St Luke slays Loftus louts
9 Mar 2009
Keo, in his Business Day newspaper weekly column, writes of a player’s triumph and defeat at Loftus.
The Stormers lost in Pretoria but Luke Watson definitely won against a Loftus crowd whose game plan lacked imagination and was devoid of all invention.
The crowd behaviour was as abysmal as the quality of rugby and indeed it was Watson who seemed to intimidate the near 50 000 voices by simply accepting their challenge of continued booing by asking if that was all they had to offer.
It reminded me of former All Blacks wing Jeff Wilson toying with the Newlands crowd a decade ago. Wilson, playing for the Highlanders in the Super 12, was jeered the first time he touched the ball, but midway through the match he was begging the crowd for a reaction as he scored his third try.
With both hands reaching for both ears he gestured for increased noise levels, as he could hear nothing coming from the crowd. It was hilarious and the vocal bullies had nowhere to turn but to further embarrassment. What did these morons do 10 years ago in response to Wilson’s third try? Predictably they booed.
It was the same in Pretoria. What else did the louts of Loftus have to give? Nothing, and when Watson calmly robbed Pierre Spies of the ball in contact and fashioned another clever turnover all the crowd could respond with was another boo as effective as South Africa’s cricket challenge in recent weeks against Australia.
The humiliation belonged to those attempting to ridicule.
Watson, like many of his fictional heroes in the Bible, thrives on confrontation and conflict. Adversity is another must in his working day, as is being condemned by those non-believers of freedom of speech.
In going to Loftus, all the above elements were script guarantees for the stereotype of the persecuted and defiant Christian and naturally, armed with self-belief and backed by God, Watson prospered.
The Loftus crowd, many of them believers of Christianity, misread the contest because effectively they were doing battle with one of their own, but whereas they lacked conviction in their application of resentment, Watson was committed to his stand of defiance.
Watson, disgusted at wearing a jersey with a Springbok emblem on it, is not popular for saying so. He is even less popular for calling South African rugby a game run by Afrikaners, even though there has never been a disciplinary to confirm if he ever did utter the supposedly wicked word ‘dutchmen’.
Watson, the public relations man, is a boring project because his rants and contradictions are as predictable as the Loftus crowd booing. His rugby, though, has more enterprise and is powerful.
He has never produced a Test performance of authority, but his international career has been brief and conditions and playing circumstances cannot compare to the environment of Super Rugby, which is a world made for the skills of Watson.
His Super Rugby pedigree cannot be disputed. Whether you despise his personality or revere him, he can play Super rugby and in Pretoria he did a damn better job of it than local hero Pierre Spies, who for all his athleticism still goes into mute mode when the Bulls tight five engine can’t get out of neutral.
Watson in the one-on-one match-up outplayed Spies, which does not mean I’d pick him ahead of Spies for the Springboks. I wouldn’t, but to dispute Watson’s superiority over Spies at the weekend would be a betrayal for anyone gifted a healthy set of eyes.
Watson is a clever player, whose athleticism is matched by an ability to read the game and by good skills. He may physically struggle in contact but his mind never battles to go forward.
These factors helped him beat the Loftus louts, but because of his persecution complex about being a privileged white Watson in a black South Africa these factors are meaningless in Watson’s fight to beat out of himself the need to be a South African rugby martyr; liable for the actions of those who lived in an era he has only ever read about.
Watson, the rugby player, won in Pretoria, but it is Watson the rugby player who never wins in Watson’s world – and that will always be the tragedy of a player whose world does not allow him to simply be a rugby player.
1,045 Comments
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9 Mar 2009, 18:20 pm
Hoekom se niemand niks oor die vedeo van “Joost” op Rapport se website?
9 Mar 2009, 18:20 pm
#600 K9 Pavement-special: Why follow a trend?
In my school it seems we have found a little smoking problem. Now it doesn’t matter how many kids (of age or not) go behind the building and light up, it’s still not right.
