Again I am refering to yesterday’s blog, not about the contents so much but rather a comment and a riddle about a tiger in a picture?  Well on the light side of humor, here is my very own tiger

Coming back to the post of yesterday I would like to state on record the following, and if this offends you, then truly I could not care less.

Going back twenty/thirty odd years when apartheid was still in it’s twilight, no player of color (with the exception of Errol Tobias) was allowed to play for the Springboks.  At that time, if no ban existed and players would be chosen on merit, the team would have much more players of a “darker skintone” then our national coach could ever find in today’s society.  The Saru boks were blessed with natural flair and talent.  Many of them today is still involved in rugby in some way or another, and for that reason, they are pushing for more Quota’s to be included in the current setup, which most of us find, well disturbing, considering that in today’s proffession, a player must be chosen on his merits, and be worthy of selection.

Now before I proceed, allow me to first give my disclaimer:

This article is written purely on past experience, and is solely the thoughts of the writer.  REM wishes to emphasize the fact that no racial intent is ment by the post, and by no means does this mean that he want’s to start a war, in other words, I am not racist ok, I am bringing this to you from a player of Colored’s point of view.  I would also like to say that I support my country and love it with all my heart.

If you are familiar with Cape Town and you go to, say a little town named Hawston a small fishing community outside of Cape Town, you will find that the population consist of 90% colored people.  They are also the town from which Gio Aplon is from and in a recent interview, he still said that eventhough his whole family supports the All Blacks, they will still cheer him on whenever he touches the ball.  Now this dillema can be found all across the country, where our very own would rather support another country, but forget that this is the land that they were born in.

George Sevens two years ago.  I was fortunate enough to go watch a couple of games and believe you me, there were more All Black supporters then South Africans.  They kept refering to the Springboks as “die boere” and it kinda got to me.  Are you so pathetic that you still live in that old state of mind, where you think “die boere” has a grip on things in this country?  These are the people that can damage the image of the Springbok.  These are the “experts” that seem to know everything but as soon as you hit them were it hurts they back up, shut up and fokof.  Really I am tired of traitors who would rather tell their growing child that he will support the All Blacks and not “die boere” because his daddy told him the same thing.  Or people who will slur out racial comments when they themselves are guilty of the same offence.

And where it makes me even more angry is that some of these guys actually think that certain quota’s are much better players then the white ones.  Oh yes I am sure many of you have heard it all before.  While sipping on a ice cold draught in the pub, while waiting for the next game to start, some bloke you have never even uttered a word to, comes sits next to you and say:(Let’s call him Doolie)

Doolie:  Husit my bru, jy gesien hoe fok my All Black’s die boere op hah?

REM: Ja was ma one of those games ekse, but onthou julle moet nog huis toe kom na os toe awe?

Doolie: Ag dai is fokkel ou bra, os vedala vi julle somma hie op Nuweland, j ken mos die records wat os het. Plus wat maak julle met daai whitey De Villiers opie wing, dai bra is mos n senter. Nou sien jy hoeko ek nie die boere support nie, want hulle sal liewes n whitey uit position uit speel as om n eie broe van my soes Aplon te laat speel, nai die boere se moer os ga julle vedala.

And normally nine out of ten times I would reply with the following, and this is actually the meaning of my post.  If you want to support the All Blacks, why don’t you just….FOKOF New Zealand toe

From the plains of the Highveld, to the mountain in Cape Town, everyone is wondering just what is going on with the Springboks.  Recent media has stated that a rift exist within the coaching staff, some say our guys is just not performing, the AB’s say we cheat and I say screw it all.

Work has been so busy that I have not had the chance to properly put pen to paper and try and explain what I think is wrong with our current setup.  Rugby Guru wrote a 3day expose and raised facts that I can agree with.  Uysh is not getting onto any gravy train and Blog Ed, well he is Blog Ed so he wants a poll. 

