EP Kings have Solly to thank
25 Oct 2010
MARK KEOHANE, in his weekly Business Day column, says Alan Solomons has maximised his resources in Port Elizabeth.
It is no exaggeration to emphasise the importance of the Eastern Province Kings beating the Pumas and playing in next year’s Currie Cup Premier Division. It is also no exaggeration to emphasise the contribution of Kings director of rugby and head coach Alan Solomons in making this all possible.
Solomons, in a season, has done what the politicians and the rugby administrators have been speaking about for the past five years, which is to turn Eastern Province into a rugby region once again.
There were no pre-season promises from Solomons that in 2011 Eastern Province would again be among the top eight premier domestic sides in South Africa. There was no handout from South African rugby in the form of a restructured Currie Cup competition that accommodated the Eastern Cape by way of Eastern Province. There was no treasure chest, filled with cash to buy the best players and buy a winning culture.
All Solomons enjoyed, by way of luxury, was his passion, that of provincial president Cheeky Watson and the warrior spirit of De Wet Barry to lead a bunch of wannabes and could have beens.
Solomons, like he did when he was at UCT, Western Province and Ulster, relied on passion and a work ethic that has never failed and never ceased to amaze those around him.
Many class players have promised Solomons they will sign with the Kings when the side’s Super Rugby participation is guaranteed, which is supposedly 2013, but understandably none were prepared to sign for a team in the First Division and more familiar with a wooden spoon than the silver spoon.
Eastern Province rugby has been a mess for some time. Administratively it has been a jungle that has attracted every sort. Watson has restored integrity to the boardroom in the province but all that restores respect to a team is consistently positive results.
Not only did Solomons have to battle cynicism and the stench of mediocrity, but he had to build a winning culture with players who will be lucky to make it to Super Rugby because their talent doesn’t match their enthusiasm.
The result has been as remarkable as the 36-all away draw to the Pumas in the first of two promotion-relegation matches; the very same Pumas who went to Coca Cola Park (Ellis Park to the traditionalists) a fortnight ago and whipped John Mitchell’s hyped Lions.
Mitchell has rightly been praised for finding the occasional roar in the Lions this year, but seven wins from 14 is a telling statistic that demands acknowledgement and therefore perspective.
Solomons’ effort also demands perspective and the kind of acknowledgement that has always been denied him in South African rugby.
Solomons is not popular among South African rugby administrators because he is intelligent, hard working and has never suffered a fool. When involved with Western Province and the Springboks (as Nick Mallett’s assistant in 1997 and 1998) he encountered many fools and never excused their incompetence. He was vocal in his criticism and refused to play the political game of politeness.
In Watson he has found an ally and comfort that having an opinion is a good thing and exercising one’s right to think is even better. He has a provincial president who enjoys an intelligent coach and promotes the value of debate.
Solomons challenges any stereotype and his urgency and intensity scares more people than it seduces, but he has an ability to maximise any resource and the one thing he has always had is loyalty from players.
Barry, a WP and Solomons favourite 10 years ago, is an example of this loyalty, but those players who are close to Solomons will also tell you that they know they have Solomons’ loyalty, which is why he so often gets a return on his player investments.
Solomons is a sporting cliche because so much of what he does is based on the principle that a close team is a successful one – and there’s nothing wrong with sporting cliche that make us smile.
Eastern Province rugby is a point away from reaching the point from which there should never be a return to the sort of mediocrity Solomons inherited.
Never has a play-off promotion match mattered so much to South African rugby because an EP victory will be so much more than a win on the rugby field.
And for that Alan Solomons, Cheeky Watson and De Wet Barry can never be thanked enough.
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245 Comments
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25 Oct 2010, 19:48 pm
HG @ 139,
Are you genuinely not understanding what post 100 meant in its definition of what Transformation is or you are deliberately being obtuse because you were complicating a very simply matter.
You got an answer, that your bigotry didnt really expect existed?.
Yes, re read post 100 and ask your buddies to help you if you genuinely dont get it.
25 Oct 2010, 19:52 pm
HG @ 150
Transformation is a race issue only if one narrows its definition, I used Dave Miller as a perfect example of a transformed system.