9 Mar 2009, 18:21 pm
#601 Isigidi: Is dit daar op? Gaatjies onderbroek en al?
9 Mar 2009, 18:21 pm
#601 Isigidi: why don’t you call in tonight and ask him?
9 Mar 2009, 18:23 pm
#602 SpringbokSarah: Actually I dont have a problem with swearing. I do that a lot…esp when my team is playing or when in traffic. It is the hatred spewed at this site that gets to me.
9 Mar 2009, 18:23 pm
#601 Isigidi: Is it Joost? In your opinion.
9 Mar 2009, 18:25 pm
#603 K9 Pavement-special: So uittreksel. Ek sal ok skaam wees as ek hy is.
Reel nr 1. Jy trek nie jou kaal uit voor die girl eerste kaal is nie. Dom donner in die vedeo, joost of de not!
9 Mar 2009, 18:26 pm
How f….g pathetic Keo! When the Stormers fan booed Pukey you did not call them Louts! Or was this artickle for Cape Town consumption?
9 Mar 2009, 18:26 pm
#541 hater: Fighting against 10 000 or more in the crowd at Loftus is not changing the course of rugby. Maybe that was a perfect picture of how little an impact Luke Watson is really having. If Luke wants to change people who are in the crowd, who have no say so in SA rugby, just mere spectators in blue colours, then he would be advised to spend some time learning how to communicate the truth without becoming what he hates. My point was that he is not going to get anywhere as far as rugby goes as a whole, he is not going to change the way rugby is run in this country – you obviously missed that.
9 Mar 2009, 18:27 pm
#606 hater: Sure looks like him!
9 Mar 2009, 18:27 pm
#605 K9 Pavement-special: But why do people (myself included) swear at the TV? They can’t hear or see you?
9 Mar 2009, 18:28 pm
#582 grootblousmile: wie het jou so de moer in gemaak?
9 Mar 2009, 18:29 pm
#604 SpringbokSarah: Huh?
9 Mar 2009, 18:29 pm
#609 savethespringbok: He really doesn’t care about them
#610 Isigidi: I haven’t seen it don’t want to either
9 Mar 2009, 18:29 pm
#590 St.Petersburgbok: After reading drivel for an hour at last someone who actually knows what it was all about.
Naand GBS.
9 Mar 2009, 18:32 pm
#613 Isigidi: super rugby on kyknet, you call in and can ask Joost, Breyton or Kobus your question.
9 Mar 2009, 18:32 pm
#611 SpringbokSarah: K9 do it every Sat. I would also swear if my team looses all the time. He don’t only swear, he kicks dogs as well!!
9 Mar 2009, 18:33 pm
#615 blhoo:
do you remember it a bit like vietnam?
9 Mar 2009, 18:33 pm
#614 SpringbokSarah: you point? what does he care about? his own view that rugby amangement needs to be exactly go as he thinks it should? without EVER acknowledging any obvious good changes in rugby and representation of blacks in the sport?
9 Mar 2009, 18:34 pm
#609 savethespringbok: It takes one man to make a stand.#614 SpringbokSarah: Don’t go look. You’ll go blind. It totally looks like him and the article with the video appears to confirm it. #615 blhoo: I’m not doing the evening shift of sense. Someone else take over, I’m gonna have a long bath and watch you all fight.
9 Mar 2009, 18:35 pm
#616 SpringbokSarah: Believe it or not, I wrote them a mail bout 3 years ago promising that I will not watch Superrugby while Joost and Errol is co-presenters, and I never did again. Promise. So sorry girl, not my type of show, being a ******** and all.
9 Mar 2009, 18:35 pm
again with the hatred on this luke thread?
eish!
i am bleak because my wife is a “********” though really she would be just a “dutchie” but honestly she is of polish and german stock, a rare bloodline actually, akin to a very fine wine.
so she is a ****** kraut dutchie and our kids will be ****** kraut scots-irish dutchies.
poor little buggers but at least they will be mongrels, and everyone knows mongrels are tough. you have to be that way to live in africa i think.
