Well done to WP for sticking to their guns and winning the cup, despite being outplayed in certain important departments. The Lions can certainly feel proud of their contribution to an excellent and nail-biting final. I could not get myself to watch the game again on Sunday, as I usually do – netnou skop Boshoff daai laaste skop oor in die kyk-weer. This was the second weekend in a row where the opposing flyhalf must take part of the blame for his team’s loss against Western Province, but there were mitigating circumstances for Marnitz Boshoff. The biggest single reason was the fact that the team management elected to only arrive on the day of the match. As I was watching the under-19 and under-20 matches, I saw the wind pick up in strength, and was concerned that it could mar what had the potential of being a great match. No doubt, the crowd and the Cape Doctor were huge allies to the WP cause, but the match plan elected by the home team was the deciding factor. One got the impression that WP decided beforehand that they would not be able to contain the Lions in the scrums, so they opted for other phases from which to launch their attack. They effectively had four extra locks at loose forward, and used this dominance to get their share of the pie. In the end, it was down to the old cliché: the side that makes the best use of its chances will win. Catrakilis was not lucky on Saturday – he practiced hard enough to remove good fortune as a factor in his arsenal.
Proteas Still Second
Rain robbed South Africa from a chance of becoming number one in the world rankings in one-day cricket when the game was abandoned after SA had managed to post an imposing 157-3 after 31 overs.
Maybe it is not all bad news, as they may be able to wrest this title from the hands of the current holders, Australia, when they play a five-match series starting in Perth on 14 November. Pasop net vir Mitchell Johnson – hy weet hoe om ons te looi, of dit nou met die bal of die kolf is.
Double Blow to SA Sport
The tragic loss of Olympic silver medallist Mbulaeni Mulaudzi in a car accident and the seemingly senseless killing of South Africa soccer captain Senzo Meyiwa are losses the country can well do without. Mulaudzi retired last year, but will remain a role model as a result of what he achieved in his career, including gold medals at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. He also won silver at the 2004 Olympics, and was South Africa’s first black athlete to be ranked number one in the world. Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates captain, Senzo Meyiwa, was shot dead by intruders when trying to protect his girlfriend during a robbery at her home near Johannesburg, officials said on Monday. It is tragic that the death of someone who was destined to become a superstar will now draw the attention of the world to our violent society, rather than our prowess on the sports fields.