25 Oct 2010, 20:07 pm
149 transformation
you are sounding more and more like your hero mugabe everyday.
these neo-colonialists must stay in breeetin and not interfere or ask awkward querstions
152 xhosakid
so, you are saying david miller would not have been accepted by the black supporters if cricket hadn’t been “transformed”?
25 Oct 2010, 20:12 pm
@153
No, I’m saying, an UNTRANSFORMED system would have had a “quota” player block a talented youngster from breaking through. Whether that “quota” is White or Black, or the youngster is white or black is irrelevant.
Again, refer to post 100
25 Oct 2010, 20:16 pm
151. XHOSAKID(XHOSAKID): I am asking you…
Seems to be a very uncomfortable question to ask? I have some answers that are quite hazy…
One of my questions was “what is transformation?” never mind the other questions relating to applying it and observing it. I have 5 different answers from 3 different people:
- “because everyone has the same chance of playing, therefore the team is selected purely on ability and form.”… Xhosakid
- “nothing other than change for the better”… Kevin W
- “is a ‘process’ of change for the better”… Kevin W
- “is the restoration of order where there was disorder”… Transformation
- “the changing of prevailing mindsets”…Transformation
So this leads to: What is the “process”?, How do you determine “the same chance”? When does “purely on ability and form” come into fruition? What is meant by “order” in the context of rugby bearing in mind my other queries? What are the “mindsets” that need to be “changed” and how do you change them. Who does the “changing”?
Easy to label someone a bigot… What makes me more of a bigot and you less of one?
Eish, this “transformation” is truly a large, uncomfortable fact that is explainable only by an all pervading orthodoxy…
Maybe another time someone can tell me what this thing is…. “What is transformation?” seems to be a similar question to “what is God?” or “what is the meaning of life”?
Eish.
25 Oct 2010, 20:28 pm
Ah, freedom of speech is wonderful! Begotry,racism, fascism, humanism, self righteous, etc. Being entitled to your opinion and being smart enough to realise that your opinion is your perception of issues in a way. But perception is not always necessarily correct or the truth. There will always be contestations. One thing there is only one fact and there are no versions of fact/truth.
Some here called Mandela a terrorist not so long ago and that was their perception of him, now those begots will never be found today under any boulder.
Now transformation is the new swear word, some call it racism in reverse. As I said that is their perception, their reality, like when they called Mandela a terrorist not so long ago. You can see these people are not your ordinary Johnny come lately. They have been around and they know what they are talking about. It is like when Hannes Marais said not so long ago that “rugby is not for Blacks.” Or when Doc Craven said there will never be a Black men in a Springbok jersey. Freedom of speech I guess is a right to be a racist or a fascist in a way etc. You got to love it.
25 Oct 2010, 20:36 pm
156. Peter Mkata(Peter Mkata): peter, respectfully, your comment sounds like an attempt to shut down the debate that is going on here.
in fact, i have read nothing racial from either side beyond the normal banter.
but you storm in throwing the bigot, racism etc card like a drunk at the world series of poker?
no man. the point is that we ALL have the right to disagree and debate issues.
me? i think “transformation” is a wishy washy load of bullshi t that cannot be adequately measured or even defined, even by its staunchest supporters.
but thats just my opinion. whats yours?
25 Oct 2010, 20:39 pm
just a quick question here chaps.
if the Eagles somehow gain promotion and ep stay down, will the eagles be the flag bearer for eastern/southern cape rugby?
will they be the posterboys for transformation?
if not, why not?
25 Oct 2010, 20:39 pm
HG@155
“pure ability and form” means exactly that, there is no other definition. Right now, there is no way that the Bulls or WP for that matter can clearly say, thats the case with their structures
25 Oct 2010, 20:39 pm
rangerman my opinion is the sharks are gonna win
25 Oct 2010, 20:40 pm
My earlier quote on Transformation from Stalin seems to be the most practical definition…
25 Oct 2010, 20:42 pm
is it because bevin fortuin attended bok trials?
25 Oct 2010, 20:42 pm
@158, Ranger.
The EP/Kings are they posterboys for transformation in your mind?
