Hunt’s hands tied as Clever Boys unravel

This was always going to be a clash between the tough Los Pumas pack of forwards and the thrilling attacking style of the Samoan backs. And so it proved in the early exchanges, with Argentina’s feared ‘Bajada’ scrum bending their opponents to force a penalty try.

But then the islanders hit back with a typically flowing move, which was smartly finished by left wing George Harder. In the second half, the South Americans surged further ahead when another powerful scrum saw scrumhalf Rodrigo Crexell dive over from the base, and it looked like the end was near for Peter Fatialofa’s men at 26-16. But Kellett’s left boot reduced the deficit to four points with two penalties, and the big play came soon enough. Flank Junior Paramore broke clear and fed replacement back George Leaupepe, who produced a fine touchdown. Then a loose pass by Lisandro Arbizu near his own line was eventually picked up by Paramore, who put No 8 Pat Lam over for the winning try.

POINTS-SCORERS:

George Harder, George Leaupepe, Pat Lam. Conversion: Darren Kellett (1). Penalties: Kellett (5).

Penalty Try, Rodrigo Crexell. Conversions: José Luis Cilley (2). Penalties: Cilley (4).

POOL

POINTS-SCORERS:

Scott Hastings, Eric Peters, Gavin Hastings. Conversion: Gavin Hastings. Penalties: Gavin Hastings (8).

Ipolito Fenukitau

This was much more about the Ivory Coast than France. Even accounting for their ability to sway between the sublime and the ridiculous, the French were never going to lose this game. And they won comfortably. But this was a night for the Ivorians to celebrate. Having been shut out by the Scots, against France the Ivory Coast tackled like men possessed and scored their first points at the tournament. Flyhalf Aboubacar

Camara charged down a clearing kick from Thierry Lacroix near the tryline and fell on the ball, sending supporters in Rustenberg into ecstasy. “It’s like they’ve won the world cup,” bellowed the TV commentator. For the second try, centre Jean Bapiste Sathiq intercepted a French pass, charged down the right touchline, put in an excellent chip with wing Aboubacar Soulama dotting down. It was an Ivorian ‘win’ even if the scoreboard didn’t say so.

POINTS-SCORERS:

Ivory Coast Tries:

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POINTS SCORERS:

Adriaan Richter (2). Conversion: Gavin Johnson. Penalties: Johnson (3).

Andrei Guranescu. Penalty: Illie Ivancuic.

“FORTUNE favours the bold.” The powers that be at Bidvest Wits will probably know this idiom too well after some questionable business decisions have come back to bite the club in the last three seasons.

And that is why the informed will tell you that it’s not entirely coach Gavin Hunt’s fault that he’s grown more grey hair in his last three seasons at Wits than in his first four.

Since Hunt delivered the PSL league title to the club after a 96-year wait, the Braamfontein-based side have somewhat transformed their policy of being big on investment to a selling franchise.

Yes, it was during the 2016/2017 season that the Clever Boys finally dethroned Mamelodi Sundowns as the Kings of South African football after being hot on their heels in the previous season, in which they finished as runners-up.

Granted, Sundowns were crowned the Kings of Africa at the during Wits successful title hunt but the memories of how the Clever Boys mopped the floor with Brazilians in the final of the MTN8 and took the league right under their noses must have made then 53-year-old Hunt feel like a teenager.

But it was, in fact, merely the club’s investments that had actually paid off. In his first three seasons at the club, Hunt had the luxury of getting any player that he wanted while his astute judgement to throw youngsters in the deep-end also yielded the results.

Before joining the Clever Boys, Moeneeb Josephs, Daine Klate and Sifiso Myeni had all won the coveted league title with Orlando Pirates, while Elias Pelembe and Cuthbert Malajila had recently achieved the same feat with Sundowns.

Siboniso Gaxa, who had recently joined won two league titles with Kaizer Chiefs, and Bongani Khumalo who had a number of stints in some of the best leagues in Europe, were part of the core in Hunt’s team that won three successive league titles at his former club, SuperSport United.

