The rugby universe, using the words of Alternative Rugby Commentary’s Jed Thian (search it on YouTube … a very funny series of cartoons from a New Zealand perspective on rugby), is set to go to war once more with the best of the north heading south to face the Tri-Nations teams. Scotland also head to Argentina, but with all due respect to the Scots, they don’t rank at the top of the rugby pile.
Hence the attention of the rugby universe will be on the venerable superpowers of the south, with France and Italy heading to South Africa, England travelling down under and the Welsh and Irish getting ready to face-off against the All Blacks.
An interesting stat I spotted via an article posted on the M&G Online by John Mehaffey of Reuters stated that since the 2003 World Cup, the only Six Nations side to have won in the south has been France. They beat South Africa in 2006 and New Zealand last year.
The four home nations on the other hand have lost all 25 matches played in the south since Martin Johnson lifted the Web Ellis Trophy in Australia seven years ago. England has gone backwards, Ireland has stuttered and the Welsh puff their chests out for 60 minutes before being winded by a devastating green tackle.
These stats make Saturday’s Test between the Springboks and the French in Cape Town a very important one for northern hemisphere rugby. With the French dominating this year’s Six Nations, finishing the competition undefeated, they are by several kilometres Europe’s best chance at picking up World Cup silverware next year. PDV has picked a very strong Springbok side while French coach Marc Lievremont has also brought his strongest side, injuries aside.
It should be a cracker. The Springboks will start as favourites, especially after managing to beat the Welsh with a second string XV but be warned: if South Africa plays badly, defeat is very much an option. For the rest of the North, it’s going to be another tough year as the Tri-Nations sides, plus Argentina, bring the pain and inflict another set of demoralising defeats upon their northern rivals.
And what of the Tri-Nations? I’ve been trawling Kiwi and Wallaby rugby websites since the start of the Super 14 and the feeling I’m receiving from their rugby media is that they believe South Africa will once again start as clear favourite for the Tri-Nations. Why you may ask? They cite the fact that two SA sides contested the Super 14 final, and they didn’t play bad rugby getting their either.
Another advantage we have in the Republic (as Murray Mexted and the comedic, yet excellent, fun-to-listen-to-duo of Phil Kearns and Rod Kafer call us [almost like they are the Evil Empire in Star Wars perhaps?]) is that our depth in each position in the most part is quite disgusting. South Africa has an embarrassment of rugby riches, and apart from fullback and flyhalf, we can field two nearly equally strong sides if need be. I don’t believe all this talk of our props being shite.
The physical style of play used by the Springboks, combined with the nous and tactical acumen they have slowly absorbed since the dawn of the professional era has seen the Springboks become a brand comparable to Genghis Khan: crush, kill and destroy. Sure, we have suffered our bad patches (ie: the Kamp Staaldraad era), but at this present moment, SA rugby fans have a lot to shout about. Realistically, we are in with a real shout of being the first nation to retain the World Cup. It is a good time to be a South African (and if you like soccer/football and cricket, even more so!)
A prince with dignity and determination
Prince Ngarambe’s goals are to become Rwanda’s first transgender model and to uplift the country’s youth
The EFF’s principles are unshakeable
Unlike the ANC, the core values of the freedom fighters do not change with each leader it elects
