Nothing to learn
20 Aug 2012
MARK KEOHANE, in his weekly Business Day column, said the Springboks did what was expected of them at Newlands.
Expected win. Great win. Not a ‘good enough’ win. Just a win?
Why don’t we deal in reality?
Does it scare us? Does it make us think? Does it make us responsible? Does it confuse the escapism of sport because it forces us to be satisfied? And if we are satisfied, does it mean we can’t feel a different sense of satisfaction a week later?
The Springboks don’t lose against Argentina in South Africa. Traditionally they win by 20 points. There was one occasion when they won by a point. There was another when they won by 54. On balance it is 20.
They also don’t lose in Argentina. There was one occasion they nearly did but that was because Springbok coach Harry Viljoen in 2000 did the unthinkable. He challenged a mindset. He told his players they were not allowed to kick the ball and they produced rugby for 40 minutes never played by a Springbok team.
It was a masterstroke, but the point had been made at half-time. And instead of applying logic so the point could be made the next time, he refused to believe in the reality of the situation. The Boks were not conditioned enough to play a match of rugby for 80 minutes without kicking the ball. Mentally no one was conditioned to accept it was possible.
Argentina, who wouldn’t come out of their change room after half-time because of exhaustion in being forced to tackle for 40 minutes, defied the IRB rules and stayed there for 20 minutes instead of 10.
They knew the game could not be called off. They knew they couldn’t play without legs. We forget that. We call it a lucky win. The day the Boks kicked the ball for the first time on 73 minutes and Braam van Straaten kicked a 78th-minute penalty to win the game 37-33. The day it all nearly went so horribly wrong. The day Harry showed he belonged in business and not rugby, apparently. The day Braam’s kick restored sanity, stereotype and allowed our minds to rest.
We won. We should have lost. So South Africans said.
One British newspaper columnist wrote that it was the day the Boks defied the accepted norms about kicking and not keeping the ball; that it was about possession and not field position; and that it was about what we wanted to make it and not what others wanted us to believe it to be.
But he said it would never be remembered for how it all could have changed forever; it would be used as an example of why it should never change. Apparently we nearly lost when the story should have been about a victory of the evolution of the game and the mind of the player.
The Boks, 12 years later, beat Argentina with the tested formula of giving us what we have always had. Now it isn’t good enough. The social networks are a reflection of the comfort in what has always been done and not what can be done. A day before the Test, some feared the Boks could lose. Some said they just had to win. Some said it should be 20 points. And when they won 27-6 some said they failed because they did not score a bonus point.
Argentina said they were happy. They had been competitive. South African coaches were not happy but at kick-off they would have taken a 20-point win. Why not now?
The All Blacks, having beaten the Wallabies 12 out of the past 15 times, won for a 13th time in 16. They apparently had not won; it was the Wallabies that had lost.
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans said his team were not where they wanted to be but they would be there next week. They will be in Auckland, where they haven’t won since Moses parted the Red Sea, but there will be condemnation in Australia when they lose on Saturday and outrage in New Zealand if the All Blacks don’t score the four-try bonus point.
What can we learn from Sydney and Cape Town? Nothing. What should we have expected to learn? Nothing?
The big guy simply strangled the little guy. Why dissect it? Unlike 2000, nothing was produced that shocked, surprised or made us think. And we remember 2000 for the day the Boks nearly lost, when it was the day rugby came so close to winning forever.
Mendoza and Auckland respectively will provide no new insight because it is still a big guy strangling the little guy and applying a formula that allows for the minds to be comforted and not challenged.
This weekend it will be 10 to the Boks in Mendoza and possibly 20 to the All Blacks in Auckland. It is expected, but it will not be good enough.
Rugby, as we want to know it, isn’t ready for the unexpected although too many are never satisfied with the obvious.
653 Comments
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20 Aug 2012, 18:01 pm
SA noww no1 in the world in test cricket
20 Aug 2012, 18:02 pm
What a fantastic Test match this has been.
20 Aug 2012, 18:02 pm
Vern the Man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
20 Aug 2012, 18:03 pm
Hats off to the plucky English, they really gave it their all.
20 Aug 2012, 18:03 pm
whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooohooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
well done proteas you beauties!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
big vern you are simply awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!