9 Mar 2009, 18:35 pm
#617 Isigidi: Poor dogs… I must admit, the cats run away in the match though
9 Mar 2009, 18:36 pm
#617 Isigidi: Haha….says the Stormer supporter. hehehehe
9 Mar 2009, 18:37 pm
#621 Isigidi: Howzit? Have not seen you around for a while!
9 Mar 2009, 18:37 pm
#596 cab:
yes,I agree, i found studing Piet Retief and Afrikaans pretty pointless in the greater scheme of things. In fact…I down right absolutely hated being forced to study Afrikaans.
But to my credit, I didn’t adopt the strugglers policy of the time and burn my frikken school down, did I??
Possibly 1 of the reasons why am not one of the 10 or so million unemployed?
Or 1 of the 10 million others earning minimum wage?
(just a little swipe there from me withregards to people cutting off their noses to spite their faces.)
#595 hater:
unlike you, I’ve seen both. And nobody lasts 27 years at Lefotovo.
9 Mar 2009, 18:38 pm
#620 hater: sure it does, one man to make a stand, any amn can stand up and : “make a stand”
9 Mar 2009, 18:38 pm
#607 Isigidi:
Jy kan niks eers op daai video sien nie! MAar ek dink anyway hy is skuldig. Die dat die outjies n verklaring afgele het en alles erken het laat my glo dis wel hy.
9 Mar 2009, 18:39 pm
#618 cab: I couldn’t be bothered to discuss it. Actual experience will beat reading a book anyway.
I regard you rugby knowledge very highly, have done so for a couple of years now. Lets leave it at that.
9 Mar 2009, 18:39 pm
#619 savethespringbok: My point is he doesn’t want to change the people in the crowd on the fact he doesn’t care about them.
#620 hater: lol, I will take your word for it then.
#621 Isigidi: Pity… it would be entertaining to see his face when somebody asks him about it.
9 Mar 2009, 18:39 pm
#621 Isigidi:
hehe – dink nie eintlik Errol en Joost gee om of jy kyk of nie maar nou ja!
9 Mar 2009, 18:40 pm
#628 Supa Die Bloubul: Bloubul tor hehehehehe
9 Mar 2009, 18:41 pm
#629 blhoo:
ok, fair enough, lets leave it at that.
neither of us has a cat in ***** chance of convincing the other otherwise.
9 Mar 2009, 18:41 pm
#610 Isigidi:
There is no way you can tell from the clip in Rapport whether its him Isi??! I think its him because of those students that came out, but the Rapport clip doesnt show much.
9 Mar 2009, 18:41 pm
That ‘Joost’ clip on the rapport site is ****. Is that the best they’ve got.
9 Mar 2009, 18:42 pm
what a load of sycophantic drivel! Keo is so far up Cheeky’s bum he can taste Cheeky’s dinner! Luke played well by his own standards, but only average by the normal standards expected of a S14 loose forward. He had a few breaks off the back of the scrum, which is not hard since you have a free ball to work with, but seldom made ground. He disposessed Spies once, true, but Keo is strangely silent about how FdP took the ball off him like taking candy from a sleeping baby. Keo also completely ignores Vermeulen, who really did play well, and Keo promotes Watson’s right to “free speech” while seemingly unwilling to allow the rugby fans the same right. And as for the Biblical rant – come on Keo! It’s like listening to Tom Cruise on Oprah! Read the Bible before you try to quote it. The reference to Wilson is also seriously misplaced – Wilson scored three tries but Watson did nothing except turn up. Luke did not slay the Loftus crowd, he merely confirmed that he is a very average player. What made him so brave – its not like the Loftus crowd were allowed to vomit on him, far less injure the little guy? Methinks perhaps Keo was bullied as a laaitjie.
