TOETIE’S BIG DAY

Thor takes on the man from Tiberias I have nothing to hide, says a tearful Pravin

WHEN Allister Coetzee was appointed Springbok coach in April, there were several issues he was keen to address.

Aside from changing the Springboks’ style of play, the former Stormers coach was eager to take rugby into different communities.

He said he wanted to share his love of rugby with the rest of the nation.

He spent weeks brainstorming and researching ideas which culminated in the #LoveRugby movement.

Today, Coetzee’s #LoveRugby movement will be launched, ahead of the Springboks’ first Test against Ireland at Newlands.

The #LoveRugby tag will appear on the back of the Springbok jersey.

It will also decorate the team bus, appear on field markings, LED advertising, the match day programme, in social media and in a TV ad.

Coetzee marked the start of the changing of the guard by asking his players to hitchhike their way to camp in Stellenbosch by way of Cape Town townships.

The players, dressed in bright yellow #LoveRugby T-shirts, went to venues like the Springbok Experience Rugby Museum, a township restaurant, a city gym, rugby clubs and a brewery to meet unsuspecting Capetonians before hitching to Stellenbosch.

Coetzee said #LoveRugby was their message to South Africa.

“We love rugby and we want South Africa to share that love.

“The players felt it on the first day at camp when they went into communities and stood by the roadside trying to beg a lift.

“They didn’t know what they were getting themselves into, but instead of arriving drained and downbeat they were energised by the experience.”

Jurie Roux, chief executive of SA Rugby, said the #LoveRugby message was part of the ongoing transformation of the game.

“We know we have a good story to tell but it’s not always heard.

“Rugby holds a very powerful place in conversations about South Africa. It’s our sport’s privilege to regularly make the front page as well as the back page of newspapers.

“We’re proud of the fact that our sport really matters to South Africa.” THE REASON they call an international rugby match a “Test” is because it’s hard. Very hard.

Duane Vermeulen

Test matches are contested by guys who can light a match by gliding it over their beards, while most of them lose about three or four teeth a year.

In other words, Test rugby is not This guy had to undergo a random drugs test on Thursday night. But to call it random when it happens before almost every Test match is ridiculous. But it’s not surprising when you have earned the moniker “Thor”, because people tend to think you have special powers when you run on the field. But Vermeulen doesn’t need a hammer to get his point across, as he rules his domain. The Toulon No 8 is big and strong and mean, with or without the ball. When he breaks from the back of the scrum, opposition players start to brace themselves for a collision harder than Mike Tyson’s fist. On defence, Vermeulen is just as nasty, as he likes to tackle to the stuffing out of you, basically lining you up like a turkey at Thanksgiving. And, if he doesn’t knock the ball out of your grasp, then he casually manhandles you on the ground to try to get turnover ball. But Vermeulen is not just raw power. He has soft hands like a concert pianist. He has good vision and an eye for a gap. for the faint of heart. So that’s why we decided to feature the toughest of the tough ahead of this afternoon’s Test between the Springboks and Ireland at Newlands

Jamie Heaslip

The battle between Duane Vermeulen and Jamie Heaslip is going to be one of the epic duels in this afternoon’s match. We take a look at how these two No 8s shape up . Heaslip is no stranger to South Africa and the Springboks, having toured here with the British and Irish Lions in 2009, when a chap with a bit more, well, facial hair than coach Allister Coetzee was in charge of the Springboks. Heaslip was born in Tiberias, Israel, while his father, Brigadier General Richard Heaslip, served there with the UN. So he was always going to be a tough man to deal with on a rugby field. Heaslip, who has the distinction of being the 1 000th man to represent Ireland, is one tough customer, but he also has a nasty streak. He received a five-week ban for kneeing Richie McCaw in the head during a ruck. But, seriously, who could blame the man. McCaw’s head has been known to be in the right place at the wrong time. And it takes the late Mother Teresa’s humanity not to give him a But Heaslip is also very talented, a born leader who can read the play like a champion. He is an old-fashioned No 8, who likes to cover at the back, but also a loose forward who can mix it with the best in the business. FINANCE MINISTER Pravin Gordhan broke down in tears and was overcome by emotion when he spoke about the possibility of being investigated and arrested by the Hawks.

The finance minister was speaking at the Daily Maverick’s The Gathering forum in Midrand about the state of the economy and behind-thescenes work to prevent a downgrade from rating agencies.

He broke down in tears when asked to respond to reports that the Hawks had said he was not facing arrest.

Gordhan said he had nothing to hide or worry about in relation to an investigation into a surveillance unit formed at Sars when he was its commissioner between 1999 and 2009.

“I have nothing to hide and nothing to worry about. If they want to do something, well, I suppose we have good courts in South Africa,” he said struggling to contain his emotion.

Later he said he was feeling “very calm”.

An investigation by the Hawks into the Sars surveillance unit had led to speculation Gordhan did not enjoy President Jacob Zuma’s support.

Gordhan said Zuma and the ANC had issued statements assuring him and the National Treasury of their support, but hinted it would not be easy to rebuild dented confidence in South Africa.

On the matter of corruption and state capture, Gordhan said he did not have a mandate to investigate this, after being asked to do so by a group of former directors-general.

He said he would meet the former directors-general to understand their concerns.

“We would all, as South Africans, share their concern; we don’t want any abuse of public money” he said.

“We require a coalition of leaders in government; outside in civil society to re-instil right values in our young people and in our society.

“Often the mistake we make is we think government is the source of all good but also of all problems.

“We forget that corruption is a two-sided activity, it involves state on occasions but you see the construction around the stadiums or bread price-fixing.”

Gordhan was speaking two days after Fitch affirmed South Africa’s BBB-rating, a notch above “junk” status, but said low GDP growth posed a risk.

“Confidence plays a big part in whether we get investments going in our country,” Gordhan said.

“Confidence is also about building trust and building understanding and having a shared idea of where we want to take this country.”

Zuma rattled investors in December by changing finance minister twice in less than a week, triggering a run on the rand and bonds.

To calm markets, the president reappointed Gordhan to the post he held from 2009 to 2014. Gordhan stressed the need for policies to support sectors such as mining and boost the economy, which Treasury estimates will grow at most by 0.9 percent this year. “We need to stabilise sectors of the economy in trouble, like mining,” Gordhan said. TIDES High today . . . .7.58am, 8.29pm Tomorrow . . . . .9.05am, 9.37pm Low today . . . . . . .1.59am, 2pm Tomorrow . . . . .3.06am, 3.05pm Spring tides . . . . . . . . . .June 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 4 Neap Tides . . . . . . . . . . .June 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .June 27 SUN/MOON Sunrise today . . . . . . . . . .7.48am Sunset today . . . . . . . . .5.43pm Moon rises today . . . . .12.33am Moon sets tomorrow . . .midnight

Pravin Gordhan on e.tv last night.