop to think about all the achievements that the Springboks have had and then think about the ages of the players, it's startling to think how young they really are! Everyone knows and speaks about how the current crop can all play through to the world cup, but if you actually think of the amount of experience they will have it becomes scary!

I looked at the ages of the current Bok squad and a few possibles for the next few years. Have a look at the table and you'll see how young they'll still be at the next world cup! The first column is their current age and the second column their age by October 2011.

		2009	2011
1	Mtawarira	24	26
2	B. du Plessis	25	27
3	Smit	31	33
4	Botha	30	32
5	Matfield	32	34
6	Brussow	23	25
7	Smith	28	30
8	Spies	24	26
9	du Preez	27	29
10	M. Steyn	25	27
11	Habana	26	28
12	de Villiers	28	30
13	Fourie	26	28
14	Ndungane	28	30
15	Pienaar	25	27
16	J. du Plessis	27	29
17	Ralepelle	23	25
18	Russouw	31	33
19	Burger	26	28
20	Januarie	27	29
21	F.Steyn	22	24
22	Jacobs	29	31
	Squad
	Pietersen	23	25
	Bekker	26	28
	Kankowski	24	26
	Olivier	26	28
	Possibles
	Steenkamp	28	30
	vd Linde	29	31
	BJ Botha	29	31
	Muller	29	31
	Sykes	25	27
	Potgieter	22	24
	Kirchner	25	27
	James	30	32
	Nokwe	28	30
	Chavhanga	26	28
	Deysel	24	26

I have left out some players that might make their mark in the next 2 years. Obviously, there are also those Heinrich Brussow's that will bounce onto the scene.

Take a look at their ages, think about your age in comparison and how young this side is and how much they can still achieve!

Bring on Saturday! Go Bokke!

Weilding the axe and covering the wounds

Jaque Fourie will make his 50th appearance for the Springboks when he runs out for them on Saturday!

Fourie is one of the most talented midfield players in the world. He runs excellent lines, is strong on his feet, has great pace and is solid on defence. His partnership with Jean de Villiers is globally feared and I believe Fourie is the greatest outside centre South Africa has produced. People may argue that there are other legends that were better than Fourie, I disagree.

The teams for Saturday's test have been announced and we have no real surprises. Robbie Deans has wielded the axe by making 5 changes to his side and is seemingly still looking to find the answers to winning rugby matches for Australia.

Springbok coach, Peter de Villiers, has merely tried to bring in cover for the wounded Boks that have returned home.

Ndungane gets a rare start in place of JP Pietersen and Danie Russouw comes in for Bekker on the bench. Johan Muller has also been flown in in case Bakkies Botha's mild injury flares up. Ndungane will not disappoint and is sure to be solid for South Africa. Danie Russouw would start for any other international team.

Stopping the Springbok machine is not impossible but highly unlikely given the number of changes and the contrasting tempos. Yes, the Boks only won by 7 points, but the scoreline flattered the hosts and John Smit would be disappointed that his team conceded those late tries.

The Boks will be looking for a much more polished performance, especially in the last 20 minutes of the game. The mathematics remain simple, win this test match and the Tri Nations is in the bag.

Go Bokke!

Links to the teams for Saturday on SARugby.com:

Springboks

Wallabies

Rugby & a braai, only a South African knows...

Only Saffa's will fully understand and appreciate the value of the Rugby/Braai combo! I am of course referring to a BBQ South African style - nothing compares!

Give me sunshine, rugby and a braai (with braai meat of course!) and I will have no complaints. In many ways myself and the many others like me are easy to please.

Everything that goes onto a braai from mielies (corn on the cob) to a coil of boerie (beef sausage) tastes better than any other means of cooking. A great addition on any braai item is the orange bottle of braai salt - those that have had it will know what I'm talking about!.

Whether your team loses or wins a rugby match, a braai is either the perfect cure or the perfect celebratory event!

What's your favourite braai item???

Post a comment...

Boring Boks score bonus point win

Fourie du Preez made his 50th appearance for the Springboks against Australia in Perth and celebrated in the 'boring' fashion of scoring a try.

Du Preez's try was the first of the four that contributed to a bonus point victory for the Springboks. Henry and Deans and all the Australian players who labelled the Springboks boring please issue a public apology.

The simple fact of the matter is that Australia and New Zealand just won't accept that South African sport is currently the world dominating force. Our rugby team is setting the standard and our antipodean friends cannot stand this. Stinks of bad sportsmanship if you ask me.

