Super start
15 Feb 2010
Clarity at the breakdown, reward for the attacking side and a sizzler in Bloemfontein were the stand out features in round one of the Super 14, writes Keo in his weekly Business Day column.
Six away wins also told its own story about the respective strengths and, as in most seasons, there is a distinct top six and bottom eight look about the sides.
Results aside, the weekend was glorious because of how the breakdown was officiated.
Last year no player wanted to carry the ball into contact, for fear of being isolated in the tackle and not having enough time to release the ball. That was the primary reason teams refused to risk attacking and relied instead on a kick and charge approach.
Last season everything favoured the defensive side and a low risk attitude. Tries were minimal, scores of 6-0 resurfaced, viewership dropped and Super Rugby was more like Super boring.
In round one we saw a massive improvement primarily because of the adjustment at the breakdown, which allows the tackled player to place the ball and demands of the tackler to allow for that. It has given the attacking player confidence again when going to ground and it has also freed up the static ball that was a feature of last season’s competition.
This past weekend was a bit like watching the early days of Super Rugby when attack was a more effective weapon than defence and tries were a greater reward than penalties.
The referees, for the most, got it right in round one, although the greatest irritant to spectators and coaches must be how referees coach and manage the flow of the game instead of applying the laws and whistling what they see in front of them.
If a player infringes, penalize him. Why warn him? It means the ill disciplined and clueless (when it comes to the basic laws of the game) get a free ride while the disciplined players get no reward for their application to the laws.
If a player is in front of the kicker, penalize him. Instead we get referees screaming out ‘freeze’. It is the same with a player going offside. Too often a player is guilty but the referee cautions him to get back onside, when he simply should be penalizing the player.
Defending champions the Bulls were impressive in Bloemfontein, but it needed an equally positive approach from the Cheetahs and an outstanding refereeing performance from Jonathan Kaplan to allow for the 51-34 spectacle.
Kaplan was decisive, calm and appreciative of the positive intent of both teams. The Bulls, so often criticized as one-dimensional, are everything but that. We saw it last season when they produced the most stunning and ruthless display in the final and very little seems to have changed in between seasons.
Morne Steyn gets better as a flyhalf each time he plays and those who label him a kicking flyhalf need to open their eyes. He has balance and more strings to his bow than just kicking.
The usual suspects in the Bulls were good and perhaps this is the season when Bulls centre Wynand Olivier forces his way into the Test team as a regular starter. Oliver was outstanding in attack and defence and with Olivier, Fourie du Preez, Victor Matfield and Pierre Spies all operating at maximum it will take a very good team to beat the Bulls this season.
Of the overseas teams the Crusaders and Hurricanes will again lead the charge, while the Brumbies will be difficult to beat in Canberra, if not as difficult to overcome when in South Africa.
Very little seems to have changed with the Stormers and Lions, while the Cheetahs don’t have the depth to trouble too many teams. The Sharks were abysmal and while the weather was a contributing factor it is obvious something is not gelling in the Sharks set-up. They were diabolical in the pre-season and there was not much improvement against an equally out of sorts Chiefs. Neither side deserved to win in Durban.
The Stormers started with a flurry against the Lions and ended with a whimper. It is nothing new for the Stormers to lose second halves or go scoreless but if the Capetonians have serious aspirations of a winning the title they will need to be a darn side better than they were in Johannesburg.
They were poor and the Lions were even poorer. The excuse that this is an inexperienced Lions team is also nonsense. The side that played in Johannesburg was decidedly stronger than the one that beat Western Province in the final round of the Currie Cup.
255 Comments
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15 Feb 2010, 16:07 pm
@Xhosa-Kid:
eita nto yakhuthi!Ndicela ubuza uphuma phi?
15 Feb 2010, 16:09 pm
@Dawn: LOL!!, on a more serious point: What Daily Sun/ Die Son have achieved in terms of promoting literacy and/or the habit of reading in the townships is quiet phenominal.All of a sudden, guys who wouldn’t touch a newspaper even if their lives depended on it, are now reading.
