Keo.co.za tour diary – Week 1
15 Nov 2009
A smart solution to ‘Anthemgate’, good French hospitality and why the Frogs are the most fiery rugby supporters on the planet.
Welcome to rugby country. That’s the impression you get when arriving at Toulouse’s Blagnac Airport. The coffee shop walls are decorated with famous players of yesteryear, and one of the many Stade Toulousain outlets greets you as you exit customs. The club insignia is branded on popular food franchise windows while the smaller cafes have gone as far as to put up posters of the incumbents.
The French national side only arrived in Toulouse on Thursday night, but up until a few hours before kickoff, there was no imminent feeling that the Tricolores were coming to town. After lunch on Friday, however, the Stade Toulousain outlets swapped their local posters for pictures of the same players in national colours. True to form, the French mood changed in an instant. The locals were switched on and confident. The numerous Saffas plodding along the narrow cobble-stoned roads were heckled. The locals aren’t short on pride, and they gave the green-and-gold tourists a frosty reception.
This reception was not limited to a street-side jeer. The South African embassy felt the need to employ what looked like a Rastafarian to sing Nkosi Sikelel iAfrika. The performer butchered the South African anthem horribly, prompting a reaction from the Springboks in the aftermath and The Times’ Craig Ray to dub the debacle ‘Anthemgate’. The South African media were hosted by the local tourist board on Thursday, where the SuperSport commentary team obliged with a charming rendition of the anthem. If a career in commentary doesn’t work out, Xola Ntshinga, Matthew Pearce and Bob Skinstad are just one-man short of a great Barbershop Quartet. Saru would do well to name them the official anthem-singers on future overseas tours.
How awesome was La Marseillaise? The Municipal Stadium was packed to a 37 000 capacity, but the atmosphere inside its modest walls lent it a quality akin to Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana. People talk about Les Bleus as an emotionally unpredictable rugby team, but their fans are just as volatile. Listening to that national anthem gives you goosebumps, and is probably the one true rival to Nkosi Sikelel iAfrika for the emotion it evokes. Australia and New Zealand are burdened with bland anthems, while the Poms love to sing about a monarch that needs saving. Feel privileged that we have such a great national hymn.
The one thing you have to understand about Toulouse is that it’s not Paris. It’s not as big, and although there are fewer English-speakers, their willingness to communicate is refreshing. If you’re living in London and planning a weekend get away, you could do far worse than Toulouse. The people are fantastic, and the food is something to savour. A few of us enjoyed a dinner at a restaurant similar to that on the TV series ‘Allo ‘Allo. The quintessential accordion playing in the background was a nice touch, but a fish dish that would’ve made Floyd weep was the highlight of the experience. When it comes to food, the French are perfectionists, the simplest of high street baguettes sure to satisfy those with even the most extravagant of tastes.
It’s a wonder that most of the population are able to stay so slim. Moderation seems to be a religious tenet in Toulouse, with large quantities of coffee and cigarettes compensating for their apparently secondary need to eat. And when do these people work? They’re always wandering around town in the kind of clobber that suggests they have a fashion show to get to. France’s 35-hour working week seems to be doing them a world of good. I can’t wait for the rest of the world to follow suit.
By Jon Cardinelli, in Toulouse
106 Comments
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15 Nov 2009, 14:20 pm
#99 grant10:
With Kallis there I’ll always be confident, absolute legend of the game. I’d have him pencilled in first when picking a current world team. The term all-rounder does him a disservice.
15 Nov 2009, 14:20 pm
when is john smits book gonna be released?? is it out yet? no chance in hell im buying joost’s bollocks.
15 Nov 2009, 14:49 pm
#102 wp_boytjie:
It was scheduled for release as soon as Fridays match ended.
15 Nov 2009, 14:55 pm
Chabalou & CAB,
Good to see some sense amongst all the paniek machanics like Skoppie and Gwant10 who want to rush untried youngsters into the squad. The Boks could do with some reincarnations of Andre Venter that’s for sure but much more important to get good coaches (100% Objective 101). Then let Naas, Danie G, even Paulse and Aswin W to pass on their experience.
We also need different game plams, desperately. Sure, Willem Alberts or Ashley Johnston might have been a better No. 8 than Kanko, who stood out by making points scoring mistakes (losing the ball in contact). But overall his game was not that bad, seriaaasly. SA need to relaise that our players are not bigger or harder than our opposition any more. We need to be better and smarter; all round. JS is not bad at how to play the ref but for someone like Barnes a team needs special tactics (Bakkies to stand on his foot?). No, not really but protect the ball better (when will we learn that in a game like that, the forwards need to hunt as a pack) and kick for the corners rather than those up and unders (Morne gave up after one attempt failed). SARU needs to pressure refs who make mistakes on one side only. We need a back up at flyhalf who can stand his ground like Butch (maybe Bosman?). I think Ruan could have come on for FdP. I like F Hougaard. I think Rosy would have gone home in pieces. Baptism of fire for M Steyn, we missed F Steyn although Kirch did not disgrace himself. Percy (or Stefan T) to coach him on positional play (do you think Stefan T might have gone slightly better?).
The Boks lost by 7 points and how did they stuff up there attacking lineout 5m from the French line! Coaching, coaching coaching, not throwing in more new players, just build a squad of 30 to 40 who know the plans and tactics. Sounds a lot but for this type of tour there should be no passengers.
15 Nov 2009, 16:14 pm
#104 husky:
If there is a cancer in one’s body surely the ‘sensible’ thing to do is to get it removed. The body might take a while to heal, but will in time become stronger than before.
Our front row is the cancer and it’s been spreading.
Of course you don’t throw the young guns to the lions, but get them in there quick. That’s what we saying.
15 Nov 2009, 16:14 pm
#105 Die_Valk:
we’re
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