Pride of Western Province had the last laugh

The very diversity of the world of sport, while it might close the doors of fanatical support aroused in diverse individuals, opens vast vistas of chances for the human mind to reach fulfilment.

Quite often this happens during a train smash of different interests and more often than not occasions some fierce repartee; a football enthusiast will be unlikely to accept any real merit in the grunt and groan business of Super Rugby, nor is an adherent of the ear-splitting fossil fuel fascism of MotoGP ever likely to find lasting accord with the ideals of top level stage race cycling.

So it was that Claude, a patient man, invariably accompanied by his half-section Lourens, a man blessed with equal forbearance, accepted the barbs hurled at his beloved Stormers by the Everton Supporter, whose lone allegiance to the Merseysiders among the usual gathering of Liverpool loyalists rendered him something of an endangered species. There was plainly, no love for the pride of the Western Province.

But, as already noted, patience is one of Claude’s more endearing traits – it has forced to have been a requisite over several years of late as the flags of enthusiasm have hung limp over Newlands.

“Just wait,” he counselled as the repartee predicted the moering the Stormers faced at the hands of the Bulls. “The Stormers are my team and we’ll surprise the boys from Loftus.” It was, thought the gathering an extremely optimistic prediction. But Claude just grinned as Lourens rolled his eyes and slowly shook his head. He had been down this road before.

In the event, Claude proved to have got things totally correct as skipper Siya Kolisi, in his benchmark 100th Super Rugby encounter, led his side to a four-try 2917 triumph. It was exactly what Claude had been waiting for.

“Any more predictions?” someone asked Claude, who looked pointedly at the Everton Supporter and signalled there would be no immediate response. He had already savoured his moment.

That behind them all, and making a quantum sporting leap to Spain, Alan, the proud owner of a massive motorised two-wheeled machine, was eagerly awaiting the next round of MotorGP in anticipation of Valentino Rossi extracting some payback after being unceremoniously unseated by Marc Marquez in the previous round.

There can have been no keener student of Rossi than Alan. “It is about time someone taught Marquez a lesson,” he opined before a race where Rossi would complete the equivalent in competitive MotoGP laps to the circumference of the Equator.

As things turned out, this was a barren boast as Spaniards Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo joined Italy’s Andrea Dovizioso by crashing out in spectacular fashion to leave Marquez free to romp home to victory. “Quite a ding that,” said Alan ... and it was noticeable that his own pull-off was of a carefully sedate nature.