Old and new a sign of good times
4 Feb 2013
MARK KEOHANE, in his Business Day column, writes that veteran Juan Smith’s performance was a reminder of a good Bok past and Jan Serfontein’s qualities are about a good future. Both are an asset to our rugby.
There is no such thing as a pre-season friendly in South African rugby. What was a supposed first hit out for the Stormers could easily have been a Super Rugby match played at the most critical juncture of the season. It was full on.
It was unrelenting and both teams were playing to win. Both teams kicked for goal at vital times and neither bought into the 10-try feasts usually associated with warm-up matches. Tries were at a minimum and both sides tackled.
The quality of the math was remarkable given it was the first week of February. The Cheetahs won with an injury-time penalty but the biggest winner was surely the sight of Juan Smith back on a rugby field and as imposing as ever.
Smith is one of the great loose forwards of the last decade. He is also one of the least spoken and written about, but every South African supporter would have kept an eye on his comeback in Bloemfontein.
Schalk Burger’s return is a week or two away and if Smith and Burger can make it to July with knees, hands, feet and head intact the Bok pack will again be the envy of the rugby world.
Smith was darn good given he has been out for 18 months with an Achilles injury that threatened closure on his career. What a wonderful view to see him rampant and playing as fearlessly as is his norm.
In Smith South Africa has a legend but watch centre Jan Serfontein of the Bulls. He will play for the Boks before the year is over. He was the world U20 player in the Baby Boks tournament-winning effort in Cape Town last year and he has been nurtured into senior rugby without haste and with plenty conviction.
Some players simply make the transition from juniors to seniors and Serfontein is one of those. He is a also a beast, physically the most imposing centre in South Africa and one of the biggest in the game. He’s just 20 years old but it’s his skill and natural feel for the game that is even more impressive than his physical presence.
Not since Danie Gerber weaved destruction has a player looked as capable of doing as he pleases from broken player. If Bok coach Heyneke Meyer battled with some positions in 2012 it won’t be the case this season.
There is so much new talent in the South African game and there is also massive changes to what paraded as Super Rugby in New Zealand and Australia.
It is heartening to see how the Lions have embraced their year out of Super Rugby. Johann Ackermann is bringing through another generation of player and the Lions have been committed in everything they have done on the field this year.
The year regrouping could be the best thing that has ever happened.. The core of the Super Rugby team is on loan to other South African franchises and there’s a very promising group being played in the season’s first month of matches.
Rugby in South Africa is strong and globally it is healthy.
The sevens in New Zealand was the best tournament I’ve watched and Kenya were 10 seconds away from a miracle win. The Africans had beaten the Boks, beaten hosts New Zealand and were leading England 19-12 with 10 seconds to go. They turned over the ball, England scored and in the sudden death scored again to win the tournament.
But what a display from the Keyans who have benefited from the structure and intelligence of English coach Mike Friday. Kenya now play the game like they understand it and not just on natural feel. They understand defence, thrive on it and they were the most physical of teams at the tournament. A coach does make a difference.
The Boks have opted for more agility and players blessed with a step but not with size. There is no substitute for physicality in rugby. When the Bok Sevens have had more bulk than balanced runners they have been effective.
Paul Treu is currently trading on goodwill as coach as the Sevens has been in free fall for some time now. It can’t be a fait accompli that he is the best there is. Result don’t make a convincing argument.
Finally the Six Nations delivered on the promise with Wales diabolical against Ireland and England ruthless against Scotland.
The global game needs seven to 10 teams to be a factor in between World Cups and England and France most definitely are the equal of South Africa and Australia with New Zealand still out in front, but not by a lot.
The rugby season will run until December but the break over the last two months has been too long. Just like Juan Smith’s performance on Saturday it is full on from hereon in and be confident that South Africa’s Super Rugby challenge can deliver a winner this year.
1,605 Comments
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4 Feb 2013, 20:17 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-498: the grootbek version
4 Feb 2013, 20:21 pm
@nama1-496:
Government should be setting the example. There should not be a single case of fraud leveled at them. By their own reckoning, there is about 30 R Billion lost every year due to corruption.
Their incompetence should be highlighted at each and every opportunity.
4 Feb 2013, 20:22 pm
@Transformation-501: hahaha transformer – why are you so wrapped up in the Lions. Shoudn’t you be more concerned about the EP Kings vodacom cup team that is going to be moered weekly for the next few months.
