Super Rugby Rants and Raves Round 14

My Super Rugby Rants and Raves for Independent Media’s IOL following an eventful weekend both on and off the field.

TOP RAVE

Stormers wing/fullback Dillyn Leyds reminded Bok coach Rassie Erasmus of his skill. He also showed that footwork, intelligence, pace and an understanding of how to use space can trump sheer physical presence. Leyds scored one of the individual tries of the season in his 50th Super Rugby outing. He constantly proves wrong those detractors who dismiss his possibilities as a Test player because of an obsession with size. His versatility also makes him an asset to any match-day squad.

TOP RANT

I hate the term quota and the implication that every black player is a quota and every white player, by virtue of his birthright, is a supposedly “merit” selection. Siya Kolisi and Jantjies, two of the stars in last year’s Boks’ 3-0 hammering of France, both played their 100th Super Rugby matches in the last fortnight. Yet both are still viewed by so many on social media as quota players when their track record is a reflection of rugby excellence. It’s disgusting and again highlights the prejudice black players constantly face in South Africa. So many fans are concerned with the 45% “quota” target, but none seem to have an issue with the 55% white quota!

Read the rest of my Rants and Raves from the past weekend at iol.co.za