Gaffie syndrome

By Duncan Newton Keal

I have to consider myself one of the most committed sports fans. I have been supporting the Sharks and Proteas with blind passion for numerous years, only to consistently have my heart broken as they conspire to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Currently based in the Land of the Rising Sun I have isolated myself in my flat, for five day periods, ending friendships with uncultured expats, while for the past two weeks I have drank litres of coffee until all hours of the morning only to watch the sharks lose the first three rounds of Super Rugby. Through all of this I have remained loyal to my teams … and to their players.

Despite the relative inconsistency of the Proteas and the disappointment of the Sharks it is two players, with surprising similarities, who are causing me the greatest concern at the moment. Adam Wakefield, a highly entertaining writer, noted in a recent piece entitled Duminy’s career at a dangerous crossroad that JP’s career thus far has failed to deliver what it promised.

I would like to throw another name into the pot of players who continue to contribute to my quickly receding hairline, Ruan Pienaar. Although in different sporting codes, both players are displaying the symptoms of a deadly syndrome.

JP and Ruan captured my attention with their supreme natural talent, their ability to make everything look so easy and make those around them look ungainly and foolish. However despite the natural gift and grace that both players display in their respective sports, they have failed to make the impact promised by their early performances.

While it may be argued that JP is just going through a bad patch, it is the fear of failure in his eyes, (what Mr Wakefield refers to as his visible anxiety), which is more concerning then his lack of runs. The same fear is evident in Pienaar’s eyes when he runs onto the field. I like to refer to this as the Gaffie du Toit syndrome.

We all remember him, dropping goals from 50 metres, tiptoeing through gaps that no one else saw, and being labelled the Next Big Thing. A few below par performances, the pressures of top level sport and poor player management at the hands of various coaches and our friend Gaffie started looking more like a lost poodle in Chatsworth during Diwali than the Next Big Thing.

I agree that JP is indeed at a cross roads in his career, as is Ruan. The selectors of both national teams, having identified their huge natural ability, have show faith in these young players. It is not a case of them lacking the potential to compete at the highest level but rather the self-belief or ‘head’, as it is more commonly referred to. In the case of JP perhaps he does need to be sent back to domestic cricket to regain some confidence and return a happier player. In the case of Ruan, perhaps some clarity as to what is expected of him, particularity in terms of position, and a prolonged run in that position, could make a difference.

Whatever the decisions regarding these two players the next season of their careers is potentially life changing. Let us hope that they are managed with care, because as is often the case the most precious of things are often the most fragile. Here’s hoping that both players reach the heights which they have promised, as I am not sure how much longer I can mainline coffee and isolate myself from human interaction if my favourite players continue to show signs of the dreaded Gaffie du Toit syndrome.

Duncan Newton Keal is currently pretending to teach English in the land of the rising sun and being surrounded by ignorant baseball lovers spends much time coming up with brilliant thoughts on various sports, in particular his true loves cricket and rugby.