4 Feb 2013, 20:27 pm
This Jan Serfontein looks like a good prospect.
And im so glad Juan Smith is back playing again rugby. My favorite bok in his prime. Always gave 100%.
4 Feb 2013, 20:28 pm
Aha
“Raping” has been dropped
4 Feb 2013, 20:31 pm
@RL-503: He seems to be well grounded in terms of how he thinks the Kings will perform…. I don’t see the problem?
If the Stormers came deadfuckinglast year in and out, I would be all 2 happy for them to be chucked out of top flight rugby for a while. It would be deserved…..
Yet you Lions seem to suck on more entitlement than what you could EVER accuse the Kings of sucking on.
Just because you don’t think the Kings should be playing S15….doesn’t mean the Lions still deserve to be playing…
4 Feb 2013, 20:31 pm
@Transformation-500:
The fact that he cannot defend his position without some name calling, tells you what kind of person you are dealing with. He needs to make himself feel clever by calling others stupid.
That is just so stupid.
4 Feb 2013, 20:32 pm
Form permitting, I would love to see this loose trio
6. Flo
7. Smith
8. Schalk
19. Alberts
4 Feb 2013, 20:37 pm
“Not since Danie Gerber weaved destruction has a player looked as capable of doing as he pleases from broken player. If Bok coach Heyneke Meyer battled with some positions in 2012 it won’t be the case this season.”
The way i see it, Serfontein is 4th in line in the pecking order for no. 12 if everyone is fit behind Frans, Jdv (if not at 13). Jdj. But depth is important so perhaps HM will introduce him into the bok setup to familiarities himself with the bok “culture”……like he did with Kolisi, Rhule etc
4 Feb 2013, 20:39 pm
@RL-503: “wrapped up”?
you are a Lions supporter to me & your team is duelling vs the likes of Russia tl tl tl and that is all you will ever be. the guy who cheers for the most-losses-in-a-season record wielding surrendermonkeys – thanks HG
4 Feb 2013, 20:41 pm
@nama1-507:
Amla takes over No 1 spot
Hashim Amla is now the world’s best Test batsman, joining Dale Steyn and Jacques Kallis who are best bowler and all-rounder respectively.
Howzat?
4 Feb 2013, 20:43 pm
@nama1-507: my presence riles him up, eversince i caught him redhanded stealing pedigree’s nic.
from that day i got into his head & he can’t shake me off
4 Feb 2013, 20:46 pm
@Mustard-509: serfontein will leapfrog de jongh, that’s how meyer will do it.
4 Feb 2013, 20:48 pm
@Transformation-510:
You will be the surrendermonkey supporting the Kings this year, right.
P.S you you always be the pretender transformer who supported an all white Kings team while standing on your podium, counting black faces in other teams.
4 Feb 2013, 20:49 pm
@Stawm-502:
True. I agree wholeheartedly and I believe our media is doing a good job re exposing corruption.
You remember what the judge in the Shaikh case said about a corrupter and a corruptee. So if government is corrupt does it then give companies that do business with them to be corrupt as well?
I see a lot of this “they (government) is corrupt so what’s wrong if the companies are as well?”
What happened to “two wrongs don’t make a right” that we hear so much about?
4 Feb 2013, 20:49 pm
You guys still harping on about the Kings/Lions debacle. In fact it is not a Kings/Lions issue, it is Lions/Saru issue. The way the Kings were introduced were farcical to say they least but that was as a result of the buffoons running SA Rugby. This thing of the Lions supporters wishing the Kings lose all their games is quite idiotic. Why are you upset with the Kings? You guys should be upset with Saru. There should have been clear plans 3 or 4 years ago mapping forward the introduction of the Kings into Super Rugby, with everyone on the same page. Negotiations with Sanzar should have been made before any new broadcast deals were made and BEFORE any commitments given.
I wish everything of the best for the Kings and their supporters…..they will be needing it and would love them to make a few upsets against the foreign teams.
4 Feb 2013, 20:49 pm
I dont wanna sound dof but who is Jan Serfontein
4 Feb 2013, 20:51 pm
@RL-514: GOLDEN LIONS ————»»»»»» SurrenderMonkeys FOREVER
4 Feb 2013, 20:52 pm
@Dawn-517:
Played for the Baby Boks that the won the IRN u/32 last year. No.12 for the Bulls.