20 Aug 2012, 18:03 pm
@WP-Forever-502: Was really kakking myself there, I can’t stand the arrogant English farkkers
20 Aug 2012, 18:03 pm
Proud of the boys as the Proteas beat the Poms 2 zip in their own backyard.
20 Aug 2012, 18:03 pm
Hondo?
20 Aug 2012, 18:04 pm
WELL DONE SOUTH AFRICA.
Well done Proteas. That was bloody awesome test. Kept us glued to the tv like a damn thriller, just never knew which way it would end.
Feel so awesome. So damn proud of our boys. Gonna open a good bottle of red now to have a drink on our boys. Heeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaa brilliant we number one.
20 Aug 2012, 18:05 pm
@Puma-509:
We are NUMBER ONE!!!!!!!!!!!
20 Aug 2012, 18:05 pm
Big Vern you were Awesome just awesome. So too was Amla let us not forget his magnificent 300.
Proud of our team what a fight we had to win this. Test cricket nothing quite like it.
20 Aug 2012, 18:06 pm
What an outstanding match from Philander. What a guy- I never expected him to be such a top cricketer at this level.
20 Aug 2012, 18:07 pm
seriously, t20 can suck a donkeysballs.
test cricket will never be replaced.
never.
20 Aug 2012, 18:08 pm
Philander 61 and 35 vital runs in each innings, 48/2 and 30/5. What a king!
20 Aug 2012, 18:09 pm
proudest South African on the Planet…..going out to celebrate….love it…beautiful man…well played Poms…made us sweat all the way…
20 Aug 2012, 18:09 pm
@rangerman-513: Agreed. I dont give a toss about nowt but test cricket. Especially not that 20/20 rubbish.
20 Aug 2012, 18:10 pm
@rangerman-513:
Exactly. Who said test cricket is boring? With 20/20 you hardly have time to make a decent sandwich before it’s over.
20 Aug 2012, 18:10 pm
What a match of test cricket…. Phew!!!
20 Aug 2012, 18:12 pm
@I am a stormer-517: @rangerman-513:
Exactly, test cricket will always be the best form of the game
20 Aug 2012, 18:13 pm
Vern get’s as many packs of gum as what he can chew in his lifetime as a gift from me.
Awesome test. And this is why there is nothing quite like test cricket.
Yee-*******-hah!
20 Aug 2012, 18:13 pm
Amla man of the series????
20 Aug 2012, 18:17 pm
Also we must not forget we got the breakthrough with very good work from Tahir to get rid of Swan
20 Aug 2012, 18:18 pm
@sharks_lover-521: Yes, two match-winning tons, including a triple.
Has to be him.
20 Aug 2012, 18:19 pm
Always fun beating the Poms 2-0 in their own back yard.
@willievz-523:
Jy rev seker die Engelse daar by jou verskriklik!
20 Aug 2012, 18:20 pm
@sharks_lover-521: Would be most deserved, and the obvious choice.
20 Aug 2012, 18:21 pm
@WP-Forever-524:
Verseker ou maat, hier is baie suur gesigte in die kantoor nou!
Hierdie reeks gaan vir hulle ‘n bitter pil wees om te sluk.
20 Aug 2012, 18:22 pm
@sharks_lover-522: He also got rid of the biggest danger man today Bairstow. That was our chance there. Bairstow and Trott were putting on plenty runs at the time and that partnership had to be broken. Tahir broke it by taking Bairstow.
Jeez feel so awesome to win this test and the series and now we number one. AND doing it on their turf is even better….
20 Aug 2012, 18:26 pm
Wtf?
England Player of the Series?
Best Loser Award.
20 Aug 2012, 18:28 pm
Hashim Amla is a majestic speciman.
20 Aug 2012, 18:28 pm
@gunther-528:
Whahahahahaha!
20 Aug 2012, 18:31 pm
@gunther-528: What a joke. Have you fuckingever? Even the losers are winners.
20 Aug 2012, 18:32 pm
Amla I’m not even the second best batsmen in the team.
This guy is like Ghandi in cricket pads.
What a legend.
20 Aug 2012, 18:33 pm
If I’m not mistaken, there was a fellow on here who spent a lot of time and energy tearing pieces out of Philander?
What is his name, and where is he now…..
Receving his “Igotittotallyfuckingwrong” losers medal no doubt?
20 Aug 2012, 18:33 pm
And now Incestec medals for the losing team?
