Pride for the Bok badge is back again

There’s no doubt, the good feeling about the Springboks has returned big time. Last year’s pessimism has made way once again for a feeling that national pride is pumping through the veins when it’s time for the Bok team to run out there.

Most would say, yahhh, but it’s only France and not any reason to get too excited too early.

Fair enough. But the basis that has been laid looks like a new horizon is busy taking shape.

Having had the privilege to hear from and speak to several role-players ever since the two pre-season camps in Johannesburg, followed by the build-up of the Loftus Versfeld and Kings Park Test matches, it sounds very promising.

The pride in the Bok badge has been restored, claimed Bok scrum coach Matt Proudfoot this week.

And without making too much small talk – because talk can be cheap – he painted a picture of the members finding each other both on and off the field, building a bond that is necessary for a team to perform.

That makes us wonder why there is apparently so much effort being put in to lure Rassie Erasmus back to his country of birth now that the team has started performing again.

Why wasn’t he willing to come back last year when the team scraped the bottom of all sea levels possible?

I’m not saying we don’t need Rassie, I’m just saying we are doing okay, thank you.

The influence of Bok backline and attack coach Franco Smith and defence coach Brendan Venter has no doubt been massive.

But don’t belittle the overseeing powers of head coach Allister Coetzee, he might be after all coming into his own right now.

The biggest plus in Coetzee’s favour was probably the appointment of Warren Whiteley as captain. If ever I’ve seen a people’s person he is. The real deal.

I probably have known Warren for about seven years since he joined the Lions and saw him climb up the ranks and how he displayed sincerity for his players.

He is simply not the bombarding and shouting-out-loud type of skipper. He gained respect by his high values and his honest caring for a player – any player – and his Lions coach Johan Ackermann played a big role in his coming of age.

Like big prop Coenie Oosthuizen said so passionately this week: It’s all about caring for your fellow player.