4 Feb 2013, 20:53 pm
@I am a stormer-519:
jissus u/20
4 Feb 2013, 20:53 pm
@I am a stormer-511: Brilliant! Only right that the No.1 test team in the world leads the ICC players ranking. Will be interesting to see who the ICC names test player of the year if Amla and steyn keeps on performing. Surely they cannot deny Amla a second time. Amla or Clarke should have won it ahead of Sangakarra last year.
4 Feb 2013, 20:54 pm
@Dawn-517: kid out of high school who plays for the bulls, poached frm grey high by grey bloem & is the current IRB junior player of the year.
4 Feb 2013, 20:54 pm
@I am a stormer-511:
That’s just great man. All the no. spots belonging to South Africans.
Vernon is also the no. 2 test bowler.
Isn’t Amla still the world’s best ODI batsman as well?
@Transformation-513:
I agree. You already see people telling us how “big” he is.
4 Feb 2013, 20:56 pm
@Dawn-517: His the center for the Bulls. He played for the Boks in the U20 world cup which they won. He was also named player of the Tournament.
4 Feb 2013, 20:57 pm
IAAS what device you typing on?
4 Feb 2013, 20:57 pm
@mustard: top post.
thank you…
Go Kings!
4 Feb 2013, 20:58 pm
Dankie almal
I didnt see the Bulls game so was wondering
4 Feb 2013, 20:59 pm
@Dawn-525:
speed wobble – sorry skattie.
4 Feb 2013, 21:00 pm
@Transformation-513: counting again tranformer – stand high and preach about transformation.
4 Feb 2013, 21:01 pm
@nama1-523: yup all 1.87m 97kg of him vs 1.78m 88kg of ge jong.
it’s nobrainer for meyer.
4 Feb 2013, 21:03 pm
@nama1-523: Yes he is. In ODI, Amla is no1 and AB in no.2
4 Feb 2013, 21:04 pm
@nama1-523:
ODI’s
1 Hash
2 AB
Tests
1 Hash
4 AB
7 Kallis
T/20
top ranked SA batsmen, JP Duminy @ 15 – and he hasn’t played for 4 months!
4 Feb 2013, 21:05 pm
@RL-529: counting what?
i can’t have an opinion about what i think meyer will do? hahahaha
4 Feb 2013, 21:09 pm
Ikeys 5 – Madibaz 5 full-time.
4 Feb 2013, 21:09 pm
@Transformation-530: Well if De jong has a stellar season with loads of gangnam style try celebrations, its going to be hard for HM to ignore him. It will aslo be interesting to see which positions he plays for the stormers. Jdv should ideally be given a full season at 13 where he will be playing for the boks so i would like to see de jong at 12……but i doubt this will happen…will be other way around unfortunately.
4 Feb 2013, 21:10 pm
I see all the cleva little Storming Norman usual suspects and their Klompkak Kings suctions are shouting the odds about one of only two SA unions to win the whole damn Super Rugby comp – a Union with the best Rugby stadium in SA, the Lions…
Listen here you little fuckwits…
A huge segment of honest Rugger fans cannot wait to see the KlompKak Kings, the Bantustan of SA franchises to fcked to Kingdom Come this year…
As a big fuckyou to SARU
As a big fuckyou to SARUs Rugby “Transformation” lie
And as a big fuckyou to Watsonian fiefdoms and nepotism that puts Louie Luyt in the shade…
FucktheKings and all they stand for…
And they certainly dont stand for meaningful rugby development and harnessing the Black talent of the Eastern Cape…
Thats for damnsure…
4 Feb 2013, 21:11 pm
@Heavens Game-536: Correction: Should be ” the Bantustan of SA franchises get fcked to Kingdom Come this year…”
4 Feb 2013, 21:13 pm
@Transformation-533: I forget, you don’t see colour anymore – you should be okay with the fact that Serfontein is simply better than de Jongh. (Yes/no)
Btw is de Jongh the incumbent 13 or is it de Villiers, you know the captain.
4 Feb 2013, 21:23 pm
Interesting article…….