Australia are the bigger culprits in this saga and the instigator for the All Blacks, Graham Henry, is probably not a fair reflection of New Zealanders anyway. Henry is purely looking for an excuse as to why the All Blacks aren't the all conquering team that they can be. While I have nothing against the Australian people, their sportsmen and women are arrogant sore losers. Australian people are lovely, I have cousins and friends in Australia and have visited the country. The people are great but as for their sports personalities I say, "be humble in victory as in defeat, because karma is a bitch!"

Let's not deter too much from the achievements of the current Springbok team. I believe that the current crop will make up almost the whole all time best Boks.

This is my best ever Boks:
1. Os Du Randt
2. John Smit
3. Cobus Visagie
4. Bakkies Botha
5. Victor Matfield
6. Schalk Burger
7. Juan Smith / Andre Venter
8. Gary Teichmen
9. Fourie du Preez / Joost van der Westhuizen
10 Henry Honiball
11. Bryan Hanaba
12. Jean de Villiers
13. Jacque Fourie
14. James Small / JP Pietersen
15. Percy Montgomery / Andre Joubert

So Henry, next time you label the Boks delete "boring" from your list of options.

Wallabies v Springboks - Perth 2009

5 to 1, changes to the Wallabies team compared to Springboks and also what I think would be the odds of Australia winning on Sat.

Don't confuse my confidence with arrogance, you cannot right off any of the top rugby nations, but when you compare recent showings and the amount of changes that the Australians have had to endure compared to the Springboks, you have to concede that the Boks are clear favourites!

As individuals, the players coming in and those swapping positions for Australia definitely have the potential and talent to play top class rugby, but as we all know rugby is a team sport. The Wallaby's have their backs up against the wall which makes them even more dangerous as stranger things have happened, but a win this weekend seems highly unlikely.

The Springboks on the other hand (Darrrren), have the luxury of a fully fit squad with the exception of Danie Russouw who has just overcome an ankle injury and will be rested this weekend. An interesting change for the Boks is Ruan Pienaar starting at fullback ahead of Francois Steyn. Steyn's impending move overseas was surely a motivating factor combined with PdV having half an eye on the end of year tour. For me Pienaar would start at flyhalf and I would put Morne Steyn at fullback, but PdV might be right in keeping Morne at flyhalf and perhaps weening him into the fullback position. The only department where Morne is better than Ruan is at goal kicking time and you don't have to play at flyhalf to kick at poles. As a flyhalf, I still believe Pienaar offers much more on attack and marshalls the backline better.

Finally, I cannot wait to see Schalk Burger come off the bench! I fully agree with Brussow starting ahead of him, but consider yourself in Burger's position. A former IRB Player of the year and Springbok stalwart having been banned for the past 8 weeks. Surely he would want to put in a massive display to resurrect his playing career and reputation? Be afraid Wallabies, be very afraid...

Go Bokke!

For the full teams and chosen write-ups click on the links below:

Springboks - http://www.supersport.com/rugby/article.aspx?Id=313455

Wallabies - http://www.sarugby.com/news/News/article/sid=12137.html

Appluading the Legends

When I read on SARugby.com that the Springbok Legends will pay for the IRB fine, I felt a huge sense of satisfaction being a Springbok supporter. This gesture confirms what the Springboks stand for and what they mean to the South African rugby public.

If New Zealand or England or any other national team for that matter were treated the way the Springboks are with regards to citing's and outcome's, there would be massive debates and huge criticisms.

If anyone can give me 1/2 a good reason why Bakkies Botha was cited and banned for his legal cleaning out during the 2nd Lions Test match, then they do not understand the rules of rugby.

I totally agree with Schalk Burger's "eye-gouging" incident. I do believe the player was found NOT guilty of eye-gouging, but found guilty of reckless play around the face area. I do not condone what he did and he deserved his ban as it may have done far more harm than he anticipated with reference to Heinrich Brussow's amazing performances.

The main point is that South African rugby is labelled and the fact that Adam Jones (Lions prop whose shoulder was dislocated due to the Bakkies Botha incident) is adamant that Bakkies did nothing wrong proves the injustice.

To quote Jones, "It was just one of those things that happens in Rugby. Botha shouldn't have been banned for it, nowhere near it." -walesonline.co.uk

So when everything points to the IRB making incorrect judgements, is it coincidence that it always seems to be the Boks that are involved? I think not.

Legends, I applaud you!

South Africa's golden genration

What a generation of sportsmen we currently have!

South African sport surely has to be applauded for all their achievements over the past few years.

I don't think there is any other country that has as much political interference and as much public pressure as South African spots teams! Yet through all of this we have the No.1 Rugby & Cricket teams in the world!

