Keo.co.za tour diary – Week 2
Hand of Frog, shooting the breeze with the Saracens saffas and Wembley’s biggest fluke.
Saracens chief executive Eddie Griffiths must have been feeling pretty sheepish after half-time last Tuesday. The north west club pulled out all the marketing stops, using board member Francois Pienaar to MC the event as well as singer Bok van Blerk to entertain the South African masses. But the coup de grace was a competition where contestants were asked to punt the ball 30m onto the crossbar. Interviewed before his magic strike, Stuart Thinner told Pienaar he’d take all the Saracens cheerleaders out for dinner if he won.
Thinner, who incidentally plays hooker for the Welwyn 5th XV, went absolutely mad when his kick struck the crossbar to win him the £250 000 prize, and was promptly swamped by the Saracens cheerleaders. ‘I f-ing did it,’ the 24-year-old told Pienaar afterward, ‘this is the second best day of my life. The first was when I lost my virginity. I hope to buy a flat and a new car with the money.’
Thinner’s kick has received more press in London than Saracens win over the Springboks. Thinner was interviewed by the BBC a day later where he revealed he wasn’t Welwyn 5th XV’s best kicker. ‘Come to think of it, I’m probably not even the best kicker in the front row,’ he chirped. The BBC reporter asked Thinner if winning the prize money had made him the most eligible bachelor in England. ‘If you say so,’ he winked.
Another thing that’s received ample coverage is the ‘Hand of Frog’ incident. Thierry Henry later apologised for handling the ball before slotting a goal against Ireland, but that hasn’t stopped coaches and journalists from panning the French forward. With the disappointment of missing the World Cup cut, expect Ireland to get behind their rugby side in the build up to the Six Nations champs vs world champs fixture.
I spent some time at St Albans this past week and had the opportunity to chat to Brendan Venter and a few of the South African players. Venter claims Schalk Brits has been magnificent since joining Saracens after the 2009 Super 14. Asked about how Saracens differ to the Stormers, Brits said he just can’t compare the two teams.
‘At the Stormers, you aren’t just playing for yourself and your team-mates, you’re playing for the chance to be a Springbok,’ he said. ‘Things have changed since I’ve moved out here. Back in Cape Town we’d play in front of 40 000 week after week, but over here the figures are nowhere near that. It’s a smaller community which is nice because you know everybody, but you can’t compare it to back home. Sometimes the weight of expectation gets to you.’
Wikus van Heerden said he always knew the Boks would pull off a win against Italy, but is nervous about the impending Test in Dublin. ‘I hope they have enough gas in the tank,’ Van Heerden told this website. The former Bok flanker is planning a return to South Africa in 2010 and so could feature in the Currie Cup. The question is for who? Do the Bulls have room for a loose forward veteran or will Van Heerden return to the Lions? Don’t rule out a move to the coast either. Both the Stormers and Sharks could use a player of his experience.
By Jon Cardinelli
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:35 pm
irish gonna be a war
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:38 pm
Wikus…i reckon we could do with you in Cape Town…
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:38 pm
bring CJ or BJ along with you…….
Thanks Wickus
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:53 pm
The starting 15 against Ireland should be:
15. Zane
14. JPP
13. JF
12. Meisiekind
11. Habana
10. M Steyn
9. Pienaar
8. Kanko
7. Rossouw
6. Brussow
5. Vic
4. Bakkies
3. BJ
2. Smit
1. Beast
November 22nd, 2009 at 5:58 pm
now we’re discussing football on keo?
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:03 pm
#5 Transformation: It happens, just wait util June next year…..
Keo will have football threads, I can feel it in my water!!
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:05 pm
JC,
Any idea where the boks will be practicing this week and if they are open sessions?
Regards
GarethM
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:17 pm
#6 carol: you have water?
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:18 pm
#8 Transformation: Gallons!
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Where is Grant 10 when you need him?
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:26 pm
#9 carol: lol…where do you keep it?
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:28 pm
#11 Transformation: Just keeps falling out of the sky!!
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:52 pm
Hi all…
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:01 pm
I must say what a weak article,is that all the he could write after a weeks worth of action.. But on a more serious note I wonder what 2010 is going to hold because I think our players are not going to have enough rest and are going to pick up injuries next year.
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:06 pm
#4 siener:
Send Kanko home. Danie @ 8, Deysel on the side of the scrum.
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:02 pm
Haha, gotta love the pommie working class trash:)
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Saffas peforming abroad- another lame whingeing perfomances by THETACKLER
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:11 pm
perfomance- But plural still works for him.
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:13 pm
even peformance or performince-sigh typing laying down is tough but who cares
November 22nd, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Why don’t the Boks start a policy of choosing overseas based players, especially people with international experience, for the EOYT? It’s common knowledge by now that players need rest and play to much rugby, so why noy use the EOYT as an oppotunity to rest some of your key senior players and choose experienced overseas-based players in their place. It will give your key players important rest time, the younger guys can learn from the overseas-based players (especially about the conditions) and it give you an opportunity to see who of these guys can contribute come the next WC. This way you don’t have to choose a green Bok side for tests. All you need to do is have one of the selectors keep an eye on Europe during the year.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:42 pm
20. fsjakes: Very smart idea, and that’s the only hurdle I see: it’s simply far too smart for our rugby administrators.
November 23rd, 2009 at 2:57 am
Where’s the quote function?
November 23rd, 2009 at 11:54 am
@fsjakes: Everyone has this and that to say about player fatigue. Truth of the matter is the players want to play (for the money). Nobody is going to work hard for years an suddenly step aside for some other player to take the money out of his pocket.
Money talks.