Power to the oldies
12 Feb 2006
Percy Montgomery and AJ Venter powered the Sharks to victory in round one of the Vodacom Super 14 as the old brigade stood tallest.
Venter’s leadership and general display was the most powerful reminder that experience is a marathon and can’t be fasttracked to a sprint. The Sharks, in 2005, suffered because of a lack of leadership and experience. Young players stumbled more than they soared and if the Sharks are to offer any sort of a challenge on the road it is imperative that Venter, Montgomery and a fit-again John Smit all play consistently on tour.
Montgomery’s display at flyhalf was typical of his talent. He remains one of the most gifted footballers to ever play for South Africa and the manner in which he slotted into the pivotal position and controlled the match should be inspiring to all South African supporters. In the next few months Monty will wear the Sharks strip, but from June onwards his colour coding will primarily be green. We need to appreciate his talents and forgive him the one match in five shocker.
The most capped Bok backline player of all time did not have a good end of year tour, but exhaustion and issues away from the field contributed to a poor tour. On Saturday night he showed what a good rest and the comforts of being at home again can do for a player. Ruan Pienaar’s individual moment of brilliance turned the match, but it was Monty’s control that won it for the Sharks.
Overseas, George Gregan got the better of Matt Henjack, Wendell Sailor was a revelation in a blue jersey against his old mates in maroon and Rueben Thorne was the best of a good Crusaders pack. Tana Umaga still showed up those a decade younger with his enthusiasm and Bill Young has now made it to 88 Super 14 matches. Not bad for a club seventh grader.
Elsewhere it was also the older brigade, in terms of experience and not necessarily age, showed why youth alone is insufficient a tool for Super 14 success. Derick Hougaard, a youngster in age but a veteran in experience, was outstanding against the Cheetahs, while his opposite number Meyer Bosman looked like a player involved in his first Super 14 game. Bosman had a comfortable introduction to test rugby against Wales, but followed that with a torrid match-up against the French. He will find the Super 14 closer to the night in Paris than the one in Cardiff.
Inexperience cost the Cheetahs, but the same cannot be said of the Cats. I tipped them to beat the Stormers, courtesy of their tight five and the rain. Well it rained, so at least the weatherman got it right. In the past the Cats have blamed playing in Bloemfontein for failure. They’ve blamed the Cheetahs players in the franchise for failure and they’ve blamed the competition draw for failure. It is time they start blaming themselves for the embarrassment they produced as a paid day’s work.
The Stormers, playing with greater purpose and structure, were dour but effective. They surprised me with their approach, but they played with a realism that has been lacking for the past two seasons.
The bones, in the build-up to round one, roared for the Cats and Cheetahs. All that saved the bones was the accuracy in backing a Sharks home success when no one outside of Durban was confident of Sharks victory.
Four right picks from seven in round one for the bones was adequate and about impressive as the general offering from the 14 teams. The Crusaders were organised and in control. The Hurricanes were rusty and then ruthless. The Blues were rudderless. The Chiefs were headless. The Reds were brave. The Waratahs were fortunate. The Cats were chaos. The Cheetahs were as good as they are going to get. The Force were passionate. The Brumbies were boring. The Highlanders were hammered. The Bulls were better than I thought they would be without Matfield and the front rowers. The Stormers were simple and successful and the Sharks were satisfyingly competent.
As for round one separating the champs from the chumps. It didn’t happen. We’ll need a few more rounds, a few more injuries and a few more away games to know who is a sprinter in this competition and who is a distance runner.
86 Comments
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13 Feb 2006, 11:27 am
Bulls off to a good start…
Sharks finally get a win…
All in all I’d say it was a GR8 rugger weekend…
Lets hope the Sharks can keep to winning ways away from home!!!
13 Feb 2006, 11:28 am
Aaaaagh, it will be soooo funny if Jo’burg, the home union of BvR, sits without a S14 spot next year … Serves him right …
13 Feb 2006, 11:30 am
Nondoda, Farani was so so. He had a big defensive impact and had a presence at the breakdown, but twice I remember him losing the ball in contact as a result of poor ball protection. Probably a simple error to fix though. I don’t think Solly really deserved his bok caps, he is good but not that good. Remember the huge difference Burger made when he replaced him against Argentina, he simply does not have enough physical presence at the break down.
13 Feb 2006, 11:36 am
Btw. when is BvR gonna get fired? I usually don’t bother reading those stories as that’s not the side of rugby I’m interested in.