9 Mar 2009, 18:42 pm
#625 AB: Busy mostly AB. Rugby season so I need to se what the REAL experts have to say now and then. LOL. Wish the politics and Luke thing will go away.
How r u?
9 Mar 2009, 18:42 pm
just kidding eh dutchies?
soutie, out!
9 Mar 2009, 18:43 pm
#632 K9 Pavement-special:
Hoekom nou GBS hierby insleep?
9 Mar 2009, 18:44 pm
#628 Supa Die Bloubul: Waffer outjies?
9 Mar 2009, 18:44 pm
#626 St.Petersburgbok:
StP, those schools were burnt for a reason.
anyway lets concentrate on watson, since this is what the article is about, can anyone please explain to me why watson is singled out like this, while we’ve had terrible racists and murderers under the Bok emblem?
this is very hard to understand.
9 Mar 2009, 18:45 pm
#635 racheltjiedebeer:
exactly! Anyone who claims to know it is Joost from that clip are folling themselves!
9 Mar 2009, 18:45 pm
#635 racheltjiedebeer: have you tried youtube?
9 Mar 2009, 18:45 pm
#624 K9 Pavement-special: What’s up with the new name bro? Pas jou nie.
9 Mar 2009, 18:45 pm
Keo how are we supposed to take you seriously when your research is so obviously abysmal? “Fictional” biblical heroes? Seriously, did you even do history at school? Whether or not you’re religious or not, this is a factual error made by a supposedly “factual” journalist. I’m just saying you can’t claim credibility as a journo with errors like this. May as well say Shaka Zulu was a made-up character in a children’s story.
On a rugby note. If a crowd booing drives Luke Watson on to perform well, if he thrives on the field when the crowd is against him… then how is it a bad thing? Sure the onlookers don’t come away looking too great, but what matters surely is the players’ performances. If I thought booing the Springboks would make them win then hell yes I’d do it!
9 Mar 2009, 18:46 pm
#637 Isigidi: Can only move my fingers after a horse-riding weekend!
9 Mar 2009, 18:47 pm
#631 Supa Die Bloubul: Hey hey hey Player 23 boetie onthou! Hulle is nokkol sonder fans, nokkol!
9 Mar 2009, 18:49 pm
#644 Isigidi: Sal aan ‘n ander een dink……….eks eintlik opreg.
9 Mar 2009, 18:49 pm
#640 Isigidi:
Wat de hel is n “waffer outjie”??? hehe
Bron vertel hoe Joost-video gemaak is
Inge Kühne
Druk artikel
E-pos storie aan ‘n vriend
Joost van der Westhuizen.
Pretoria
Hy het Mike Bolhuis – die private speurder wat die berugte “Joost-seksvideo” namens dié oud-Bok ondersoek – nog nooit in sy lewe gesien nie.
Nog minder is hy deur Bolhuis ondervra.
Só sê die man wat verantwoordelik was daarvoor dat die video-sekskapades van Joost van der Westhuizen op die lappe gekom het.
Michael* is die bron van die omstrede video. Dit is die eerste keer dat hy ’n onderhoud oor die video toestaan.
Bolhuis se bewering die afgelope week dat hy die “twee polisiemanne” geïdentifiseer het én die vrou agter die video ondervra het, slaan hom dronk.
Hy lyk skoon verdwaas hier waar hy in ’n kuierplek in die hartjie van Pretoria daaroor praat.
Dis Blou Bul-wêreld dié en hy vrees die dag as die mense hier rond uitvind dit was hý wat die video aan die skindertydskrif Heat gegee het.
“Kyk, ek bewe,” se hy en hou sy groot hand vir ‘n oomblik in die lug bokant die tafelblad.
Sy senuwees is gaar.
As sy ma-hulle dit uitvind …
Hulle is gesiene mense, vertel hy.
En die Joost-ondersteuners wat so onwrikbaar aan hul rugbyheld glo … As Joost hom kry. En Bolhuis.