Fact of the matter is that so much claim has been laid on a team that recently lacks discipline and focus, that the media has done it’s job superbly.  They have installed a degree of doubt within a team that had to be picked up from the ground in 2004 after a few disastrous season’s.  They were installed with a renewed sense of hope for the future and that has paid off with the team winning a World Cup, two Tri Nation Trophees and defeat the British and Irish Lions on home soil.  The talent was at his disposal, the players were eager to go one further but somewhere along the line our beloved coach lost the plot. 

I won’t go on and write a whole post on his short comings as a coach, instead I will just say that even though he is a very good people manager but the coach of one of the most sucessful entities in the world is just a stretch too far and unfortunately he is way out of his depth.  For the last two weeks, John Smit could only do so much, but a coach with a strong mentality was needed, poor Pietertjie was probably missing home too much.  I can also guarantee you one thing now, and I need you to remember this day the 28th of July 2010.

Recently, Jake White has hinted that he would take the team back before the World Cup.  You see, Jake is one hell of a coach and from what I can gather from his AB he got flacked for anything.  Like is the norm with any sucessful team, and considering the diversity of the Springboks, when things looked good and the team won, every one was happy and glad to be associated with it, but as soon as losing occured, and like this case in a regular interval, the cracks started to show.  Now Jake won’t get the Job, period.  He is a long term planner and his statement in the media came as a surprise to many, but he wanted glory and I say sorry for this but that is just wrong and pathetic.  Yes he can install some pride again, but why show your interest now boet?  Oh so if you manage to win the WC again, you will be at the helm of a side that will make history by being the first side to defend the World Cup…..clever ekse.

Coming back to this day to remember, ladies and gents I can assure you now of two things: 

1.  Jake White will be used within the Springbok setup in the near future.

2.  He will be the assistant coach, of which the new one will be, a coach of color.  Believe you me, Saru will press this matter hard and award Alistair Coetzee, former assistant coach of the Springboks the job, of which Jake White will be a part of.

The team we have now is a good one.  I think one thing is ruining that spirit and that is provincial banter.  I have heard it out of a couple of them, and since the spirit for competition is good, the spirit of jealousy is even harder to ignore.  So I will say this.  I will not forsake my team, just because I want to agree with some people that Pietertjie is a joke, or that Saru is clowns, our players is exausted or that Regan Hoskins is a puppet for a secret organisation called the Spear and Nunchuk, I don’t care.  I had enough of Tri Nations for now and will rather go fishing.

Cheers vi eers

FIFO

Many of you should be familiar with this concept. First IN First Out. Do we do that here in South Africa? No, we just stick with the old, and stick with them until they remove themselves from the fray.

If you remember, in 2003 our rugby was in a state of disarray. Jake White was given a job that many would not take, considering the political ramifications, and the record and pressure that was put on the coach of the Springboks. When Jake started he already won the WC with the Baby Boks and he knew who some of his players would be. If you watched the Springbok Saga in last year, you would come to realize the challenges he faced. Jake identified the core of his squad, and he mixed the experience with the youth, chose one captain. He stuck with his choices and these players played some of the best rugby of their lives under White. Burger won Player of the Year as well as Habana. The Boks won the 2004 Tri Nations and White knew exactly what he wanted. He planned the World Cup victory years ahead and they succeeded splendidly in 2007 when they defeated the Queen’s Ball Boys. You may think what this has to do with anything?

Well considering that the core of that same group would have another four years in them was another reason for White’s selections. Jp Pietersen, Frans Steyn, Ruan Pienaar, BJ Botha, Du Preez, Burger, Habana, Fourie and Juan Smit was to be the core of the title defense with Matfield, J Smit and Bakkies being there for their experience and because they were good in what they do.