Yes, the Proteas have become number one by England beating Australia, but the work done to be in the position of taking the number one spot has been the main contributing factor. When a batsman scores a century the score book doesn't say how many times he was dropped and the same can be said for the No.1 ranking, the table will simply read: "1. South Africa". How they got there is all academic.

Before I mention the all-conquering Springboks, we have to mention that Bafana Bafana have had some promising results, showing great potential. We all know that there is soccer talent in South Africa and with the right mental coaching and man management there is no reason why soccer cannot emulate it's cricket and rugby siblings.

Another code in for a quick mention is the Springbok sevens team. They won the world series last season and put in some demolition job performances against highly ranked opposition.

Onto our beloved Springboks. World Cup medals, Super 14 medals, Lions Series medals and unbeaten in the Tri Nations so far - these are just a few of the many accolades the Boks have accumulated over the past few years. I won't go too much into the Springbok team's achievements as they are well documented, but they are by far the most outstanding sporting unit to represent South Africa of late.

When there are so many negatives in our country, the great achievements by our sports men and women gives us something to be extremely proud of. So next time you cross a loud South African be careful not to confuse arrogance with pride!

Destiny

Okay, so the All Blacks beat the Aussies in a "thriller". As far as I'm concerned, a game in which the lead changes several times is exciting and a good rugby match. I do have to however have a go at NZ coach Graham Henry for preaching running, spectacle rugby when his team kicked as much as they did.

Right, now that my rant is over let's discuss 2 things as to keep to the topic. Firstly let's work off the "running rugby" comments made by Henry and Deans. Yes, for the average fan or someone who knows nothing about the game, scoring tries and lots of them would be far more exciting. For the millions of others that appreciate the game in it's purest form, we know what gets us excited. It could be newcomer Brussouw outplaying veteran McCaw, it could be a grubber by tighthead John Smit which leads to a try or it could be Vickery being totally dominated by the Beast. It is clear that what gets real rugby fans excited is not purely based on the scoring of tries.

Regarding the amount of kicking that has taken place in games recently, I think, is due to adaptation. Teams defences have improved vastly over the past half decade which means opposition teams have had to adapt and find other ways to get over the advantage line. Kicking well can be very effective and because good teams play the situation we mostly find the best option is to launch a kick leading to less "running" rugby. By playing the situation correctly your destiny lies predominantly in your own hands.

As we look ahead for the week, the second point to the topic is the fact that the Springboks have their Tri Nations destiny in their own hands. Unlike the All Blacks and Wallabies who need to rely on other results (with the Aussies almost certainly out of the running), the Springboks know that winning two of their away games will clinch the 2009 Tri Nations. Unbeaten in the Tri Nations so far, the Boks' previous travels to Australasia have always been seen as a huge challenge in which losing admirably was good. Expectation has never been higher in South Africa and neither has the ability to fulfil such expectation. The current crop are more than capable of recording a clean sweep of their away leg as they have players that have experienced winning Down Under and know what is expected.

Don't get me wrong, complacency is never an ingredient for success, but watching destiny unfold in the business end of the Tri Nations will be filled with high emotion.

Go Bokke!

Player 23

What a brilliant move by the IRB!

The latest ruling to include a 23rd player in a squad - provided he is a front rower - is a masterstroke by the IRB. It plans to alleviate the sneaky tactic used by teams with weaker scrumming power that force un-contested scrums under current rules.

A 23rd player may be included in a squad provided that there are three replacement front rowers in the form of 2 props and a hooker.

The current ruling that allows un-contested scrums, states that when a front rower gets injured and there are no more front row replacements in the entire squad fit enough to take his place, then un-contested scrums are in play.

Recently we have seen more and more teams force uncontested scrums by having a couple frontrowers deemed injured during play and unfit to continue. When no more replacements are available the game is forced into un-contested scrums. This tactic is usually used by weaker scrummaging teams and takes away the competitive advantage of the stronger opposition scrum.

Some may say that scrums do not constitute an entire game, but believe it when I say that being strongly scrummed against takes a lot out of the forward pack as a whole, and contributes to poor performance in other areas of the game. A scrum that is shoved backwards also puts their backline on the backfoot and puts the opposition backline on the frontfoot. Although rugby is a physically brutal sport, the psychology in a game plays a huge part and when a team is being out-scrummed this places huge doubt in the minds of the forward pack.

The new ruling is one that aims to negate the negative impact it may have on a stronger team. At the moment the ruling does not apply to international fixtures and is also not compulsory at any level. The IRB have decided to give the power to the respective unions and governing bodies of domestic and cross-border competitions and let them decide on whether they wish to implement the rule or not.