13 Feb 2006, 11:37 am
Hobbo,
thanks for the info on Brown and James, when these 2 are back with John Smit, its a helluva strong first XV.
interesting comments regarding the respective strength of the cheetahs especially from a sharks supporter. we’ll have to see and yes the bulls are incredibly strong, sounds like their young tight 5 more than held their own.
13 Feb 2006, 11:38 am
Percy was dismal in 1997 when Carel du Plessis played him at 13. When Mallet moved him to fullback at the end of the year, after Justin Swarts injury, he made the position his own, and practically demolished the french on his own, and he played a blinder against the scots after that too.
The French gave the bok team a standing ovation that day – indicative of Percy’s performance.
The years when Percy did not play as well also co-incided with when his confidence would have been at an all time low. It must be hard to play when every bonehead in the country hates your guts. He got booed at Loftus for chrit sakes while playing in the green and gold – he left SA because of the boneheads.
Percy is a confidence player without a doubt – and can be aweful when he loses it. But what Keo said was that his talent is undoubtable. A bit like Gaffie – the most talented flyhalf this country has produced since isolation ended – in my opinion. But he has what I can NMT – NO match temperament.
Besides – we have had **** options at fullback outside of Percy ever since Joubert (also known for having the odd clanger by the way, but no one remebers his) retired. I mean Tinus Delport and Conrad Jantjes have been his only real challengers – and you cant say either would have been better over the number of matches Percy has played. Its only when we have to replace him will some people realise just how valuable he is.
13 Feb 2006, 11:39 am
ANYBODY KNOW WHICH ALLEGEDLY BLIND DRUNK BULLS PLAYER WAS ARRESTED THIS MORNING FOR DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE?
13 Feb 2006, 11:43 am
nielsm
Please repeat I did not quite hear you.
13 Feb 2006, 11:46 am
Do anyone know who this is?
http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_1880251,00.html
13 Feb 2006, 11:53 am
Another couple of points about the Sharks game. Skipper Badenhorst had an OK game on the field except for his throwing to the back of the line out. Man he lost 4 line outs for the Sharks and one of which resulted in the Chiefs try. (It was the start of the 4 phases or so that led to their try. With Smit backthat tight five gets stronger and the lineouts more secure.
Farani I was not too impressed with. His handling was very poor. He did not protect the ball in contact at all – however he probably will next game!! I see Britz is out and between Solly and Farani I believe we have ample cover.
For me I think we need to swap Bobo with Jacobs. Strauss was good on defence and Adi J defence has improved so we should be OK in defence and at least in attack we won’t have bobo gifting the oppo with the ball!!!
13 Feb 2006, 11:55 am
Who in the Blue Bulls squad is 35 ?
13 Feb 2006, 11:56 am
35 year old has to be prop or lock ….. but who??
13 Feb 2006, 11:57 am
BLUE BULL ARRESTED AFTER DRIVING INTO POLICE
2006-02-13 04:05 (New York)
A 35-year-old Blue Bulls rugby player was arrested early on
Monday morning when he drove into a police vehicle near the
Petroport, north of Pretoria, police said on Monday.
“He was so drunk he could not even stand properly,” police
spokesman, Inspector Paul Ramatoko said.
He smashed his Audi A4 into the police vehicle, writing it off,
while intelligence officers were arresting four would-be robbers.
“He was only slightly injured, but we believe he might have been
driving as fast as 170 kilometres an hour,” Ramatoko said.
He was arrested and charged with drunk driving and reckless and
negligent driving. He was to appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s
Court on Monday.
Ramatoko said the four alleged robbers arrested — including a
Soweto police sergeant — were believed to have stopped next to the
road to apply muti before a robbery.
Police recovered three 9mm pistols and two vehicles, he said.
Sapa
13 Feb 2006, 12:03 pm
How old is Richard Bands ?
13 Feb 2006, 12:03 pm
32
13 Feb 2006, 12:06 pm
I just been throught the Blue Bull website and although not quite up to date I can’t find a single player older than Kennedy Tsimba who is only 31 or 32……so it must be a BLUE BULL SUPPORTER!!!! A lot of old drunk ones in that group…….
13 Feb 2006, 12:09 pm
Maybe its an ex player – Kees Lesing?? Anyone else???
Seems like allot of Bulls players who drive Audi’s like to drive drunk
13 Feb 2006, 12:14 pm
Happy Ballentine’s day boys.
13 Feb 2006, 12:18 pm
Kees Lensing is playing for Leeds in UK – he must have been going really fast and got really lost!!
13 Feb 2006, 12:56 pm
How about the Stormers kissing each other on the field, now aren’t they a *** bunch. ( Bolla ??? )
13 Feb 2006, 13:11 pm
Capebull
That was a classic.
one can only but wonder about the stormer victory celebrations in the changerooms out of the view of the cameras.