25 Oct 2010, 20:44 pm
156. PETER MKATA(PETER MKATA): Lets try with you.
What is transformation?
How do you measure it? i.e. pertinent considering “the pace of transformation is too slow”
25 Oct 2010, 20:45 pm
HG
To make things easy for you, take my example on post 100, now use that in rugby and bob is your mum’s brother. A transformed team is achieved, case closed.
25 Oct 2010, 20:46 pm
156 Perception and reality is the point I was driving in my contribution. You have defined your transformation, that is your perception of transformation. Whether it is a reality/fact or not is another issue.
Ps. I am not ever going to stop people expressing their opinion. The Mandela analogy is just an example which you are free to agree and disagree. Nazis killed Jews and obviously in their view/perception were right up until they were shown otherwise. Sad part is that millions perished before then.
25 Oct 2010, 20:48 pm
159. XhosaKid(XhosaKid): please expand on this oh non-tribal kid of a non tribe.
160. sharks_lover(sharks_lover): eish, i am not very confident mate. but i am sure it would be sweet for you living in CT now
HG- on todays evidence, no one is quite sure wtf transformation means. Xhosakid tells us the warriors are transformed because “everyone has an equal chance at selection now”. Everyone?
surely not?
the chappies working on an abalone farm in haga haga for minimum wage having attended a barefoot farm school have an equal chance of playing for the warriors as the young white kid?
astounding! how did they do it?
25 Oct 2010, 20:51 pm
159. XHOSAKID(XHOSAKID): you said “purely ON ability and form”…
So are the Sharks fully transformed?
Which South African rugby team is fully transformed?
Can something be “fully” transformed? That is, is Transformation completable?
What determines whether something is transformed or is in the “process” of transformation?
What is the “process”…?
To me it seems that transformation is more an article of faith with many definitions…?
25 Oct 2010, 20:54 pm
163. XhosaKid(XhosaKid): no.
they are a bunch of rugby playing kids from different backgrounds. like the bulls.
but the bulls havent been dancing the anc/absa tapdance now have they?
166. Peter Mkata(Peter Mkata): uhm…nazis and jews. after the first post i thought you may have got my none too subtle point about attempting to shut down debate but it looks like your answer was to simply up the ante (to keep with the poker theme ya dig?).
i notice you didnt give your idea of transformation wether it is reality/fact or not Peter?
oh well, another wasted opportunity for us to look into each others eyes as equals and have an honest discussion goes down the drain.
pity.
25 Oct 2010, 20:55 pm
transformation…
what is it with you continually denigrating ghanaians?
if you trying to get a jibe at me you are missing something.
you simply make yourself look vindictive.
25 Oct 2010, 20:57 pm
HG – when obejectives are achieved(political) its over when its over, until the power that be(eee) are satisfied. Thats the SA version! I understand where you are going with this! Like your reasoning!
25 Oct 2010, 20:57 pm
fully transformed?
sheesh, how do you achieve that scorecard?
it definately isnt just by filling up at engen and having someone from the mvelaphanda group clean your office.
no, this is far more serious than that.
once you get that stamp though, being white is actually cool again.
xhosakid, maybe you can give us a list of “fully transformed” organisations so one day, i can tell my daughter where to apply for a job?
25 Oct 2010, 20:58 pm
@167
Jerry Nqolo and Siyamthanda Tshona have the same chance at playing for the Warriors as Colin Ackerman, google these kid’s background, then you will realize what I mean about a Transformed team.
Again, I repeat, if cricket in KZN was not transformed, Dave Miller wouldnt have broken through the ranks, there would have been a litany “quota” players whether they be white or black is neither here nor there.
25 Oct 2010, 20:58 pm
164 Heavens G
I do not know what you are driving at but I have my suspision which I will keep to myself. Many people have given you their version of transformation which any reasonable person will understand.
Were you born in South Africa? Where have you been all these years? Under some boulders hibernating or was your head stuck in some kind of sand. Rhetorical question. Guess that is my perception of you. Correct or not another issue!!
25 Oct 2010, 20:59 pm
the answer is a circle!
