If ever a medal should be awarded to a team for overcoming setbacks, disappointment and discrimination, it should go to the SA men’s hockey side. Forced to re-qualify for the Olympics by the double-standard practitioners called Sascoc (my typing vinger almost slipped there) they displayed an awesome amount of guts and determination to give the governing body a one-finger salute.
Beating the home team in front of a hugely enthusiastic crowd was no mean feat, and from reports, the onslaught in the final 15 minutes was awesome, yet our boys held their own.
But then I looked at the names in the team, and knew that they came from good stock. Anyone remember the names Madsen, Reid-Ross etcetera?
Rugby Review
The biggest disappointment was the thrashing of 47 – 0 dished out to the sevens side in the plate final. Losing key players through injury is something every team suffers, and no excuse for this kind of humiliation. I trust that it will be the bottom of the pit from where the team will drag itself up. Nee, magtag, man, ons het mos darem ons trots.
The weekend results in the Super 15 was mostly pleasing, with even the Lions not being slaughtered by the Chiefs.
Congratulations to the Bulls for topping the local log after probably their best running game in years. The defensive lapses can easily be rectified, and I suspect the game plan against the Waratahs will be the more traditional Bulls approach any way.
The Cheetahs admit to not having played an attractive game, but as the coach said afterwards, they would rather take an ugly win than an attractive loss. After their heartbreak the previous week, it was important to get this win under the belt, and provides a good platform for this coming weekend at Newlands.
The Sharks must get a sangoma to organise rain when they play. When it bucketed down on Saturday, they played their best rugby of the season. While there is room for improvement, particularly in terms of conceding penalties, there are positive improvements aplenty. I particularly enjoyed the seven man Sharks scrum driving back the Highlanders eight while Jacques Botes was on a yellow card mission.
The Stormers are currently second on the SA conference table, and must be ruing the fact that they only have one bonus point, compared to the six of the Bulls. Both these sides have a game in hand, compared to the Chiefs, who currently lead the overall log, and can overhaul them without having to rely on the Chiefs to stumble.
Die komende naweek se rugby gaan baie interessant wees. Die Lions meet kragte met die Blues, die Bulls kom te staan teen die Waratahs, die Sharks toets die Force op hul tuisveld en die Cheetahs kom Nuweland toe. Liplek lekker – tot na die tyd!
My kollega Albert vertel van klein Jannie wat baie opgewonde by die skool aankom en vir sy juffrou vertel van hulle hond wat nege kleintjies gekry het. Almal Bulls, glo.
Die volgende dag is die inspekteur daar en juffrou vra hy moet vir hom ook vertel wat by die huis gebeur het. “Nege hondjies, Meneer. Almal Stormers.”
“Hoe dan nou, Jannie? Gister was dit dan Bulls?”
“Nee, juffrou, hulle ogies het intussen oopgegaan.”
Vrede, ou Grote.
