Fairy tale not complete without this old rag

On the wall of the suite at Ellis Park where I’ve been privileged enough to attend the odd rugby match over the last few years, there once hung a framed jersey signed by the Lions team of 2010 who held the unfortunate distinction of losing all 13 their Super Rugby matches that year.

I used to study the signatures on that butt-ugly strip, puzzled over why anyone would want to parade such an embarrassing artifact in front of rugby lovers. Had I been one of those players and someone tipped me off on the intended placard that’s going to be stuck on the picture frame announcing the record 13 defeats, I would have flatly refused to sign it. And as a suite host, I would have been much happier playing it safe with a classic photo of Madiba and Francois Pienaar with the William Webb Ellis trophy in 1995. Hell, even Pienaar holding the Currie Cup would have been better.

Sanity finally prevailed as that horrific jersey someone probably overpaid for at a late-night, post golf auction made way this season for an updated picture of the current crop of Lions stars in full flight for the tryline.

But much to my dismay, upon reflecting what Joburg’s Pride have achieved in Super Rugby over the last three years, I actually kind of missed that infamous jersey during my last visit to one of my most favourite spots in Joburg. You see, displaying three consecutive runners-up medals on your mantelpiece is already pretty special, but put those silver gongs in context next to where the team came from and you’ve almost got a modern-day fairy tale ... with the holy grail itself the only missing piece of the puzzle of course.

Let’s be honest, finishing second sucks. Big time. And having to accept the tag of serial bridesmaid is almost like declaring you’re fine with being second-best. I did not see Lionel Messi smile when he received his silver medal after losing the 2014 Fifa World Cup final to Germany and neither did I see any Lions player celebrate losing the final over the last three years.

But if we are really honest with over selves, out of the three final defeats, the Lions only really had one realistic chance of lifting the cup and that was the one they hosted last year. And let’s face it, even if they won it in 2017, having to go and successfully defend their title in Christchurch this year was always going to be a tough ask.

But it actually matters very little if there were one gold medal and two silvers on the wall instead of the current three silver medals. That is only half of the story anyway. It’s the other half that puts this remarkable journey of a franchise that was relegated from the competition following seasons like that sorry 2010 campaign into context.

It’s a story that saw a team in the wilderness during 2013 and only pipping the Southern Kings by the skin of their teeth in a promotion clash to win their spot back in the Southern Hemisphere’s elite competition.

It’s the story of a team that fought their way back from scratch, set an incredible record of going unbeaten in 21 matches against South African opposition along the way and who have been in more Super Rugby finals than not in the five years since rejoining the competition.

That hideous piece of scribbled rag has become an important piece of history. If it’s not wrapped around a toilet brush yet of course.