In came Pieter, who basically was not the favorite for the job. We know he got the job based on Saru’s desire to have a coach of color. Also considering that Jake left him a very very good squad was a bonus, considering that he also had to bring in more players of color, and bring in other good talent that can lay claim on the Webb Ellis trophy defense, something no rugby nation has done before. One thing Pieter does well is managing his players, keeping them happy, but most of the time he pisses off some bloke in Vereeniging who really loves his Saturday rugby, accompanied by boerewors rolls, biltong and Castle Lager.

It seems that rugby has managed to burn out our stars. You will see I don’t blame Saru, Pieter, the Super Rugby Franchises or Zuma, I blame rugby and now it seems that some of these blokes just are not performing. So I say, FIFO.

Look at Frans Ludeke. He is a crap coach, anyone disagrees with me? The Bulls fans will say, “ja but ons het die Currie Beker en die Super Veertien twee keer gewen so hoe kan hy n kak coach wees, jy moet jou oe laat lees ou pal” Well he coaches the player because from Heyneke Meyer he inherited all the talent in the world, look at his record at his previous club. FIFO people FIFO.

Some of our players have already hinted at a exit after next year’s WC. Matfield, Smit, Du Preez and co have realized that this will be their last chance of silverware and rightly so because damn they getting old. FIFO people.

So in short let me say this.  I love my country. What I don’t like however is how coaches can choose players based on reputation rather then current form.  I see Kirchner as a talented rugby player but way out of his depth at International level and that can be said to more then one player in that squad.  I wish that for once they can look at the guy and choose him not because of his race, or that he is second on our list of try scorers.

Some very interesting blogs over the last couple of days, and indeed some very good points raised.  I also see the International media jumping on the bandwagon for the dismissal of Pietertjie.  Well I have one thing to say for the NZ media…..butt out dudes!  May I just remind them that when the All Blacks were once again knocked out of a WC semi final by the Froggies, their own media turned it’s ugly head towards the NZ coaching team and wanted them dismissed but instead their bosses thought it best to stick with Henry, which shows continuity on their behalf, now leave us and our very messed up politics the hell alone man!

The team sheet don’t look too shabby.  Ruan Pienaar infront of January but the real question comes from Kankowski at 7.  Now the following will piss off the Bulls fans but hey, screw it im just gonna put it out there.

Kankowski has been a real talented find.  The comparison between him and Spies is one is a huge ball carrier, fast when pulling away and really physical, and the other a natural sevens player, who is just as fast but with more guile and flair.  Do we really feel the need to play two number 8′s in a starting line up?  The experiment has been done before but will it work against decent oposition?  Why did they drop Kankowski when he played the best rugby of his life and prefered the much experienced(in terms of caps) Spies who in my opinion knocks on the ball way to much when in contact.  He is put there for his physicality and when can you say, did he really play a game where he carried the ball forward, defended like hell and was ruthless at the breakdown point??  Well I can’t remember when last that happened.

To put it lightly.  I like Spies but his inability and 50% chance of either knocking or catching the ball when in contact, his inability to put in a 100% effort on defense really makes me wonder why the selectors do what they do.  All I am saying is give Kankowski a decent run in his prefered position, say for the next two home games against decent oposition and see what happens.  Is that so hard to do??  For me no, but for arme Pietertjie….JA wat.  I guess he will look to exploit the Aussies who will try and speed up the game and with two very quick loosies the Boks might just halt that progress.

And what seems like an eternity, Ruan Pienaar and Morne Steyn will once again pair up, after they played for the Springboks in 2005 for the U21 team that won the WC under PDV.  Why it took Pietertjie so long to realize that they can be something special makes my mind wonder.

But nou ja. Come let’s here your opinions sports fans.  I don’t care about stats, head to head or what ever you want to think about. I care about my country.  No matter what happens, tomorrow I will still support the Bokke

Cheers vi eers

REM

Can it be that a position is cursed within our country? Some will say yes, some will say it’s a temporary setback but I say yes it can be and that position has failed us the last two weeks.