Is this like a kiddies birthday party where nobody goes home empty handed?
20 Aug 2012, 18:33 pm
Yesterday on Cricinfo, one of the commentators in an opinion piece was questioning whether Vern had peaked after his initial fivefor run and was being brought back to earth against a genuine top test nation.
20 Aug 2012, 18:35 pm
@gunther-528:
And he gets 4,000 big ones as well. Designed to pick their bottom lip up, I’m sure.
I presume there’s an overall Man of the Series. Again there was only one name put forward. Wonder what he will do if it’s beer for a year?
20 Aug 2012, 18:39 pm
a victory for SA and an even bigger victory for Test cricket. I’ve said this before and I’ll repeat; this South African cricket team is the best I’ve ever seen. And J Kallis is the best cricketer I’ve ever seen. I go back a little so we are really talking about making comparisons with Ali Bacher’s side of the early 1970′s and guys like Grahame Pollock, Mike Proctor, Barry Richards, Dennis Lindsay, Ali, Tiger Lance, Peter Pollock and Trevor Goddard. This team beat the living **** out of the ‘world-beating’ visitors from Australia. SA was great and this small boy was impressed. But not as great as this lot. Be sure. You’ve just witnessed greatness.
20 Aug 2012, 18:40 pm
@David-535:
he was hungrily eating his words this afternoon one imagines.
20 Aug 2012, 18:42 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-533: where are you Hondo boykie? We need you to lie down and lick a boot.
20 Aug 2012, 18:43 pm
@TASSIES-539: Is that who it was? Hondo (that racist peckerhead)? Oh dear, I hope he sucks up what’s coming to him…
20 Aug 2012, 18:44 pm
okay off home. Chat later, with a well-earned stiff cab in the paw.
20 Aug 2012, 18:44 pm
There was a time when Vern wasn’t good enough for even WP. I too called for his head when he valued himself too highly (at the time). The man then piped down, focused and applied himself. What a difference.
He’s probably the man you’d pen first (arguably along with Hash) in the team. Consistent bowler. Subdue and penetrate. Dale Steyn has lots to owe to Vern doing his thing at the opposite end.
How humble can a man be? Fark, Hash is so gentle yet so destructive! 100% legend!
20 Aug 2012, 18:46 pm
@TASSIES-537:
I disagree. That 70s side was something else. Kallis might be the best Batsman all rounder, but I’d never rate him ahead of Richards and Pollock as a batsman.
Tassies, I’m also old enough to remember.
BTW, you left out Eddie Barlow.
20 Aug 2012, 18:46 pm
@David-535:
Typical bluff and puff, with a typical outcome. And there we have it…the mace. Much gnashing and wailing going on now….brought back down to earth indeed.
20 Aug 2012, 18:49 pm
@TASSIES-537:
I’m also enjoying the moment.
We’ve had some great cricketers over the years. And you mentioned 2 of them – Pollock and Richards.
But in Kallis we have the greatest cricketer South Africa has ever produced. And a record that is comparable to that of Sobers. Making him one of the best ever to have played the game. Even when he’s not scoring runds, he’ll take a crucial wicket or catch flies at 2nd slip.
But just proud of all the Proteas right now. I think they’re onto their second case of Castle by now.
20 Aug 2012, 18:54 pm
How many here noted the tears on that Dolly trophy(remember the Dolly denied story posted from Aus. about 6 weeks ago)?
Those tears, for you morons, were for the likes of the Dollies, Amlas and Philanders denied for a hundred years at least.
Who has done more for that #1 ranking in the last year than Amla and the Ravensmead township boy,Philander(think of all his 5 for)?
20 Aug 2012, 18:58 pm
@David-543:
You are wasting your time with these bunch of ignoramuses.
You are correct though in that view you hold?
20 Aug 2012, 19:00 pm
I’m liking the new Kallis more and more. There was a time when he seemed to be playing for his own average. It could be said that he played that way as there had to be an anchor in the team and that he accepted the responsibility. Will all the batting talent in the team now he seems to be playing with much more freedom!
20 Aug 2012, 19:04 pm
@Neilanate-546:
I agree totally, although the cricketers did protest with their walkoff at Newlands. It may not have been much, but it was far more than the rugby players ever did regarding the Maori ban.
20 Aug 2012, 19:05 pm
Some just have to always bring up the past and bring race into it, why am i not durprised
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