Use clubs to kick-start transformation

There have been a few headlines over the past few days about the changing role of clubs in South African rugby. But I wonder if clubs can play a far more fundamental role in the transformation of South African rugby.

When I was at school, soccer was not available - it was looked down upon. It was pretty much an unspoken rule at junior school that everyone had to play rugby in winter and cricket in summer. At high school, hockey was an alternative to rugby and waterpolo was an alternative to cricket. Those who wanted to play soccer typically joined a club like Rygersdal - who had age group sides.

I wonder if this is not the way to provide rapid access to rugby to township schools? Why couldn't clubs like Villagers and False Bay start junior sides and attract township talent? In my mind this would solve a number of problems:

1. Club rugby has faced declining fortunes with a drop in profile since the advent of professionalism


2. Good players at school level often don't make the step up to play rugby at club level - offering age group rugby would provide a feeder programme


3. Rugby has floundered in the townships due to lack of facilities and skilled coaches.

Of course there are a number of problems:

1. Transport from township schools to club facilities


2. Applicability to very young age groups (e.g. under 9s and 10s - should they be travelling to practices and matches at non-school premises?)


3. Availability of coaches during working hours


4. Ability of fields to support more play


5. Ability to find space in existing school schedules.

I am sure solutions could be found to each of these issues. For example, when I played club rugby a nearby school field (literally across the road) stood unused except for once every year when the annual sports day was held. I understand this was either due to lack of interest in sports from the kids or lack of staff to coach sport. Immediately this says to me that there is an opportunity to gain an extra field for the club and potential age group players from the school. With regard to coaches, I am sure varsity players schedules may allow them the flexibility to coach during working hours.

Maybe some clubs do offer age group rugby. Maybe they do see townships as a potential source of players. If you know of these examples, please comment.

My point is that I think that if we look for opportunities to take rugby to the masses there will be opportunities to strengthen the game. Club rugby is an option in doing this.

If we take a business minded approach to this and employ marketing minds, I am sure we could capitalise on the World Cup success.

Some months ago I watched a Carte Blanche insert on train surfing. I was astounded to hear from the kids that they mostly train surfed to gain the admiration of young girls. It made me think. Maybe we should be marketing sport to young township girl spectators. If they were enarmoured with the thought of big strong rugby-playing boys, I am sure we'd soon find young boys clamouring to play the game.

Finally, I am sure further lateral examples would show potential. What about schools who lack rugby playing numbers. Schools like SACS, Rondebosch, Bishops and Wynberg (to name a set from a very small area of South Africa) have from 5 o 8 teams per age group. Other schools battle to find the numbers to fill the positions for one team. Should we be precious about disallowing kids from other schools where rugby is not offered to join schools where it is, or see this as an opportunity? Of course I am not talking about creating open clubs at schools, but merely highlighting that there are some schools where rugby battles to survive because of lack of playing numbers and others with underutilised facilities. There must be an opportunity to put that right.

What do you think?

Soweto dropped from Boks ticker tape parade

On the same day that that shining liberal, paragon of rationale and good sense JJ Harmse* saluted SARU for their role in helping the Boks win the World Cup, the geniuses in the Rugby administration dropped Soweto from the Johannesburg ticker tape parade. Instead, the parade will now focus on paying tribute to the sponsors with a trip past Vodaworld in Midrand, Sasol in Rosebank and ABSA in the city.

In the last two weeks we had well wishes from the ANC Youth League and Young Communists League prior to the final, President Mbeki at the final, Nelson Mandela visit Boktown and millions of black Bok supporters in the fan towns in the townships during the game. Then Cabinet had an entire cabinet meeting in Springbok regalia. And the sports ministry reversed its open antagonism to the Springbok colours, logo and coach.

And then SARU dropped Soweto from the ticker tape route. Maybe it's just me, but saying "We're going to have to drop Soweto from the route" out loud just sets off all sorts of alarm bells. Hell, if I say it in my head it sounds ridiculous.

What an opportunity missed. Imagine Bryan Habana holding the trophy aloft in Soweto. The symbolism and promotion opportunity just couldn't be beaten.

Funny, I thought ticker tape parades were about fans. Guess who pays the huge bank charges, high petrol prices and crazy cell phone rates that make the Bok sponsorship deals possible - the fans. If you wanted to thank the corporate staff, have a combined function.

Instead of having taken a trip via Vodaworld and stopped off at Sasol for lunch, logistics could have been eased by going directly via Sandton, the CBD and then on to Soweto ending up at Nasrec for a combined sponsors' function. As it is, the team is ending up at ABSA Boktown, Monte Casino.

