Tightheads & Loose Balls
● Former All Blacks scrumhalf Justin Marshall is bullish about the team’s prospects at the Rugby World Cup. Their recent form however is a mild concern.
“What they were good at over the years under Steve Hansen was winning the shitty games. When they had a bad day they still found a way to win.”
Marshall and Bryan Habana were involved in a touch rugby game with rangers this week and in one move the Kiwi sold the retired Bok wing a dummy he fell for hook, line and sinker.
Marshall limped to the score under the makeshift posts but his nearest threat may not have been his opponents.
Even Habana admitted later the venue on the banks of the Great Fish River was laden with peril. “This was a unique bush rugby experience. Lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephant but seeing we were on a river bank the thing I was most scared of was hippos.”
● In a candid interview Marshall admitted he only really awakened to the depth of the rivalry between SA and New Zealand once he came on tour here in 1996 when the tourists won their first series on SA soil.
“I remember us having a meeting where we were sat down by our coach John Hart.
“He said ‘we are about to embark on a journey that no New Zealand team has been able to achieve’.
“I was only 22 at the time. I didn’t appreciate it or know it well enough. It was just incredible that we weren’t able to win a Test series on SA soil."
● The Wallabies’ Rugby World Cup team announcement took an unexpected twist on Friday.
It was reported on stuff.co.nz that coach Michael Cheika read out the names of the players from behind a lectern with three microphones in front numbered 3, 6 and 0.
The score by which the Wallabies lost to the All Blacks last week happened to be 36-0.
● Warren Whiteley raised eyebrows this week when the injured Lions captain attended the launch of the Springbok Invictus medallion at Montecasino.
Whiteley, who has for the past few seasons boasted a luxurious head of hair, had shaved it all off to raise cancer awareness. He was barely recognisable. “I can’t even recognise myself in the mirror,” said Whiteley.
One hack even thought he was Kevin Pietersen.
● We don’t know if SuperSport is on a charm offensive but developments over the last few days suggest they are.
Hot on the heels of the news that the SABC can now broadcast Premier Soccer League matches to which the pay channel holds the rights, the Randburg-based broadcaster sent out a missive detailing arrangements for the Springbok World Cup announcement.
An e-mail was sent out inviting the media to the announcement which, naturally, will take place at their studios tomorrow.
But it was the last line in the e-mail that caught Tightheads’ attention.
“Several other broadcasters will also carry the live announcement, including SABC, ENCA and Newzroom Afrika.” Not too long ago SuperSport barred their rivals from broadcasting live from major rugby announcements.
To be fair, it is probably better to be on the charm offensive than to have your furtive desert dwelling executive appear at the Zondo Commission.