Grannys, uncles etc etc who take the trains to the suburb every morning are now knuckling down and reading, even those who cant read are buying the paper and are giving it to the schoolkids in the trains to narrate the stories, everyone wins, the kid gets to practice reading, a generation that never went to school gets excited about buying a “newspaper”.
I wish government can say, THANK YOU, Daily Sun.
15 Feb 2010, 16:10 pm
@Blouste:
Ag come on.
“Jou ma se p#s in n fishpaste jar”
That’s EXACTLY what they’d say.
I didn’t have to go there to know this.
They did it here.
15 Feb 2010, 16:10 pm
@katman: Jack Parow het sy oomblikke, hou net nie van sulke afrikaanse redneck tronkvoels wat ewe skielik fashion geword het nie maar sal gaan check dankie. Hulle het tot n Fransie lookalike in een van hulle videos, nee man
15 Feb 2010, 16:11 pm
@NZINCHINA: @58
*hearty belly chuckle*
15 Feb 2010, 16:11 pm
@XhosaKid:
Precisely.
I agree 110%!
Next stop, Charles Dickens, hopefully.
15 Feb 2010, 16:12 pm
I thought I had explained it adequately…
unfortunately I am unavailable for a personal consultation….
as you know thursdays is pilates night….
15 Feb 2010, 16:12 pm
@Dantalian: Die vraag was wat is meer kommin as n bloubul supporter met n paar blou ballas agter sy cortina
15 Feb 2010, 16:12 pm
@Black Panther:
Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, thought you’d like that mate.
15 Feb 2010, 16:13 pm
@Dawn:
Never saw it, but hey, if you say so…
15 Feb 2010, 16:15 pm
@Gary:
‘n Province supporter met sy tjommie sin in sy hand…
15 Feb 2010, 16:16 pm
@Gary: Jack Parow is meer ‘n openlike parodie van zef Afrikaner kultuur. Dis veronderstel om ‘n joke te wees en mens lag vir die slim lirieke. Mens lag (soortvan) vir Die Antwoord ook, maar dis ‘n effense ongemaklike laggie omdat dit meer eg voorkom.
15 Feb 2010, 16:17 pm
@Blouste: Julle bulle supporters praat darem lekker stories vandag, van dooie mense spyker tot jou tjommie se draad trek. All class
15 Feb 2010, 16:17 pm
Keo,
“Morne Steyn gets better as a flyhalf each time he plays” ?
3 months aren’t that long time, have we already forgotten the Morne Styen of the 2009 EOYT?
15 Feb 2010, 16:17 pm
@Dawn: great!!, “The tale of two townships”.
15 Feb 2010, 16:17 pm
Gotta run, found out some interesting things about SA culture tonight – until next time.
15 Feb 2010, 16:18 pm
@katman: Ding is van die antwoord hulle is regtig soos hulle voorkom, maak my ongemaklik jy is reg.
15 Feb 2010, 16:20 pm
@Gary:
Jy het ‘n vraag gevra, ek het die moeite gedoen om hom vir jou te antwoord.
As jy nie verstaan nie, vra weer, ek sal vir jou probeer verduidelik.
15 Feb 2010, 16:20 pm
@NZINCHINA: @146
@WP Till I Die:@133
oh, jeez, thanks fellas.
not only did that turn my lunch, but it also made me think that shagging sheep was better than something else afterall.
15 Feb 2010, 16:21 pm
@Blouste: Ek verstaan nie, ek het gese kommin, nie sif nie
15 Feb 2010, 16:21 pm
@usualsuspect: Born eRhawutini, ndakhulela eGcuwa, in fact,yonke infundo yamabanga aphantsi ndiyenze eGcuwa and some other parts ze Mpuma Koloni, sikhule kunye no-”Transformation”, ndilapha where it all started.
15 Feb 2010, 16:21 pm
@NZINCHINA: I am mocking Jaco. Everyone knows he is plain cookoo.
@rangerman: Just having some fun at Jaco’s expense, and reminding the Bulls that they might be on the top, but it’s a long season and they have had their rough times too.