LOL
13 Feb 2006, 13:12 pm
told you last Friday Stormers like anything round with 6 inches on it…
13 Feb 2006, 13:13 pm
Love to see Monty at Fly !!!
Remember the Babarians picked him there year after year …
Always had a blinder !
When we picked him there against Aus ( once )
He had a Blinder ! but we chose not to do it again…. odd !!!!!!!!!!
Well done sharks ,
FOR THE RECORD I TAUTED THE SHARKS TO SURPRISE LONG BEFORE KEO !!!!!!!!
ha
13 Feb 2006, 13:14 pm
hi all,
some news:
FL update and looking good … check where you are
13 Feb 2006, 13:29 pm
All stomer
I only manage 1600 points? That wessel oke from the bulls is kak…
13 Feb 2006, 13:52 pm
capebull
How about the Guys at Loftus who get so jags that they have to play “Liefling” whenever Hougie scores? … talk about a Blue Oyster Bar – it should be Blue Bulls Bar
What’s next? Bulls supporters showing up at Loftus in their leathers singing “It’s raining men”?
13 Feb 2006, 13:54 pm
Hobo
I got lucky 4 my players scored but made a bit of a mess in the forwards selection so some changes – will check the injuries to boost the chances of a better result next week. Still manged a score of 2800.
13 Feb 2006, 14:22 pm
All Stormers – I mangaed 2615 points. Have you played this before? Is it still early days?? I am lying 89th
13 Feb 2006, 14:24 pm
Bigg
You are doing well, it is still very early so a lot can happen.
13 Feb 2006, 14:28 pm
Hobo – thanks, beginers luck I suppose, I am lucky I chose Percy…
13 Feb 2006, 14:43 pm
Nope this is my first time but if you follow rugby it should be ‘easy’ to select the good players.
Players that make mistakes cost you – hence the reason not to pick Schalk Burger (sorry don’t rate him even if he did get all the awards!!)
The problem was also to select up and coming players as the budget was a factor so you need to keep an eye out for players coming into the game – this is harder for us to get the NZ/Oz players but the SA is a matter to looking at the players that don’t make it this year and see how they do in the Vodacom Cup this year for next year.
Damm – it does mean more moans in the ear from the wife
13 Feb 2006, 14:56 pm
Blue bull arrested. As At 14h30, News24.com reported that this was not true and that person could also be charged with perjury as lying to the police is an offence. He was a Blue Bull supporter and apparently smashed his A4 into a stationary Police vehicle. Both vehicles were written off and there were no injuries.
13 Feb 2006, 14:57 pm
Police arrest Blue Bull
Pretoria – Police suspect the drunken driver who slammed into one of their vehicles was lying when he claimed to be a Blue Bulls rugby player.
“If he lied he could be charged with perjury, because everything he says to police (is) said under oath,” Inspector Paul Ramatoko said on Monday.
The driver, whose name is being withheld until he has appeared in court, was arrested early on Monday morning after the crash at the Petroport, north of Pretoria.
Blue Bulls spokesperson Dimeon van Rooyen said no-one by his name played rugby for the Blue Bulls. “He is definitely not one of our players,” he said.
The man smashed his Audi A4 into a police vehicle, writing it off, while intelligence officers were arresting four would-be robbers.
“He was so drunk he could not even stand properly,” said Ramatoko.
“He was only slightly injured, but we believe he might have been driving as fast as 170km an hour.”
Arrested and charged with drunk driving and reckless and negligent driving, the man was to appear in the Pretoria magistrate’s court on Monday.
Ramatoko said the four alleged robbers arrested – including a Soweto police sergeant – were believed to have stopped next to the road to apply muti before a robbery. Police recovered three 9mm pistols and two vehicles, he said.
13 Feb 2006, 15:00 pm
All Stormers thanks – I purely did not pick Schalk for that reason… I picked a kuk front row so I would have more money for loosies and backline players… However Nic Hendersen only got me 15 points… I think I will stick with me team this week and see how they go…
13 Feb 2006, 15:12 pm
Bigg – lunch time for me now and just looked at the teams and how they scored – very good to see that most players that score over 200 are NZ in fact very few SA and Oz score over 200 so …. it looks like the stats favour the NZ players. I would have expected the stats to favour the winning teams (as they would have made less mistakes). The Hurricanes players seem to have done the best.
13 Feb 2006, 15:59 pm
Bigg / all_stormers, habana is worth 420 points this week, aj venter worth 335 this week – not bad at all.
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