Joost het hy al ’n paar keer skrams ontmoet. Hulle het in ’n stadium in dieselfde kringe beweeg.
Bolhuis se foto het hy op die internet gekry nadat hy gehoor het dat dié private speurder die “komplot” namens Joost sou oopvlek. Hy wou weet hoe die man lyk ingeval Bolhuis hom dalk regtig kom soek.
“As die honde by die hek blaf, skrik ek my elke keer dood,” bieg hy.
Veel van ’n komplot was dit nie, blyk dit. Dit was eintlik maar net ’n plannetjie wat een dag laas jaar in ’n studentewoonstel bekook is.
Michael se vriend Anton* het destyds ’n paar maande lank uitgegaan met ’n ontkleedanseres, Sonja*. Sy het Joost twee keer privaat ontmoet.
Dis nie reg nie, het die twee vriende daardie dag in die woonstel vir mekaar gesê. Mense bewonder Joost. En dan doen hy sulke dinge agter sy vrou se rug.
Net daar het hulle die plan bedink om sy volgende besoek aan Sonja op band vas te lê.
Maar hoe? Nie een van hulle het al ooit ’n steelvideo probeer maak nie.
Hulle het wel ’n kamera gehad. En hulle het ’n handsak gekoop om die kamera in te versteek.
Dit wou nie inpas nie en hulle het die voering uitgeskeur om plek te maak. Hulle het bra’s en broekies bo-op die kamera gepak om dit te versteek.
Toe bel Sonja vir Joost. Die afspraak is gemaak en Sonja is daar weg na die woonstel van ’n vriend van Joost in Moreletapark. Sy was gespanne, maar Anton het vir haar gesê dit gaan oukei wees.
Die twee mans het by Anton se woonstel nie ver daarvandaan nie gewag.
Wat hulle nie toe besef het nie, is dat Joost laat was vir die afspraak. Die hele storie het toe uiteindelik langer aangehou as wat hulle verwag het.
Anton het later kriewelrig geraak. Hy het Sonja drie keer gebel. Jy kan die telefoon op die video **** lui. Op die video sien jy hoe sy die oproepe ignoreer.
Michael sê hy en Anton het Joost later van ’n telefoonhokkie in Johannesburg af gebel. Hy sê hulle wou Joost g’n afpers nie. Hulle wou hom net waarsku dat hulle die video het en dat hy moet ophou “neuk” met die meisies.
Joost het só woedend gereageer dat hulle net daar afgesien het van enige planne om die video bekend te maak, sê hy.
Michael het die kasset in sy kombuislaai gebêre.
Anton en Sonja se paaie het geskei en albei het weggetrek uit Pretoria.
Agt maande het verloop.
Toe **** Michael vroeg in die nuwe j aar ’n skinderstorie dat Joost met ’n meisie gevry het by ’n nagklub in Pretoria se studente-gebied.
En net daar besluit hy toe die tyd is reg om vorendag te kom met die video.
Hy het eers Anton en Sonja se toestemming gekry. Sonja het nie beswaar gehad nie solank sy net nie geïdentifiseer word nie. Sy dans nie meer nie.
Hy wat Michael is, sal twee keer dink voordat hy dit weer doen.
Net hy en vier vriende weet dat hy die man agter die video is. En hy hoop om dit só te hou.
• * Skuilname.
9 Mar 2009, 18:50 pm
The thing Keo is missing here is that Twatson always plays well against the bulls and even better when he’s at Loftus so you cant judge him on this game nor on the few the stormers have played. Besides so far the stormers season is going the same as all the ones before, perinnial under-achievers! Bar JdV they all playing kak so its hard to compare them to anyone.
Luke can play, but rugby is a team sport and he needs to learn that. He dug his own hole and only he can get himself out of that. I agree with many of his views, but not the way he went about them. If he felt so bad about the Jersey why did he accept it? And the fat pay cheque? And go on the front of SI with the Bok across his chest acting like he was superman? He still has got a long way to go to get out that hole!
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