15 Feb 2010, 16:23 pm
@Gary:
Fyn lyn tussen die twee…
As jy jou wil uitgee vir ‘n toffie, moet jy bereid wees om gekou te word…
15 Feb 2010, 16:25 pm
@Blouste: Nee ou maar nie sulke **** grappie nie, waarvan die mond vol is loop die mond oor
15 Feb 2010, 16:26 pm
@Blouste: Bloubul filosofie. Diep.
15 Feb 2010, 16:27 pm
@Blouste: Wat jy en jou tjommie Tac se is sif, kommin is n kabouter by die voorhek
15 Feb 2010, 16:30 pm
@Gary: ‘n Shark supporter met ‘n haai fin op die dak van sy cortina bakkie!!
15 Feb 2010, 16:33 pm
@JA-JA: Was n paar jaar gelede op Kingspark toe Natal teen WP gespeel het en een supporter het n gehekelde piesang teussen sy bene vasgemaak, dis great stuff. So het ons almal maar ons supporters, vat hulle eerder voor ek die klomp All Black supporters op Nuweland vat
15 Feb 2010, 16:36 pm
@Gary:
En dit wat jy probeer impliseer is stereotiep en veralgemening, of moet ons nou vir mekaar begin vertel hoe kommin/sif of wat ook al jou verduideliking daarvoor is elke span se ondersteuners is…
Swak ou poging tot sensasie, uitdeel kan jy, maar sukkel met die ontvang gedeelte sien ek…
15 Feb 2010, 16:36 pm
@rossoneri:
I think the lesson all teams should learn from the bulls is that they were absolute ****, the worst of the sa franchises, but they did something about it. they achieved their goals with hard work and patience, even their staunchest critics would struggle to deny that their future looks very good…not something to crow about but something the other teams could do well to emulate…
15 Feb 2010, 16:36 pm
@Gary: Gehekelde piesang? Nie geweet mense hekel nog nie.
15 Feb 2010, 16:39 pm
@Gary:
Fool.
15 Feb 2010, 16:40 pm
@Gary:LOL!!! Het die man ‘n kondoily gehad vir die gehekelde piesang?
15 Feb 2010, 16:41 pm
kondoily = gehekelde kondoom
15 Feb 2010, 16:43 pm
@Blouste: Ontspan julle Bulle is ok as julle slaap.
Vertel liewers vir ons wie gaan julle kry in Jaco Pretorius se plek die naweek
15 Feb 2010, 16:47 pm
@Dawn: genuine, dit het tot n curve ingehad
15 Feb 2010, 16:48 pm
n bietjie na die linkerkant toe
15 Feb 2010, 16:49 pm
@Gary:
Pretorius is geen “great loss” nie, in teen deel hy het nog nie regtig iets by die Bulle beteken imo nie.
Dink hulle sal F.Hougaard oorweeg.
Stefan Dippenaar sal ook goed doen.
En hulle kan JL Potgieter inbring na binne senter en meisiekind uitskuif.
Sal moet sien wat die coach besluit…
15 Feb 2010, 16:53 pm
Goieste – wat de hel het mettie thread gebeur?
15 Feb 2010, 16:55 pm
@Blouste: Dink Hougaard word gewaste by julle want as FdP die dag n besering kry is die Bokke in die moeilikheid en daardie mannetjie het die X faktor vir n skrumskakel.
Stem oor Pretorius, het hom gerate by die leeus maar om daar te shine is seker ook nie moeilik nie geen disrispek
15 Feb 2010, 16:56 pm
@Staal: happy hour by teazers in Pretoria
15 Feb 2010, 16:58 pm
@Gary:
Hougaard gaan Fourie opvolg, no doubt…
Sal hierdie S14 ook speel as Fourie gerus word.
Hy word net nou uit posisie gespeel weens beserings, maar sal deurkom, moenie stres nie.
Hy moet net geduld he tot volgende jaar.
Sal tien teen een in die CC ook daar speel.
