Super 15: Is the glass half empty or half full?

So this weekend, as predicted by many, the Sharks did not have it in the tank to take out the Crusaders at home in Christchurch and are out of the Super 15. We’re now left with only the Stormers in the competition … oh no! How could it be that we only have one team in the play-offs … this can’t be good for SA Rugby? This can’t be good for the World Cup?

So I ask you is the glass half empty or half full? Personally not only do I wish the Stormers were not in the play-offs, and no disrespect to my friend Louis Karpas, but I hope they lose in Cape Town and do not make the final. I can hear the Bok Army rallying around now to punish me by throwing Springbok rugby balls at me while tied to a pole with an SA flag. Before this gets interpreted the wrong way entirely, I remain dumbfounded how much all these peripheral competitions still hold any importance in a World Cup year. Yes this year, 2011, we have the Rugby World Cup. So again I ask is the glass half empty or half full?

Looking at the absolute rugby importance of this year, how it is that SA Rugby and world rugby for that matter do not make some concessions on the tournaments played? Why play Tri-Nations this year? Arrange a friendly Test match circuit to allow the teams to get their thinking planned. Forget Six Nations and Tri-Nations — maybe a cross-hemisphere friendly circuit could help the standard of the World Cup itself. I would have been the happiest SA Rugby supporter if all SA teams got smashed out the tournament. I don’t need the Super 15 to tell me the Boks stand as much chance as the other three top contenders, who in my opinion are Australia, the All Blacks and France.

The Super 15 this year must be used to create playing momentum for players. The rugby “camps” SA Rugby have called should have been actual training camps not boardroom meetings. So with four of the five SA franchises now on the rest I believe this is good for us. I believe this is good for SA Rugby and our challenge of retaining the World Cup, which we can do. We really have the greatest opportunity in this, the most open Rugby World Cup ever. No one rugby nation has dominated the rugby stage. I love that!

So for me the glass is half full. I see major opportunity at SA players resting while the over-rated Sonny Bill Williams rams himself into other New Zealand and Australian players — long may it continue.

I know for the players it is financially an issue to be out the tournament in the case of the Sharks, Bulls, Cheetahs and Lions. And it will be too for the Stormers if they lose but for SA Rugby our greatest assets will be recharging for the premier rugby competition.

May that glass remain half full till end September 2011 and John Smit can raise the William Webb Ellis Trophy and SA can be the first nation to win back to back World Cups and win three times. What a feeling that will be and then I can assure you we won’t have half full glasses but glasses only full or empty in celebration.

Good luck Bokke!