The enforcer, a role that many say is one of the hardest jobs on in a rugby side has really let us down the last two weeks, and what was once considered the pride of SA Rugby has now been exploited in the media as our weak point. Bakkies Botha, probably the best enforcer in world rugby (when disciplined) gets into the action and most of the time puts a stamp on the game that outlines our superiority. Danie Rossouw, a well capable replacement for the incumbent Botha, has a high work rate, excellent on defense and able to carry the ball forward with ease. Their yellow cards resulted in the Boks conceding valuable points that in the end would prove to be their downfall.

Some changes Saturday, proved to be good ones, Ruan Pienaar proving that he is a much better scrumhalf then January would ever dream to be and Gio Aplon proving that he can create one or two moments of brilliance, his inexperience letting him down at the crucial part of the move. Many, myself included enjoyed the return to rugby of JP Pietersen, who in my opinion gave a stellar performance for the Natal Sharks against the Blue Bulls on Saturday. It ticked me off when the losing fans would stand by the fact that they are missing twelve Springboks. Well ouens get over it ekse.

Ou Pietertjie now only has Aplon on the wing as Jean De Villiers is suspended for the next two weeks, by which time surely JP would have put in enough game time to warrant a selection. If Chilliboy can do the same then why not him? Yes I can already hear the Stormer fans screaming from the top of Table Mountain that a injustice will occur, but heck who cares? As long as my Bokke gets back to winning ways, I couldn’t care less. I still insist that Kirchner along with Olivier does not have the instinct for International Rugby, sorry ouens ma ons speel nie stampkar nie, for that you can go to Grandwest.

Till Later

Ciao

So the other day I was reading some UK press releases and came across a blog posted by some twat, south of the River Thames.  This bloke was giving the English reasons to believe why England fans can be optimistic about the future.  To read, click here.

I especially like the first pointer about the vuvuzela.  It is really annoying how these nations can complain, bitch and moan about the same thing, especially when they lose and can’t blame their pathetic form for the reason why Germany gave them a moerse klap in the face.  I can’t wait for the EPL to begin, and now with the transfer window wide open and some really good players emerging from the World Cup, managers must be scouting the market like crazy.  It’s a well known fact, that the “top players” of the world never showed up for tournament, instead they sent doubles when the real okes were laying in Spain fornicating.  Big names like Torres, Messi, Rooney, Kaka and Ronaldo never showed that spark and interest in doing anything and instead small names, guys that surely made an impression on me showed up and put up their hands.

Gyan of Ghana was one of the best African’s in the showpiece, pity about the penalty miss but remember that he put Ghana there in the first place.  Sami Khedira fulled the big shoes of Michael Ballack to perfection, Keisuke Honda was the best Asian player of the lot, and one of the surprise packages of the tournament, Van der Wiel, Ajax man did his country proud, Alexis Sanchez of Chile is attracting some decent interest in his services, Stekelenberg, surely the Goalkeeper of the tournament is currently being haunted by ManU, Mueller of Germany and lastly Diego Godin of Uruguay makes up my list of promising rising stars.

If anyone has ever wondered what that Pommie brat Kitchensink looks like, I finally got the answer.  Seen in this photo is our beloved friend Kitchendump, with co pommie brat Discount(or is it Viscount?)

Kitchensink the bra on the left. Discount on the right.  Eysh…

Cheers!

“No need to panic”

What the hell is that suppose to mean Snor? Do you really think that everyone will vriet up the kak your spinning us. What I saw Saturday was hardly a Springbok team playing the old foe, but rather a bunch of players trying to scrape together some sort game that they never were in. Pathetic if you ask me.

The suspension of Bakkies comes to show that the man clearly thinks with everything except his brain. And here I thought that playing the oke would be either a huge mistake or a really good thing, pity he thought that the camera’s could not see his off the ball antics. Nine weeks, and he might as well go on holiday.

The team really needs some common sense. They need to pick players that put up their hands and show what it means for them whenever they pull the Green and Gold over their heads. More on the rugby to follow during the week.