15 Feb 2010, 17:02 pm
@Blouste: Hoop vir julle en die bokke se part hy word nie die volgende Ruan nie. Maar om die S14 te wen beteken dit jy moet diepte he
Anyways moet gaan slaap, geniet die seisoen. Julle lyk goed
Danie vir die banter, spot maar net
15 Feb 2010, 17:03 pm
@Gary: danie = dankie
15 Feb 2010, 17:12 pm
Super start maybe…things just looking a tad predictable…much like 2009…
15 Feb 2010, 17:28 pm
@Blouste: if the bulls intention is for hougaard to be du Preez successor then i think playing him at wing is doing him more harm than good. look at what happend to Pienaar. Get rid of Adams (though i do rate him aswel)and let hougaard focus soley at scrumhalf. If i were the bulls id make an offer to Mapoe that he cant refuse, hes work rate is very impressive.
15 Feb 2010, 18:25 pm
@Mustard:
Mapoe would be a great buy…
15 Feb 2010, 18:32 pm
@Blouste: He would be a great Bok…off the bench at first…
15 Feb 2010, 19:17 pm
Cape Town – Chaos erupted at the V&A Waterfront on Monday when former Springbok captain and SuperSport presenter, Bob Skinstad, was arrested.
Journalists at the venue were quick to react, grabbing their tape recorders as they started firing questions at the two armed policemen who handcuffed Skinstad and escorted him into a police van.
The commanding officer refused to comment as to the exact charges, except to say “Mr Skinstad cannot be giving out free school shoes to children. Just imagine if every child thinks they should now have a pair of school shoes. And for free. What would happen? There would be dancing in the streets and that is not right. ”
An anonymous rugby fan in his late 40s, who was passing by at the time said, “I was shocked. Just the other day I was watching Bob on TV thinking what a likeable, decent guy he is and then I see him being dragged off in handcuffs by the police. It was terrible to see.”
It has since emerged that Skinstad, who prefers to be called Bob, is being charged with a “positivity” crime – using the media to raise awareness for the millions of schoolchildren who are subjected to the daily pain and humiliation of having to go to school without school shoes. In fact, in most cases, children who do not have uniform or shoes do not attend school.
Says Bob: “What child wants to go to school when they know they will be teased, when they know that they will stand out? I believe every child has the right to own a pair of school shoes because it’s an important step in giving children a sense of pride and dignity, thus enhancing the child’s education.”
Determined to “walk the talk”, Bob started the “bobsforgood foundation” along with his good friend, Ron Rutland. The foundation is driven by a single concept – to put shoes on the seven million children in South Africa that do not have shoes. Bob is fully committed in providing beneficiaries with shoes made in South African, by South African women who were once disadvantaged themselves. It’s about supporting everything that is South African. It’s a win-win situation for children and our economy.
So serious is Bob about this issue, that he is willing to “go to jail” for the cause.
Over the next five days, Bob will be housed in a constricted jail cell at the V&A Waterfront’s Barrow Court in the shopping mall. He will be released from jail on February 20 when the next leg of his awareness campaign – Walk This Way – will begin.
15 Feb 2010, 20:11 pm
Sharks 2010 Super14 Squad is
1 Willem Alberts
2 Jacques Botes
3 Craig Burden
4 Deon Carstens
5 Patric Cilliers
6 Keegan Daniel
7 Jean Deysel
8 Bismark Duplessis
9 Jannie Duplessis
10 Monty Dumond
11 Alistair Hargreaves
12 Wiehahn Herbst
13 Adrian Jacobs
14 Ryan Kanowski
15 Rory Cockott
26 Patrick Lambie
17 Louis Ludick
18 Charl Mcleod
19 Gerhard Mostert
20 Tendai Mtawarira
21 Johann Muller
22 Waylon Murray
23 Lwazi Mvovo
24 Skholiwe Ndlovu
25 Odwa Ndugane
26 Ruan Pienaar
27 JP Pietersen
28 Michael Rhodes
29 John Smit (capt)
30 Andries Strauss
31 Riaan Swannepoel
32 Steven Sykes
33 Stefan Terblanche
34 Luzuko Vulindlu
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