They way they keeping shooting, I can't believe SARU have any feet left.

A suggestion SARU - announce tomorrow that you will be bringing the trophy to Soweto for a send off prior to the Wales/Barbarians tour.

*Every word is sarcasm - JJ Harmse should be writing on a blog called "The Blue Bulls are all that matter"

**Take a look at the fan response to the article on News24 - clearly the stupidity of the move is acknowledged by almost all rational South Africans.

Bokke bo!

So this is a post high on drunken spirit and emotion.

The team hoists President Mbeki high with the Rugby World Cup - Picture: Reuters

It's 03h00 and the end to a fantastic week. The tension was phenomenal. Those who thought this was going to be another 36-0 whipping were always going to be wrong. Finals aren't like that. They draw out the best in people.

Let's start by giving England credit. They were magnificent. To recover from that loss to the Boks in the pool match and come back to make the final beating Australia and France along the way was special. If you doubt the strength and quality of the side, look at their statistics going into this match. The English forwards were immense. Not just at scrum time, but at the breakdown too.

Today was all the better performance by the Boks because the English went into this match with nothing to lose. The pressure was on the Boks. You could see it when they ran onto the field. Their pale faces and steely looks spoke of the unbelievable tension they must have faced going into this match.

Further, this match was not just about winning the World Cup for south Africa. South African life is never that simple. It was about playing for a coach who had a gun to his head. It was about playing for a game that was under pressure to put demographics before victory. It was about giving a nation relief from the assault on its psyche from crime and the difficulty of rebuilding the South African dream.

Hugh Bladen said that Percy Montgomery was too scared to go outside this week in case he got a cold. You could see the pressure of a nation's expectations in his eyes. Francois Steyn's pale face betrayed the pressure on a twenty year old expected to play a faultless game. And Victor Matfield's gaunt look spoke of the pressure on a man expected to win every lineout.

The English ran onto the field with a plan. The often recited criticisms of the Bok back three under the high ball were the bedrock of the English tactic. Together of course with the assault of their pack at scrum time and at ruck ball.

What a response. I said in my pre-match report that the Boks would not turn around a deficient scrum in one week. After looking fragile in the first scrum, weren't they magnificent thereafter? Did you count the wheels on English ball? Did you see the pressure on the English backs? And what of those high balls? Let's face it Monty does not often leap into the sky and claim the high ball in close competition. He was fantastic tonight. And those rucks. The clean out by Bakkies Botha on Phil Vickery in the first half was the stuff of legends.

This was never a match to do more than required to beat the English. If you expected waves of attack with ball to the wings you were always going to be disappointed. If you believe that the disallowed try to the English cost them the game, you failed to see the Boks measuring their effort. Cutting out mistakes was always the first priority. Playing for position the second. And staying ahead on the scoreboard the most important result. If that try had been allowed, I am sure the Boks would have responded.

Once Francois Steyn forgot the script and stepped past three English defenders to put the Boks close. Danie Roussouw finished inches short. It did not matter. Whenever the Boks got the opportunity to kick at poles, Monty never looked like missing. Together with a long range effort from Steyn, those kicks progressively played the English out of the game.

We never got to see the Boks play a set move in the English 22. Never got to see an Eddie Jones inspired strike. That was testimony to the English response. There was not a lot wrong with the Bok line kicking tonight. The competition were just that good.

We also never got to see a Jonny Wilkinson drop goal. We almost saw Matthew Tait score, but not quite. We never got to see Jason Robinson cut through our defenders. The Boks were just that good.

What a victory. What a moment. What country ever hoists their president on their shoulders in the moment of a sporting triumph? To overstate the importance of this win is difficult.

Once my friends and I had finished our catered game function, I took them to a West African Jo'burg club. Along the way, the streets resounded with hooting and people waved flags from their windows. The club is 99% black and a favourite of mine for the incredible vibe and its particular music. I proudly walked in my Springbok jumper. I was hugged three times and engaged in many enthusiastic conversations. There were a number of other Springbok jerseys. This was about OUR team winning the WORLD cup.

Celebrations in Cape Town as the team wins - Picture: Reuters

Naas Botha was right in his commentary at the end of the match. We didn't make enough of the win in the 1995 world cup. We need to take everything we can from this victory. Strike a blow to the political posturing of the sporting demagogues. This victory was not about Afrikaner superiority. It was about uniting a nation behind being the best in the world. Strike a blow against a farcical administration - constructed to preserve the seats of power of past presidents and no longer relevant to the professional game. Strike a blow against the pathetic pace of transformation and take this game to the townships, the platteland and the people. That South Africa needs more Bryan Habanas and JP Pietersens is in no doubt. Given that those particular players cam from perhaps less than 10% of the rugby playing population by race speaks of the opportunity in taking the game to the masses, where the opposite percentages apply, and unleashing our talent on the world.

