Slick quip from Bok skipper silences pundit
SPRINGBOK captain Jean de Villiers is always quick to banter with the media and last week in Mendoza SuperSport’s Matthew Pearce was the target. The accomplished commentator asked De Villiers if he had seen any of new channel ANN 7’s disastrous sports coverage. De Villiers admitted he hadn’t and when he was told of the litany of bloopers by the station, De Villiers turned to Pearce and asked: “When will you be joining them, Matt?”
BOK coach Heyneke Meyer is not the conservative man many believe. He has a refreshing quirky side and he’s not one to defend under-par displays. Following last week’s poor showing against the Pumas, Meyer was informed that some of the match reports might be critical. “It’s right that they are,” he said. “It wasn’t a good performance.”
AFTER a 22-hour journey from Mendoza, the Springboks arrived back in Johannesburg 30 minutes ahead of schedule thanks to a strong tailwind on the return flight. But landing early meant the SAA Airbus had a parking bay that the pilot described as, “in Kempton Park”. To make matters worse, a Samwu strike meant ground staff were at a minimum and there was no one to operate the stairs for passengers to disembark. The co-pilot had to wriggle through a hatch in the belly of the plane to assist. By the time the plane’s doors were open, the Boks were behind schedule.
MASTER of ceremonies at the launch this week of Asics as SA Rugby’s apparel supplier, Xola Ntshinga, couldn't help himself when weighing up the Boks’ potential when they officially link up with a sponsor known for the giant strides they took in road running. “Maybe now the Springboks can play some running rugby,” Ntshinga wondered sagely.
LIONS coach Johan Ackermann made quite an impression during a lunch-time talk at Pirates Sport Club in Greenside, Johannesburg, this week. Some appreciated his honesty but Ackermann wasn’t short of a few sharp one-liners. When asked what the Lions' 62-23 demolition of the Blue Bulls at Loftus last weekend meant to him, Ackermann was quick on the draw. “I think it must be the new model Nokia they're about to release, or the price of beef in Pretoria.”