What a game it was at the cathedral
VATA NGOBENI And no, it was not played in New Zealand between two of their franchises but rather in the heart of the biggest city in the country and at one of world rugby’s cathedrals, Ellis Park. The Lions and Sharks put on a spectacle for the 38716 strong crowd that had descended to watch this emotion fuelled derby. It was by far the best game involving South African sides, something the Lions have become accustomed to, and one of the best of the season in the entire competition. It looked like it was heading for a draw which would have been a fair result especially for the Sharks, who had come out to not only play but beat the Lions, but hats off to the hosts who showed why they are the best team in the country. How Newlands must be one of the happiest rugby places in Super Rugby at the moment. It would be with the Stormers playing that old champagne rugby that made Western Province the most successful province in domestic rugby. It was easy on the eye, soothing to the heart and a game that encompassed all of rugby’s many left-field and conservative philosophies. The Stormers eight try 53-10 romp over a hapless Cheetahs outfit has set them up nicely for their date with redemption when they face the Chiefs on Saturday. The Stormers can be a force in the competition, again as was evident against the Cheetahs, but their true test of character lies in wait against a side that embarrassed them 60-21 in last year’s play-off at their beloved Newlands. It was that kid Curwin Bosch, again, who showed South Africa and the rest of the rugby world that he is the man for the big occasions. His match winning exploits may have not been enough to carry his team over the line this time around, but he kept the Lions on their toes and his ace kicking for poles and snap drop-goals remain an asset for the Sharks – and hopefully the Springboks soon. 19 points from his boot including a penalty from over 50 metres out in such a high pressure game settled any doubts about Bosch’s talents. Another man for the big moments proved to be Stormers loose forward Sikhumbuzo Notshe, who scored a hat-trick of tries at Newlands. Besides showing that he is ripe and ready for higher honours, he is almost the complete package when it comes to what the modern day loose forward requires to be successful. Currie Cup is not Super Rugby It is an easy cop out for Cheetahs coach Franco Smith to talk about the rumours of them being axed from Super Rugby as a distraction for his players, and why they lost against the Sharks. This is the kind of talk that won’t go away until Sanzar has made a decision. The Kings have always played with a guillotine hanging over their heads, and it has been the same for the Melbourne Rebels and Western Force, but none have used that excuse. Winning the Currie Cup unbeaten is one thing, but being competitive in Super Rugby takes a whole lot of planning, player depth and the ability to be up for it every weekend against some of the best players in the world. On Saturday at Newlands they were outplayed, outsmarted and punished for not having their Super Rugby boots on. For the Cheetahs to make a case for themselves to remain in Super Rugby, they will need to step out of the Currie Cup rugby world and make their presence felt on the field. This is the sad tale of what has become of this once great Super Rugby power called the Bulls. As was to be expected they lost yet another game – this time at the hands of the Chiefs in Hamilton. They did show some glimpses of what their team suggests on paper, but they ran out of steam and ideas in the last 20 minutes of the game. The Loftus faithful are pining for the days when the Bulls ran rampant in 2007, 2009 and 2010. That longing for the glory days could become even more painful if the Bulls get the unenviable piece of history by being the first South African side to lose to the Sunwolves, who they face in Tokyo next weekend. So far it been one win out of five, can it get worse?