Ex-SA Legend Slams Proteas
Cape Town – The Proteas’ failure to wear black armbands to mourn the deaths of Neil Adcock and Peter van der Merwe has been slammed as political correctness by former players, according to the Sunday Times’ Telford Vice.
Adcock and Van der Merwe, who died on January 6 and 23 respectively, played for SA in the apartheid era – when only whites represented the country and only played against other all-white teams.
That, former SA batsmen Barry Richards and Graeme Pollock say, was why their deaths had not been commemorated on the field by the Proteas.
Team management said decisions on black armbands were taken by the players in line with a commitment to respect sensitivities on both sides of SA cricket’s racially riven past.
“It’s time to forgive and forget,” Richards, whose international career was limited to four Tests because of apartheid, said.
“We can’t keep up this pretence that there was no cricket before 1992 (when SA played their first Test after 22 years of apartheid-induced isolation).”
Richards said he was a victim of apartheid.
“I was three years old when the National Party came in to power in 1948, but I’ve paid the penalty.
“They keep talking about disadvantaged people – no-one’s more disadvantaged than Graeme (Pollock) and me. We couldn’t have Test cricket and we’re not recognised now.
“It was a sad part of our history, but let’s acknowledge that the guys who were good in that era were good, and when they die we respect them. It would be nice if the team did that.
Pollock, who played 23 Tests before SA were kicked out of world cricket in 1970, was officially recognised as the country’s “Cricketer of the Century” in 2000. He concurred with Richards.
“It (the lack of black armbands for Adcock and Van der Merwe) is in line with the thinking that anything that happened pre-1992 doesn’t get any credit or wasn’t part of the system,” Pollock said.
“Everybody who has played for SA has made a contribution and those two gentlemen certainly made a contribution.
“You’ve got to close the gap between the pre-92 era and the current scenario. In Australia, all ex-cricketers are rewarded and thanked for their contribution.”
Adcock, who took 104 wickets at an average of 21.10 in his 26 Tests, was among the most feared fast bowlers of the 1950s and early 1960s.
Van der Merwe captained SA to their first Test series win in England, in 1965.
4 Feb 2013, 21:24 pm
@Hg: fok die ” huge segment of honest Rugger fans”!!!
nothing “honest” about this lot, you all stood by in 2006 while SARU used corrupt means to kill off the Spears and allow the Lions drag the Saffa rugby fraternity in the mud with season after season of mediocrity.
you’ve got SURRENDERMONKEYSA cheering for your Sharks this year; well played
4 Feb 2013, 21:28 pm
RL are you a Sharkishit supporter this year or a blou ballas one?
Its actually blou ballas year so if you looking for a good hedge to hang your surrendermonkey bets blou ballas would be a better hedge than Sharkishits
4 Feb 2013, 21:34 pm
@Transformation-540: Transie, is life one big fantastic lie that you make up as you go along?
Bullshitter deluxe…
4 Feb 2013, 21:34 pm
And fuckyou too
4 Feb 2013, 21:35 pm
@skopdiekan-541: skop I support all SA teams when they play aginst the antipodes except those political harlots the queens. For the local derby matches it is wise to support the strongest team – and that team is the guppies. Simple really. Brokebacks are in for a tough year. Elton thinks he will be first receiver when everyone and their dog knows it is going to be Burger. Good luck with your team skoppy you will need it.
4 Feb 2013, 21:36 pm
@skopdiekan-541: Well, either way RL is safe as long as he doesnt even touch the Stormers with your ****… Farken heathen little t.wat
4 Feb 2013, 21:37 pm
@RL-544: And you get a…
BOOM!
For those honest words
4 Feb 2013, 21:39 pm
@Dawn-543: When, Prawny?
4 Feb 2013, 21:42 pm
@Transformation-530:
> it’s nobrainer for meyer.
HM knows a good big man always beats a small man
Hell Keo even acknowledges it in this article
“The Boks have opted for more agility and players blessed with a step but not with size. There is no substitute for physicality in rugby. When the Bok Sevens have had more bulk than balanced runners they have been effective”
It’s only Treu that persists with small guys, maybe JdJ should join him and his Merry Gang of Midgets?
4 Feb 2013, 21:42 pm
@Heavens Game-547:
Redro?
4 Feb 2013, 21:45 pm
@victoriabok-549: Yebo… Visvangers Vervloek…
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