25 Oct 2010, 21:00 pm
170. charo – the wp giant(charo): transformation is our resident closet xenophobe.
he vehemently defended khompela and co’s handling of the beast issue.
25 Oct 2010, 21:01 pm
167. RANGERMAN(RANGERMAN): Fark, when you really search for the truth it can never be found…? Even from someone who is named “Transformation”…?
Ja, I don’t quiet get an “equal chance” based “purely” on ability and form…
On that basis, every team is bugg.ered because nobody really is selected “purely” on “ability” and “form”… Anywhere in the world…
This “equal chance” could mean 50/50 or 100/0…Zero sum game or just plain average halfway mark.
Eish….
25 Oct 2010, 21:05 pm
174. PETER MKATA(PETER MKATA): I am as much African as you are depending on what definition you would like to use…?
However I did ask you some questions which now seem to indicate that I am “suspicious”…
Does the fact that I ask for a definition of transformation indicate that I am not transformed or have not “changed mindset”?
Is suspicion the first indicator of the non-transformed or untransformed?
25 Oct 2010, 21:07 pm
Gents, I have just realized that I have wasted time in trying to help get us ( South Africans) moving forward and understanding what a transformed team would be, only to realize that you okes are exactly the reason we will never move forward.
It is official, I’ll keep to my counsel when it comes to transformation conversations with you lot.
25 Oct 2010, 21:08 pm
171. ZANDBERG JANSEN(ZANDBERG JANSEN): Questions are dangerous… They provoke “suspicion”….
25 Oct 2010, 21:09 pm
173. XhosaKid(XhosaKid): sorry man. i dont buy it.
the simple fact is that more privileged kids with better access to sporting facilities, nutrition and training will always be in the majority when it comes to representation.
now if even one of you transformation spin artists had articulated the IDEA of transformation properly ie:
to ensure that there is access to the same OPPORTUNITY by ALL in terms of both coaching and nutrition as well as chance to represent at a higher level in the chosen sport…
i still would have said bullsh it. life is not like that, the world is not like that and south africa will NEVER be like that. so i will teach my child to run faster, swim harder, leap higher, learn more, ask more questions, take advantage of the opportunities she has and ALWAYS try to be the best.
because thats life.
175. Zandberg Jansen(Zandberg Jansen): or a see saw?
25 Oct 2010, 21:12 pm
177. Heavens Game(Heavens Game): its just another wooly liberal catchphrase that is simply impossible to put into practice and simply drags the entire society down a few notches instead of facillitating excellence by engendering competition and thirst for victory.
to me it is insidiously creeping logic imbued with the losers cry “its so unfair!”
25 Oct 2010, 21:13 pm
Ranger @181
Do the Sharks have any injuries this coming weekend?
25 Oct 2010, 21:16 pm
179. XhosaKid(XhosaKid): sorry to dissapoint mate but to be honset, robust debate is kinda good surely?
as much as i hate the very idea of transformation in sport (because i dont view it as a black white thing but rather as a threat to merit, be the sportsperson black or white) it does not mean i hate the person who does believ in it.
my folks have some pretty quirky notions too but i still dig the oldies
25 Oct 2010, 21:17 pm
179. XHOSAKID(XHOSAKID: Why are “you” okes the reason “we” will never move forward?
- Who is the “you”? Why?
- Who is the “we”? Why?
- What is “forward”? Progress? If so how do you define progress in this instance? Is Progress = transformation?
Do questions also invoke a feeling of “suspicion” from you?
Maybe I am being unfair in asking someone to define transformation to me: It seems there is no single answer…
Would love to ask Fatty von Zeuner though – He seemed to think the pace of transformation was not adequate… He must know…
25 Oct 2010, 21:18 pm
183. XhosaKid(XhosaKid): mate, i actually dont know.
i dont think so though. but your side, wp, looks like the real deal to me.
then again, maybe its the pessimist in me but i also thought my beloved sharkies would lose against the bulls.
i hope its a cracker and i am sure it will be.
25 Oct 2010, 21:20 pm
185. Heavens Game(Heavens Game): shhhhhh…..if you mention someone with the name von zeuner we are sure to hear about nnazis and jews again.
sounds like a boardgame actually..nazis and jews, the final edition.
