TIGHTHEADS & LOOSE BALLS
WHEN you’re not used to captaining a Super Rugby team, it’s easy to trip yourself up. Just ask Bulls skipper Flip van der Merwe, who addressed New Zealand referee Chris Pollock in Afrikaans in last week’s match against the Lions. “I was hoping you guys would miss that,” Van der Merwe said, sheepishly, when asked about it in a media conference. “It was a light moment on the field. It’s one of those things that you learn when you’re the captain: that not everybody is Afrikaans.”
EVEN if it may seem farcical at times, democracy is a wonderful thing, something the Griffons Rugby Union exercised this week. They went against the prevailing tide in their nomination of Jan Marais, chairman of the Griffons (Pty) Ltd, to run against incumbent Saru vice-president James Stofberg at the elections on March 27. Stofberg, as far as Tightheads is aware, was nominated by at least 10 provincial unions, which means Marais must feel a bit like “Juju” in the run up to the poll.
WALLABY and Brumbies flank David Pocock hasn’t had much luck in the past 13 months. After more than a year out of the game due to knee ligament damage, Pocock suffered a recurrence of the injury playing against the Force last week. He’ll be out for the rest of the season. On the up side, one of the nurses treating him in a Brisbane hospital was an old friend, Wongani Silo, from his Gweru school days in Zimbabwe. It was the first time they’d seen each other in 13 years.
CHEETAHS prop Coenie Oosthuizen suffered another serious neck injury, during last week’s match against the Rebels, and returned to SA. For a prop, it’s a worry when you sustain the same injury again. Bulls prop Frik Kirsten has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a similar problem. We wish both a speedy and full recovery.
BLUES coach John Kirwan is giddy about visiting South Africa. “I just love the place. Just seeing the evolution of South Africa. I was here in 1992 as part of the first New Zealand team back after apartheid, when Mandela was released. It’s been really great for me to see the transformation of the country. I enjoy the people. I’m standing in a school yard with kids from all races and colours playing rugby. It’s like being in New Zealand. It’s just perfect,” he gushed.
ONE of Tightheads’ most loyal contributors did himself a mischief this week. We are not entirely sure about the circumstances, but he cut his hand while trying to catch a knife. Six stitches to the webbing between the fingers of his right hand means he can’t play golf. No chance of slicing those drives any time soon, then!