Finally, strike a blow against the continued interruption of coaching continuity and keep Jake White - Eddie Jones too if we could. This could be the beginning. The glitter to our crown would be to bring home next year's Tri-Nations. We are now the target for everyone that believes we did less than we should have to win this world cup. Yes Jake was wrong and politically naive to threaten the administration in 2006. And yes he needed a mentor / confidant to relieve the pressure piled upon him by South Africa's unique circumstances. I was irritated by his manipulation before a 2006 test match. He was wrong. I was irritated by his spin and defensiveness after poor results. He was wrong. But keeping him was right - is right. I was wrong.

Well done Boks. This was a magnificent performance. There is no need for player ratings. You all scored 10 out of 10 tonight.

A fan celebrates the Bok victory in Pretoria - Picture: Reuters

Kicking out of hand will decide the World Cup

36-0 will count for nothing tomorrow. At the beginning of the game the scoreboard will state 0-0.

Further, the English have turned their game around since their pool match against South Africa. The combination of their locks with their loosies at ruck time has been magnificent. They have recognised that the Tri-Nations teams commit fewer players to the rucks and have targeted the breakdown. Simon Shaw and Ben Kay have been magnificent at adding vigor to the cleaning. While the Boks have far better fetching skills than the English, this will mean little if support is slow to arrive on attacking ball. With Matfield's looser role, this could be slow poison for the potent South African backs and reduce our attacking advantage to parity.

To emphasise the English strength at the breakdown consider that the English have conceded 63 turnovers. The Boks have conceded 80. The English have won 305 rucks and lost just 19. The Boks have won 207 and lost 24.

South Africa's scrumming issues will not have been solved in a week. Poor quality ball against the wheel will mean the Bok line will be forced to kick more than they would like, or play crash ball. This will also open the game up for Gomarsall. The English scrummie has been sheer class since missing the pool game against the Boks, and Fourie du Preez will have his hands full tomorrow.

South Africa should have a far better time at the line out and this will form the Boks primary attacking platform. The South African's will be expecting to dominate this area and this will encourage the kicking game - traditional test rugby. Good lineout ball in good positions will allow the backs attacking options and this is where Eddie Jones' influence will be seen. The Boks have had limited opportunities to show some Aussie running lines thus far. When they have, they have looked sharp. Expect to see quick ball from the back of the lineout be spread quickly. The backs will make use of dummy runners with Habana and Pietersen coming in on the wrap around. Jaque Fourie revels in running ball on a tight line off his inside player's shoulder. He'll score or switch back on his inside. Francois Steyn must look to offload a fraction earlier if this is to work. As brilliant as Mike Catt has been for the English thus far, he'll be exposed in these plays. Attacking off 13 will put the defensive burden on the men in white's centers and away from the blanket that is Jonny Wilkinson. Simon Tait will be in for a torrid time tomorrow.

Lineout stats are fairly even between the the teams so far. The English have won 58 and lost 9. The Boks have also won 58 but lost only 6.

Final rugby is about minimising mistakes, and tomorrow will be no different. A quick score off turnover ball can suck the wind out of a team given the tight defenses of world cup finalists. There will be a lot of kicking for position. The English will not want Habana pouncing on a loose ball and running the length of the field. And while Tait might be a defensive weakness, he's got the pace to ask questions of South Africa. They will not want to give him any opportunities. Anything within range will be taken tomorrow. Kicking form will be crucial and Montgomery has the record over Wilkinson this tournament. Don't be surprised to see a return to form for the English pivot tomorrow though. He is BMT personified.

Given all of the above, I think tomorrow will be decided by kicking out of hand and handling. If the South African line kicks are poor, it will give the English opportunities to run the ball up and set up phases. If they respect possession and show patience, they will dominate the recycling points. If this happens, Cronje, Matifeld, Botha and Smith will have to turn in a performance like that of 2005 against the All Blacks at Newlands - almost the perfect game. If this happens it will go down to the wire. The English will not create much and it will come down to a few points. Kicking at poles will be paramount. Under that scenario I'd back the Boks to win - 21-18.

If the Boks are pinpoint with their positional kicking, this could be nasty for the English. Given time in the English 22 with good lineout ball, the Boks should run the English line ragged. Given that scenario, I'd favour a big score for a final - 28-9.