Further to the ruling, it states that should no more fit front row replacements be available in the squad to take the field and un-contested scrums come into play, then the team forcing the non-contested scrums may not replace the injured front row with another player, meaning that they will effectively play with 14 men from then on.

Great rule and I will be happy for them to implement it at international level as soon as possible - Autralia and Western Province might be devastated by the new ruling :)

Times are changing

News of players changing provinces, clubs, countries and nationalities are part and parcel of the modern era. Traditional rugby was all about pride and representing the club, province or country you came from. It was about defending your territory and you wouldn't dare change allegiance and swap sides for fear of becoming a traitor.

These days a rugby player is an employee and all decisions are business based. Some players would argue that moving to a bigger union or club is because of the huge history or the quality of players at the club, but we all know that at the end of the day it is a business decision.

Clubs and provinces look for quick solutions because the pressure from fans and supporters to produce winning results is immense. Developing a player is time consuming and not always easy. Rugby is showing signs of becoming much like soccer (or football) when it comes to the trading of players, but the powers that be should becareful of retaining the traditions of the sport that make it so unique.

I do not mind players changing clubs or going overseas for a year or two to earn the Euro or Pound and to learn a different style of rugby, but when you change your allegiance to an adopted country I have to question the moral and ethical points of such a move.

When you represent a club or province, you do so for the level of play and the financial gain. Changing your loyalties can be easy when you are being paid more and play with better quality players at a club or province.

International rugby is about pride, nothing more than raw pride! I am sorry, but Riki Flutey is not English. He doesn't deserve to play for England, not because he is a bad player, but because he is not English. Clyde Rathbone's grandmother was Australian, so what! Clyde Rathbone is South African.

You cannot tell me that playing for a different country is a financial decision as you can earn a lot more by being a quality player for a club - just look at some of the salaries being paid out by French rugby clubs!

Some may argue that playing in a foreign country makes national selection difficult. I say work out what your priorities are, finances or pride? There is of course the option of doing both. John Smit did it, Daniel Carter did it and many many more have done it and will continue to look after their financial futures while not jeopardising their international careers a la Frans Steyn.

Anyway, whichever way you look at it rugby needs to keep it's rich traditions at some level and there is no better place to do this when representing your country.

Schalk Pienaar or Morne Brussow?

I'm sure all South Africans will agree that South African rugby is in a very healthy state. Head coach Peter de Villiers has the "pleasant" headache of having too many quality players available at the same time and may find selecting certain players won't please everyone.

Two positions which will have many fans in debate is open side flank and flyhalf. In both positions, you have a more experienced international player available and a strong newcomer staking a claim. Ruan Pienaar would be the starting flyhalf for South Africa in every test match if he had a consistently reliable goal kicking boot or if Percy Montgomery was still playing. While Morne Steyn has more ability than my previous sentence suggests, as an all round flyhalf Pienaar's only flaw is his inability to target the oval shaped ball over the cross bar and between the two uprights, if not for this aspect Pienaar wins the battle hands down. If you asked me who I'd currently select to start it would definitely be Morne Steyn, as a kicker is imperative to the cause and although he hasn't done anything special, he hasn't done anything particularly bad either.

IRB player of the year 2004, Schalk Burger, is back in the fray. Burger has undoubted ability and has an aura about him built up over many seasons of intense physical play that opposition teams have come to fear. Yes, he is not the best "fetcher" in world rugby and his recent "eye-gouging" incident didn't do well for his street credit. I must mention that Burger was cleared of eye-gouging but found guilty of reckless play around the face and eye area. Heinrich Brussow is the incumbent open side flanker and has been a revelation outplaying Richie McCaw and George Smith who are both seasoned world class open side flankers. Although Brussow and Burger cannot be compared like for like, this would be more a case of horses for courses. You cannot start Schalk Burger in any of the away test matches, the only one I may start him in is the last. Brussow is the real answer to combating Australia and New Zealand's ability to disrupt opposition ball at ruck time. Schalk is short of game time and should be eased back into action. I would start Brussow in every match and have Schalk play his way back into form and fitness from the bench.

There might also be far more harm done if Burger starts ahead of Brussow as it will show poor management and create disloyalty between players and coaching staff.

My verdict start Morne Brussow and bring on Schalk Pienaar to seal the deal.

Clash of the wounded titans

Only Australians and Kiwis will be interested in next Saturdays game, as South Africans will smugly tell you that we are unbeaten in three games and should we continue in this fashion then the outcome of next Saturdays game will be of no importance.

As a Springbok supporter, if I happen to miss watching Saturdays game I don't think I'll lose any sleep over it. As a rugby fanatic, next Saturdays Tri Nations match was allocated it's time slot in my diary months ago.

