South Africa - The State of the Nation

Derick Hougaard a breath of fresh air

It was good to have Derick Hougaard – former Bulls, Springboks, Leicester Tigers, and Saracens flyhalf – back in the SuperSport Afrikaans commentary box for Friday’s Sharks vs Rebels game after his hospitalisation and MRI brain scan a few days previously. The fear is brain damage from repeated head knocks during his playing career. Hougaard has been a veritable breath of fresh air as TV commentator, with his astute insight and sharp sense of humour a boon for viewers. The banter between Hougaard and lead commentator Gerrie Scheepers during the Sharks vs Rebels game was a delight too.

Quo Vadis Bulls?

The Bulls may yet squeeze into the playoffs if they gain 10 log points in the next two weeks and a few of the teams above them on the log collapse in the last two rounds, but this has been a season for them of promising plenty and delivering little. They need a meticulous, insightful rethink on coaching and strategy and selection. Perhaps if rumours are true that Victor Matfield and Fourie du Preez will be running the show next year, as de jure or de facto coaches-in-charge (perhaps with Frans Ludeke bearing the nomenclature of director of rugby or head/senior coach or supervisor), such a rethink on approach and a substantial reset will take place. 

Lions Rampant

The Lions proved again – this time against the reigning champion Waratahs – that you don’t need to have players with Springbok contracts, or indeed a single first-choice Springbok – to play scintillating, effective rugby, and win big games. If the Springbok team is selected on form, hitherto unheralded players such as Ruan Combrinck, Faf de Klerk, Warwick Tecklenburg, Jaco Kriel, and Schalk van der Merwe must surely join Warren Whiteley and Elton Jantjies as serious Bok contenders.

SA Referees rise above the morass

With so much flak being aimed at the inaccuracy and inconsistency of SANZAR referees – much of it justified – it was gratifying to see the four SA referees in action in Super Rugby Round 16 all performing well. Craig Joubert, Jaco Peyper, Jaco van Heerden, and Marius van der Westhuizen were all way ahead of their antipodean colleagues in their accuracy.

Sad farewell for Naka and Os

Sadly, the Cheetahs gave yet another substandard performance in the last game in which Naka Drotske and Os du Randt will be in charge as coaches. Franco Smith faces a massive challenge as new Cheetahs head coach.