Good luck Bokke!!

Let's start by saying nothing else matters for 80 minutes this Saturday. A team picked from a nation of 48 million, as their best, their most talented, their most revered, will arrive at Stade de France on Saturday. They will have traveled in nervous anticipation. Some will have listened to their iPod. Others would have sat in quiet contemplation. Some might have been moved to say a few words.

They will exit the bus to a relative cacophony of noise - even if the bus arrives at a secluded entry point. The adrenalin will start to rush. Nervous anticipation. It's like that moment when you're on the edge of a bungi jump platform and you know that the moment has arrived. There is a point where you just want to get on with it.

They'll walk to their change room and the various approaches to preparing will begin. They'll change into their practice kit and begin their warm up procedures.

At this time they'll be entering the zone. They'll walk down the tunnel and into the theatre of dreams. Stade de France is huge and the stands are bit further back from the pitch than grounds like Newlands. The stadium will still be largely empty, but even if it was full the players wouldn't see the faces - just the view in the manner you might see from car. The immediacy of the grass and the air will be closer to their minds. They might be thinking of the occasion. Mindful of the fact that this moment might be the pinnacle of their lives. There will be nervousness. Everyone deals with fear of failure. Their sports psychologist will have worked to ensure that it is not a gnawing fear that will cause paralysis or indecision at a crucial moment of the match.

Having stretched in the changed rooms, they'll be getting the muscles warm now. More stretching with team-mates will be followed with some warm up runs and some practice kicks. They'll be seeking to get that rhythm going now. What golfers call muscle memory. You can't think anymore. You have practiced and analyzed and now it is about doing it. The stadium will begin to fill and the players will return to the change-rooms.

Changing into the match jersey will be a special moment. It will be embroidered with "World Cup Final 2007 - South Africa versus England." It will be something the players will show their grandchildren one day. Right now it will make the dream very real. Nervous energy will begin to give rise to passionate talk by the coach and captain. Senior players might exhort the players to go out there and play like it is the only match that will matter for the rest of their lives. They will remind the team that there are little boys and girls and fathers and mothers and grandfathers and grandmothers waiting in front of their televisions and radios right now. There are people coming in from working in the fields of the Northern Cape. Miners coming home or going to the pub. People gathering in front of TV shop windows. They will remind them that this is not just a game. They will remind them that in 1995 the win united a nation. People black and white young and old celebrated in the streets as they shouted "We are the best in the world!"

The coach will endeavor to put the players into the first gear. Remind them that there is nothing they have not thought of or not prepared for. That this is their destiny as surely as the win is. That when the whistle blows they will know what to do. That the preparation started four years ago and their bodies and minds have never been more ready for anything.

In the huddle, players may or may not realize that this will be the last time they will be in this family. That once the final whistle blows and the celebrations and tears are over, men they regard as brothers will move on. This will be the last time they run out with the overwhelming goal in mind: win the 2007 world cup.

Bokke ja! Bokke ja! Bokke ja!



And then it will begin. They will leave the change room to meet their destiny. To deliver dreams. To be one of the heroes they once idolised. All it will take is 80 minutes of their lives. The time it might take to watch a movie. Maybe less time than a visit to the gym. It will be 80 minutes of moments. Moments of brilliance. Moments of doubt. Moments of despair. And maybe, hopefully, one of triumph.

Go boys.

Not very good

First of all congratulations to Fiji. What an effort. Just like France and England showed the value of heart and passion, so did Fiji who threw everything at the Boks.

To the Boks, well done for refocusing and grinding out some forward dominated tries at crucial times.

But oh, why did the Fijians ever get the chances they did? Was all the talk this week about keeping it tight a bluff or did the Boks forget the script?

As good as Francois Steyn has been thus far (truly one of the finds of the tournament and likely to be a Bok great), his option taking exemplified some poor thinking by the Boks. Steyn held on a fraction too long at times and then fluffed passes in the tackle. At other times, going to ground, setting up clean ball and clearing for position would have been the better option. Given all the talk about the game plan, one would think this would have been automatic.

Instead we created opportunities for the Fijians in our half. Then we hopelessly messed up our defensive alignment. And then we fell off an alarming number of tackles. The result was a number of overlaps. If Fiji had focused on drawing their men and putting the ball through hands, they might well have run out winners.

The Boks must have benefited from watching yesterday's upsets. John Smit said as much in post-match interviews. Perhaps then another scrape will shape their execution as they head to the more difficult prospect of Argetina (surely?) and then England or France. Just as England benefited against Australia from having played for their lives to get there, perhaps South Africa will be better prepared as a result of the scares against Tonga and Fiji.