The World cup is done. Finish and klaar and as much as some South Africans would still prefer to live in the euphoria of the World’s greatest spectacle but the reality is that life goes on, Spain won by a single goal and now it’s time for the World Cup posters to come off, shops taking off their colorful displays and the party is over. So what now?

Well as much as the WC injected some much needed foreign currency into our country, we have remember that live goes on. To all the tourist that flooded our shores:

Thank you for the support and making this World Cup a memorable one. Lots of highlights can come from it, and will certainly be remembered for it’s color, diversity and off course the much dreaded, hate it or love it Vuvuzela.

The only worry now comes with the non usage of some of the stadiums. I can guarantee you now that certain individuals will use the stadiums to line their pockets with the loads of dough they have already made during the spectacle. More on that later.

Good Morning Blogworld.  The World Cup is finally reaching it’s end phase and I know that many of you would like the athmosphere and the vibe to remain.  We can now say that we have hosted a very successful World Cup and besides a few flaws that can be expected, South Africa not only did itself and it’s people proud, but 900 million Africans who have waited for this occasion for a long time.

But this is not the reason why the post is long overdue.  I love Football, but also all kinds of sports, whether it be team sport or extreme.  The football season is only starting now ladies and gents, the different domestic leagues around the world is set for kick off from early August.  The reason for this post is what I don’t like about football:

The spirit of Football is being spoilt by little brats diving and cheating their way through life.  Take note that the statement does not necessarily mean that these players are directly the cause of the problem but rather pupils of the art, if you catch my drift.  If this World Cup has showed us, then it is that players simulate too much and for that, Fifa should form some sort of citing commision to indicate players that simulate and fine the bastards afterwards.  This should stop them from falling for everything.

Another problem is the referees.  I don’t tend to blame a ref for a poor performance, but too many referees at this year’s showpiece is just not up to scratch and have given the general public reason to believe that they just can’t keep up with the demand of International Football.  The only referee that has given me the impression that he can blow a final, and who is the favorite to do so anyway is English, and since his country no longer participates, he should relish the oppertunity to blow in the final.  A no nonsense ref who is also my favorite in the EPL.

Sepp Spastic Colon Blatter should really have a long hard think about players diving, and with that simulation dictate the game.  Set up a commission, fine the bliksems and see how that will change the mindset of players like Messi, Ronaldo, Kaka etc etc.

That is why I love my rugby.  Physical, Tough and entertaining.  The Tri Nations is upon us and I for one can’t wait anymore.  It is time for the real pride of the country, the Bokke to defend the trophy that they won in great style last year.  Some new faces on the horizon, and I still stand by the fact that three flaws can cost us dearly against the much fancied All Blacks. 

One:

The tactical know how of Fourie Du Preez will be missed.  The Springboks has depth in each and every department and even though Ricky played a good game against Wales, he failed against the Italians. 

Two:

Jean De Villiers being wasted on the wing.  Olivier played a very good Super 14 deserves his place.  I am still under the impression that he always thinks that when he plays for the Green and Gold, he plays stampkar rugby which does not fit in with our style of play.  Only time will tell whether he finally fits into the setup.

Three:

The massive boot of Frans will be sorely missed.  Zane and Gio in my opinion is not in the same league as the former Shark utility back.  Many tend to forget that he slotted three vitally important penalties from within his own half to seal the game for the Springboks.

Let’s enjoy the last of the World Cup, and look forward to the rugby and football feast still to follow.

Cheers

REM

PS:  Sorry for the long absence, as you can imagine, work is busy as hell.

Enjoy

PPS:  Well done to Spain and Holland and the best of luck to them this Sunday at Soccer City.  Snjeider and Villa is my two outstanding performers of this World Cup, and the battle ahead seems enticing.  Enjoy what is left Ladies and Gents, this weekend is gonna be a blast.