25 Oct 2010, 21:20 pm
179. XhosaKid(XhosaKid):
kudos to you for at least fronting up and giving your honest viewpoint.
181. rangerman(rangerman):
happens in every country in the world…from usa to haiti.
there will always be kids in a better position to excel.
even in the microcosm of ghana – the haves and have-nots are worlds apart
25 Oct 2010, 21:22 pm
170. CHARO – THE WP GIANT(CHARO): fyi i know and grew up & studied with a lot of ghanaians and they are nothing like the subservient natives you always portray on this blog. It might be off the cuff banter to you but it betrays exactly who you are. I told you before that i’ll always respect you but i’ll never be cowered to subscribe to your ideas because of some ingrained idea in your mind that you know better
176. RANGERMAN(RANGERMAN): yawn saru broke south african law by allowing tendai mtawarira to play for the Springboks without him meeting the requirements for residency! What is xenophobic about that? Hambo kunya!
25 Oct 2010, 21:26 pm
182. RANGERMAN(RANGERMAN): Yeah, there is a definite woolliness to the concept of “transformation” as shown by 5 different answers from 3 different people…
It only seems to give more questions that are impossible to interrogate without coming across as “suspicious”…
Maybe transformation is an article of faith for better things… Conversely is could be a euphemism for command and control…? which one is determined by the “correct” “mindset”…
I wonder who determines “who” is “correct” and which “mindset” is the appropriate one to have?
Jeez, I am more confused than old Charo – the poor bugg.er has been accused of being two diametrically different things by 2 different people…
25 Oct 2010, 21:27 pm
189. Transformation(Transformation): it was high profile politicking and you know it pal.
but one day when your mind has transformed and you have realised that these colonial boundaries are insignificant and wholly illusory constructs you will understand.
viva Beast viva!
25 Oct 2010, 21:31 pm
187. RANGERMAN(RANGERMAN): lol… Ja maybe you can make a boardgame called “Transformation”… More challenging than the Rubik cube..
25 Oct 2010, 21:35 pm
189. Transformation(Transformation):
since when does the term “decent” transform into the meaning “subservient”
only in your mind it seems?
treat people with respect and they will respond accordingly.
is that a foreign notion to you?
25 Oct 2010, 21:38 pm
191. RANGERMAN(RANGERMAN): hahahaha, the funny thing i said at the time i know of a candidate attorney, studied at rhodes, passed very well, got articles at a reputable firm but couldn’t be admitted because he was zimbabwean and the firm was under pressure from the law society & government to open up the spot for a saffa kid that might be needing articles.
The dude applied for citizenship – his application took TWO years to be approved! It wasn’t expedited by home affairs at the behest of the sports mininster acting on the pleas of sa rugby!
It is the law!
But play however you want…no sking off my back..
25 Oct 2010, 21:39 pm
187. RANGERMAN(RANGERMAN): The new boardgame – “Finding Transformation”, more difficult to find than spotting a Leopard at night in Zululand…
25 Oct 2010, 21:40 pm
Ranger @186
Whether Province win or Sharks win, will be determined by who wins the breakdown collisions, in the S14, the Sharks were simply superior and Dewald Duvenhage bottled.
25 Oct 2010, 21:41 pm
Finally, that hated man of SA rugby, by some of our compatriots, is the cause of all this transformation talk. Cheeky Watson is his name. Kings/Queens is doing well all of a sudden thus the talk of transformation posterboys. Nothing wrong in expressing your opinion but people will make their interpretation like Mandela was called a terrorist at some stage in our lives. Opinion/perception/fact/reality is another issue.
25 Oct 2010, 21:42 pm
193. CHARO – THE WP GIANT(CHARO): what did i just say to you? Do you feel disrespected?
I really don’t know what you’re after
25 Oct 2010, 21:43 pm
194. Transformation(Transformation)
are you saying that a sports minister had influence on the citizenship of a zim candidate attorney?
sounds a bit far fetched…no?
25 Oct 2010, 21:43 pm
I wonder how you would act out “Transformation” in Pictionary…?
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