PURE RUGBY - update

(This post was updated on 24th October - the final limerick verse was added. I didn't want to jinx the boys by posting it prior to our win - which was never in doubt - see the latest post - NICE TRY BUT IT WASN'T ONE!)

I was blown away, but not surprised, by our march through to the Rugby World Cup final on 20th October against England.
I truly believe that Argentina is a far better side than the performance against the Boks in the semi-final would have us believe. Had they engaged us like they did France in the opening game where they believed they could take us on in every facet of the game, the match might have played out differently. Don't get me wrong - I still believe the Boks would have prevailed but the Pumas' professional approach all through the tournament seemed to disintegrate in the semi-final almost as if they had resigned themselves to losing their line-out ball and hoping to keep us pinned back with tactical kicking. Had their kicking been on-song, we might have paid a heavy price for our own inept punting display but the touch-finders that did actually make it to the line, more often than not, were comfortably won by the Springboks on our own and the Pumas' throw.
We will need to step up a gear for the final clash and I have no doubt the Boks are more aware of that demand than anyone else on the planet right now.
The Springbok team psychologist (name escapes me right now) was featured on 702 during this week chatting to David O'Sullivan and he intimated that the players couldn't help but feeling isolated right now and starved of their home support and understandably so. Leaping into action immediately, an sms and email line were set up to receive the wellwishing of 702-landers, these to be forwarded and displayed at the Bok quarters in France. David O'Sullivan admitted to being staggered by the volume of the response and further amazed by the fact that there was not a single dissenting voice among the correspondence - a significant yardstick for the present sentiment in the country marred only by yet another victim of violent crime - the high-profile and well-loved reggae star, Lucky Dube who was tragically and horrifically gunned down in front of his young children in a suspected botched high-jacking in the south of Johannesburg on Thursday (last) night.
John Robbie, 702's morning show host, raised the question of whether listeners thought the Boks should wear black armbands as a mark of respect for the fallen musician and I, for one, believe that the gesture should be embraced - not just for Lucky Dube alone but for all victims of violent crime in our country and this sentiment should be stressed and broadcast to the populace especially the attending President Mbeki en-route to Paris to cheer the Boks on.
That said, I felt compelled to add my own literary contribution to the Springboks wellwishers' list and this little offering takes the inevitable form of a limerick as below:

AN ODE TO THE SPRINGBOKS

Up front CJ, Os and John Smit
Will be pumped from the very first hit
Every” “Touch, pause, engage!”
Will inspire them with rage
And the English front row will submit

With the Blou Bulle second row pair
It’s a combo that’s beyond compare
Yeah Botha and Matfield
From the Bull Ring in Hatfield
Are the kings of the ball in the air

Then there’s Burger and Smith and Rossouw
Our fetching and fighting back row
In the rucks and the mauls
These boys have the balls
Ensuring the next phase will flow

With a midfield of Butch, Jacque and Steyn
We’ll inflict on the Pommies much pain
With our whiplike attack
Jonny Wilko will crack
And his kicking will go down the drain

Then there’s Fourie du Preez as our scrummie
Who can kick, dart or sell one a dummy
He’s the world’s number one
At the base of the scrum
Or crossing the line on his tummy

Our left wing is someone called Bryan
Whose forte is low-level flying
His side step and ducking
Leaves opponents just kakking
And that’s when he’s not even trying

And to counter the intercept king
There’s JP on the opposite wing
He is young and inspired
And he never gets tired
Gives our backline its scorpion sting

And Monty our veteran fullback
With his highlights he cops all the flak
But his highlight for me
Is his consistency
And his calmness when under attack

Not forgetting our boys on the side
Still a wave in our green and gold tide
And the awesome Jake White
With his flair and insight
Win or lose - fills our nation with pride!

Now the battle is over and done
The English have turned tail and run
John Smit and his team
Have brought home a dream
Yes our brilliant young Springboks have won!

GO BOKKE – YOU’VE ALREADY MADE US PROUD – AND YOU'VE MADE HISTORY!