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The Year of the Shark?

“This is the year of the Sharks”, states my brother in law, Nic, with conviction as he opens a cold one at our new year’s day braai. “We kicked Western Province’s butt in the Currie Cup final and we whipped the Bulls in the semis. The Super 15 is ours.” After their team convincingly outplayed Western Province in the final of the 2010 Currie Cup, it is not surprising that the Shark supporters have high expectations for 2011. The first price they have set there sights on is, of course, the Super Rugby trophy. They narrowly missed out in the final against the Bulls in 2007 and since then could not match their rivals from the North of the country.

“The Sharks are playing the best rugby in the country, nobody can match us”, he continues. “Oh yeah”, retorts cousin James. You were lucky to get into the Currie Cup final, the Bulls had an off day and Victor Matfield took a few strange decisions that worked in your favour”.

This is an argument I have heard many times since the semi-final which the Bulls lost by only 4 points. It was clear that the Bulls were not firing on all cylinders, while the Sharks were playing one of there best games of the season. In the last 10 or 15 minutes, the Bulls also had a number of kickable penalties, but decided to go for the lineout. One successful penalty and maybe a snap drop goal from Morné Steyn, could have changed the result and the Shark supporters would be crying an ocean, so to speak. But that did not happen and the Sharks are the proud holders of the Currie Cup.

There is no denying that the Sharks are playing very entertaining rugby. They run the ball from all angles and are very dangerous on the attack, but will that work for them against all the teams in the Super Rugby series? Can they keep is up for 24 weeks? The Bulls’ tried and tested style of play, where they just smother the opposition and force them into mistakes have outlasted the Sharks for more than one season.

The Sharks supporters certainly believe there team’s style of play is superior to any of the other South African teams, in fact they believe it is superior to all the other Super rugby teams. The Sharks will certainly be a factor in the first Super 15 season, but will they dominate the likes of the Bulls, Stormers and the Crusaders? Can’t wait to see.

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Luke Watson - Hero, or Not?

"Maybe he had too much to drink," remarked a colleague after reading the transcript of Luke Watson's now famous speech. "This does not make sense." I agree that it does not make sense, but Luke does not strike me as somebody that tends to lift his elbow too much. I must admit, it does seem as if he lost a bit of touch with reality.

In his speech he talks about his father and other people “laying down their lives” for him to become a Springbok, or should I rather say: "to play for South Africa", since Luke does not want to be a Springbok. To me, if somebody laid down his life, it means he died and I know for a fact that Luke's father is alive and well and running for president of the Eastern Province rugby union.???

Furthermore, when Luke was forced into the team against Jake Whites's wishes, Luke apparently wanted to leave the team, but his father said he should stay because "many people have bled for him to get there” ???

Who bled for Luke to get there and who died for Luke?

No doubt, many people suffered and bled and died to bring an end to apartheid, but last time I looked, Luke was lily white and he went to one of the best schools in the Eastern Cape. Never did he have to struggle to get somewhere or suffer discrimination and overcome lack of facilities and playing opportunities like many of the black Springboks probably had to. After reading this speech, anybody unfamiliar with the Watson's would think that Luke and his father are black people from rural Africa.

Luke played SA schools, under 19, under 21 and Sevens and never had a problem with the Springbok logo, but he could only get into the Springbok team when his father used his political connections to force him in. Yet he accuses the rugby establishment of being “rotten to the core”. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. And did Luke really expect players who have worked very hard for there places to welcome him with open arms after he got a free ride into the team?

The rest of the speech is very haphazard and I am not really sure what he is trying to say. “Maybe Luke and his father want streets named after them, that’s why they are making it sound as if they are restarting the anti-apartheid struggle,” remarks my colleague. To me it sounds as if they want the Danie Craven stadium to be named the Cheeky and Luke Watson stadium. Anyway, at the rate at which streets and towns get renamed, I won’t be surprised.

This whole saga seems far from over, and I am looking forward to the next chapter in the “We are the Heroes” series by Luke and Cheeky Watson, with music by Queen.