In the mean time, I take back every criticism I ever made of JP Pietersen. His try saving tackle was crucial today. If Fiji had gone up on the scoreboard, we might not have pulled it back. Well done.

Four more years

Gregan's chant must be ringing in the All Blacks' ears right now. And ironically too, like a boomerang, back in the ears of Georgie.

What a day! If the Tri-Nations are the top three in world rugby, we've picked a funny way to show it. After all the self congratulatory commentary about the state of Northern hemisphere rugby during the World Cup pool games, Australia and New Zealand were reminded that rugby is a game between 30 mere mortals and with an oval shaped ball. Passion and bounce can upset the odds.

While both England and France played with passion and surely enjoyed the bounce of the ball, both set out with well laid out plans to beat their more fancied opponents. England targeted the Super 14 style three man rucks with committed numbers and counter rucking. France decided that playing in the opposition's half was half the battle.

England break down the Aussies

England were magnificent at the breakdown today. Shaw and Moody were ferocious. And it is about time. Of course committing numbers to the ruck opens up defensive holes in your own line. But in a modern game where turnover ball remains the most potent attacking threat, attacking key breakdowns unlocks ball and space. The Australians were shell shocked. They tried guile to win at scrum time, and after the English were initially penalised, Alain Rolland appeared to realise that Dunning is the Oscar winner we've all been pointing out. His collapsing of scrums is the Aussies' only way of gaining parity at the set piece. With the forwards that rattled, the backs were left with too much to do. Except for one moment of brilliance from new kid Berrick Barnes. His wrap around with Aussie dummy runners was vintage Eddie Jones and Barnes' Reds/Jones pedigree was easy to see. If the Aussies' had secured better ball, Tuqiri's try from the move would surely have been one of many. They didn't and the English passion, commitment and robust play paid off.

Despite having kicked the points, Johnny Wilkinson looks a shadow of his former self. Not even his kicking is a patch on what it was. He's showed patches of from thus far and one or two touches against the Tongans got the English into the quarters. But he's a player short of match practice. As bad as Catt was against South Africa, he was immense today. When Catt and Wilkinson click, the English are a different team. If they do next week, we could see England in the final.

All Blacks choke again

The French promised similar things. They attacked the first few breakdowns with similar freneticism. But the All Blacks pedigree is better than that of the Aussies, and they immediately committed more numbers. The French played for position as we knew they would. Jake White's scepticism at the game plan looked well-founded as the French looked innocuous and the All Blacks responded with some sublime McAlister brilliance. Twice he ran the French ragged, first almost putting Ali Williams over and finally went over himself to put the All Blacks well ahead.

But McAlister proved mercurial and from the highs the plunged to the low of being sent off for obstructive running early in the second half. The French took full advantage and Thierry Dusautoir was a deserved scorer as they pulled the game back.

The famous French counter attack allowed Jauzion to cancel out a So'oialo effort. As the Gallic spirit grew, they repelled 27 phases of largely pick-and-go attacks on their line before forcing an All Black knock on. It was typical of the French defence which saw them make 178 tackles to the All Blacks 36. Ultimately it won them the day.

The All Blacks were in it right until the end though. At 18 to 20 down, a drop goal would have done it and they had an ample chance 22m out on the 75th minute. Instead McAlister tried a 50m effort just before full time. It summed up World Cup history for the All Blacks. Should've, would've, could've.

Good for the game

Was this good for rugby? Any win that exemplifies spirit and passion is good for the game. We saw bloodied England players give it all. We saw one of the bravest players in the game, Serge Betson, in a brave but ultimately horrific moment put his body on the line to make a tackle. Luckily he looked OK if shaky when he left the field. Finally, we saw tactical nous win over reputation. So yes, a great day's rugby.

Something strange happened to the referees though. In both matches, the new ruck laws were hardly blown. The English flew into rucks and clearly went of their feet. There were moments when there were clearly boots on players. But the whistle wasn't blown. The officials also missed two clear forward passes (at least) in the French All Black game. While I loved the return to old style rucking and resultant competition rather than league style restarts, if we're going to have laws they have to be blown. Just as if we're going to have citing, then be consistent. Not knowing how the game is going to be controlled makes things lottery. And that is no good for a game looking to convert viewers already confused by strange rules and interpretations.

Of course every South African (especially me) wants to see the Springboks beat each of the top teams en route to winning a final, a la 1995. But we must play the hand we're dealt. That starts by being ruthless against Fiji tomorrow. While Fiji shouldn't have a chance, "should" played no role today.