Australia versus New Zealand in a Tri Nations match is always a biggy - this one no different. In fact next Saturdays match is probably more interesting than many of the past trans-Tasman battles. New Zealand are in a place that they haven't been in a long time, knocked off their podium. New Zealand are known to be the best team in the world in non-world cup years, but two years after the world cup they are not the all-conquering rugby powerhouse that we have been used to.

Australia have arguably the best coach that ever coached in Super Rugby history. While rugby union isn't Australia's no.1 sport , Robbie Deans has an uncanny knack of unearthing some gems. While news from both camps are contrasting with Stirling Mortlock out for the remainder of the series and Dan Carter back in the mix, we should still be in for a mighty clash.

Both teams have forward packs looking for dominance and backlines that haven't been allowed to gel in the Tri Nations games so far. Both teams will be looking to make a statement and this will be a difficult one to predict.

Lots of good match ups are on the cards with Richie McCaw and George Smith going head to head and the potential Giteau vs Carter battle seemingly mouth watering. While it is too difficult to predict a winner, a home win for the Wallabies is a result I am inclined to go with. Either way I am not too concerned with who wins, but I am looking forward to a great rugby game.

Australia punished by men in yellow

Australia were their own worst enemies on Saturday when they lost 29-17 to the powerful game play of the Springbok's.

The indiscipline that saw three Wallaby players yellow carded in the game against the Springboks at Newlands on Saturday can be compared to a 3 punch knockout combo in boxing.

Although the Springboks deserved the win, their performance was far from polished. The winning margin could and should have been far bigger. Handling errors and a messy scrum saw useful field position and try-scoring opportunities go a begging. I have already written about the Springbok scrummaging woes in a previous posting so I won't go into that now.

I do feel that John Smit needs special mention for his superhuman rugby skills. Everyone that watched the game on Saturday will admit that the moment of the match was when John Smit (who, remember, now plays tighthead prop) was about to pass the ball when he looked up to see no-one in behind the Australian defence - as they had all rushed up. His pass turned into a dummy pass and in one motion he proceeded to drop the ball onto his left boot for a perfectly weighted grubber. To everyone's amazement the grubber was executed as if he did it week-in-week-out. It was perfectly weighted and resulted in a try for Springbok lock Victor Matfield - who together with Bakkies Botha were celebrating their 50th appearance as a lock combination for South Africa.

If not for the way that the Springboks dominated every facet of forward play, on another day the school boy handling errors may have cost the them the game. For a team with the experience and class of the Boks, they have a lot of work to do. The trip to Australasia won't be easy and making basic errors will only compound the massive task ahead.

The Springboks definitely showed that they are worthy of the World Champion tag and the no.1 ranking, but they should be very wary of complacency.

No Waugh between Smith and Brussow.

Heinrich Wilhelm Brussow, is one of the "finds of the season" according to Springbok skipper John Smit.

The open side flank role slowly started being defined when the game began moving towards professionalism in the 90's. Traditionally, the only criteria the open side flanker needed was to be the fittest and quickest forward and his main role was to make the most tackles on the field.

As rugby progressed through the past two decades, coaches and players have helped to redefine the role to make it much more specialised, and having a good open side flank can prove to be detrimental to the outcome of the game.

One of the more prominent open side flanker types to evolve is the 'fetcher'. The fetcher is the scavenger, stealing the opposition ball and disrupting the speed at which the opposition recycle their ball at rucks.

Although traditonal responsibilities of being the first to every breakdown and trying to achieve the highest tackle count are still an important part of the open side flankers duties, the legal poaching of opposition ball has become a very useful weapon.

For me, George Smith was the first to truly highlight the importance of the fetcher role on the pitch. Since then Richie McCaw, Phil Waugh and Schalk Burger have added the valuable attribute to their skillset, but none are equal to Smith. The master fetcher has represented his country on over 100 occassions which proves just how good he is, especially when another world class fetcher in Phil Waugh has been competing for the same position throughout.

On Saturday, Smith will come up against his newest rival for the title of master fetcher in Heinrich Brussow. The South African "find of the season" has already upstaged All Black captain Richie McCaw on two weekends in a row, but Smith will prove a whole new challenge. Although Brussow is still a newcomer to the international rugby scene, he is quickly creating a global reputation.

When unveiling their squad, Australia omitted the name of Phil Waugh but have the veteran Smith in the starting XV. Surely Brussow has his work cut out for him, but don't be too surprised if it emerges that Smith's title is under serious threat come the end of the Tri Nations match on Saturday.