Just listen to Schalk and take the new format week by week
ONE day (at a time) we will solve this mystery
Some people are still trying to figure out the new Super Rugby format. To be honest, I also tend to go back and check who plays in what group and who must do what. Then there is the new bonus-point system to mull over if you aren’t confused enough.
I have never been able to get a good grasp of mathematics, otherwise I would be sitting in a fancy suit, at my fancy desk, drinking some skinny coffee and reading someone else’s Super Rugby thoughts on a Friday morning. Algebra was the worst part of math, because I could never find “X”. And I looked for it everywhere, even under my desk.
So I’m going to take the great Schalk Burger’s advice when it comes to figuring out this new Super Rugby format. “None of us understand how the logs work, so we are going to take it week by week!”
Words to live by.
New blood doing the trick
It’s too early to say if this new format (whatever it is) will be a success, but the inclusion of the Sunwolves and Jaguares has definitely added something extra to the competition.
I still think that the old Super 12 or even Super 14 competitions were the best, with all the teams playing each other. The fact that none of the New Zealand teams are going to play at Newlands during the round-robin phase is a bit of a buzzkill, especially for the “Cape Crusaders”.
But it was good to see the excitement in Tokyo and the celebrations of the Argentinians, the Jaguares, after they secured their first win of the competition against the Cheetahs last Friday.
The only thing people want is to watch good, hard, exciting and competitive rugby. The opening weekend of Super Rugby was certainly not as bad on the eye as I thought it would be, unless you are a Bulls supporter, of course.
Super Rugby is still one of the great rugby competitions, and a pinch of Japanese and Argentine may end up sweetening it up even more.
Did Wagner lose the wager?
Outgoing Western Province CEO Rob Wagner was supposed to retire in June after more than two decades with the union. But this week, WP announced that he would go on long leave, effective immediately, before retiring.
So some of the hacks in the press box have been speculating whether Wagner took some sort of a bet that led to his “early retirement”.
Over the last eight years, Wagner hasn’t experienced many Stormers bonus-point wins, and he may have told someone he would retire immediately if they recorded a fivepointer over the Bulls. But he should have known better, as the Stormers always end up scoring three tries!
Whatever the reason for his early retirement, we want to wish Wagner well and many birdies on the golf course.
What to look out for: PieterSteph du Toit v Lood de Jager
Shakes Mashaba once said in a Bafana Bafana press conference that “when two elephants fight, the grass suffers”.
So the pitch at the Free State Stadium had better brace itself when these two towering locks take the field for tomorrow’s match between the Cheetahs and the Stormers.
De Jager, who is sporting a bit of a perm which is probably frowned upon by the NG Kerk, was crowned SA Rugby Player of the Year last week, while Du Toit is looking to make up for lost time after injuries have curtailed his game time in the last few years. This should be a classic.