Given those experienced campaigners didn’t come cheap, but they worked for their money in order to win the domestic double. But kudos should also go to how unpopular faces Gabadinho Mhango, Vincent Pule, Phumlani Ntshangase, Xola Mlambo, Ben Motshwari, Thabang Monare became household names that season.

The fearless Hunt, who was also responsible for giving Bafana Bafana all-time top goalscorer Benni McCarthy his big break at 17-years-of age, was back at it, promoting Phakamani Mahlambi and Reeve Frosler from the academy ranks into top-flight football.

The experienced campaigners were expected to wilt along the way and subsequently leave the club. But how many of Hunt’s protégés and youngsters did the club hang onto in the last three seasons?

Disappointingly, it’s only Monare who’s still part of the team. Mlambo, Motshwari and Pule were part of the Pirates’ team that pushed Sundowns to the limit in the last two seasons, while Mhango, who’s currently the league’s top goalscorer, also became a Buccaneer this season.

Ntshangase is currently out on loan at Maritzburg United, while Mahlambi and Frosler are currently chasing for the league title with Sundowns and Chiefs, who are second and first on the Premiership standings respectively.

So only those uninformed can really blame Hunt that Wits have fallen from the dizzying heights of being crowned champions to finishing three positions above the automatic relegation spot the season thereafter – despite winning the Telkom Knockout.

In essence, Wits’ management tainted Hunt’s structure by becoming a selling team, a total contrast to the one that invested. Such that it was also surprising that the club had financial difficulties early season - having been forced to only sign freebies during transfer window.

Meanwhile, the club’s poor run at home in the last three seasons is another story. Last season, the Clever Boys finished third on the log standings, losing out of the title after losing their third last match of the campaign to Pirates at home, albeit holding the top spot for the better part of the season.

Unfortunately, that hoodoo has also engulfed them this term as they couldn’t capitilise on their games in hand – after playing in the Caf Confederation Cup early this season – at home.

Before the coronavirus brought the season to a complete halt, Wits were sixth on the log standings - 10 points behind leaders Chiefs, who’ve played a game extra.

But should the season get the green light and resume, it appears as though Wits will be yet again making up the numbers in the title race for a second successive season.

A scenario that would be make Hunt look older than his 55-year-old look.

A mixture of Tongan ill-discipline and some one eyed refereeing, saw Gavin Hastings boot penalty after penalty on a chilly night at Loftus. Tongan flanker Ipolitio Fenukitau’s beautiful try in the first half, was the sole highlight for the Pacific Islanders who were typically physical, sometimes too much so for the liking of the Australian official Barry Leask. The referee wasn’t much good either, often missing Scottish infractions, and allowing Hasting to stretch Scotland’s lead. Their three tries came late in the match as the Tongans tired.

Thierry Lacroix (2), Abdelatif Benazzi, William Techoueyres, Sebastian Viars, Guy Accoceberry, Philippe Saint-Andre, Arnaud Costes. Conversions: Christophe Deylaud (2), Lacroix (2). Penalties: Lacroix (2). Aboubacar Soulama, Aboubacar Camara. Conversion: Victor Kouassi. Penalties: Kouassi (2)

COACH Kitch Christie had divided his 26-man squad into a Green team and a Gold team for the Pool stages and after Green had covered itself in glory against the Aussies, it was time for Gold to get cracking. Understandably, after the euphoria of the opening match, this relative non-event against Romania would see an underwhelming South African performance. The players that had not been involved against the Wallabies tried too hard to impress and the performance was individualistic and disjointed. The Eastern Europeans were brave competitors, but it said everything about them at this World Cup that when Francois Pienaar went to their change room afterwards to thank them for the game, he saw players packing their kit into plastic shopping bags (to his great credit, he then organised them proper kit). The match was also a damp squib for another capacity Newlands crowd that restlessly saw the Boks labour to a win via two tries from captain and No 8 Adriaan Richter.

Gavin Hunt