I have been so captivated by the Super rugby season and after watching for four weeks, I feel now is as good a time as any to share some opinions I have been mulling over.
I must say that having the Bok coach announced before it began added some freshness and, as always, we clamoured to get a sense of what the main rugby man in South Africa is thinking, alas he has been in hiding from the media for a while now.
As I wrote last year in an article looking ahead to South African sport, I am so excited by the new batch of young players that are gracing the paddock with the exit of some aged Boks.
I looked at the Bulls’ line-up and wondered how it must feel to pull the Blue Bulls number 5 jumper? It seems to me that as Super Rugby franchises we have finally embraced professionalism, the young men coming through have known nothing else about rugby but professionalism and this is being seen now.
I am enthralled by the performances of the Stormers to date, I always felt that if the Stormers could add some real forward dominance to their game they would be close to unstoppable … there you have it. Sitting at second on the overall log and top of the conference in South Africa.
The Bulls will, I believe be the hot and cold of the South African teams this year. They are busy changing their approach to the game, trying to play total rugby and they will reap benefit in 2013 from this gutsy move.
To change a rugby culture is a tough line to take but at the top of the modern game it is but essential to do that to ensure you remain part of the game. I like Jano Vermaak at 9 more so than Francois Hougaard — you will now think I am absolutely loopy — but I would like to see Hougie at 13.
I would not write this team off as yet.
The Sharks look very organised and are offering some very unified and fierce defence causing the 2011 champions to looked rushed and scattered.
The Sharks seem to have worked really hard at make the hit count and really exploiting the breakdown within the rules, hitting the rucks with gusto and a real determination to get hand on ball. They keep shape wonderfully more often than not.
Viljoen at 15 has brought stability with Mvovo and Ndugane with the ever composed Lambie at 10 the Sharks must feel very optimistic after week four.
The Lions are showing signs of a team that is really keen to do well — quite weird how Currie Cup success and structure is just not good enough. The Lions are a tightly knitted unit and never give up under the blood dripping leadership of Strauss anything is possible. They should not have lost to the Hurricanes and I fear they will look back on this home ground loss with regret.
I think they deserve any objective rugby supporter’s support — they will cause some headaches in this tournament on the road and yes … I do think they will be playing Super Rugby in 2013.
Now for the Cheetahs. Without Goosen and Coenie Oosthuizen I fear this team is slightly stronger than a passionate Shimlas outfit. I am saddened by it. Their display against the Brumbies recently was hampered by questionable adjudication but not enough to actually use it as an absolute excuse.
Emotion and guts really can only carry any team so far and I am really concerned that if something is not done the Kings from the world of Cheeky Watson will replace this team in Super Rugby in 2013.
I like Naka Drotske for many reasons yet I am not convinced he has what it takes to make this or any rugby team internationally competitive, Cheetahs are lacking creativity in all spheres and this will not be rewarded in the modern game. Perhaps the start for Managing Director Verster is a new coaching outlook — dare I think perhaps Eugene Eloff could breathe some life into the Cheetahs?
There are some Varsity Cup coaches that should not be overlooked … NMMU look superb this year. Pine Pienaar, the FS Currie Cup coach, is also not the answer although I do respect his rugby coaching ability.
At the end of it all I think Bok Coach Meyer is blessed for choice and as I have said numerous times there can be no excuse for anything but a world dominating Bok unit taking the field every single match. In the meantime I will continue to enjoy the Super Rugby each weekend.
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