With one test left in the Tri Nations, some interesting times indeed for our beloved Springboks. I think that the next 5 months will be crucial for our campaign next year and Pdivy can hopefully salvage some pride. What people don’t realize is that we are attempting a Grand Slam and this year sees New Zealand and South Africa attempt this feat for the first time in it’s history at the same time.

Interestingly enough Australia has only accomplished this feat once in 1984, the All Blacks in 1978, 2005 and 2008 and SA 1912, 1932, 1952 and 1961. The worrying factor for us Saffas would be the last time we actually accomplished this feat which is near to 40 years ago. Many have also argued what Pdivy should do by resting his key players but I have my own definition.

Too much rugby:

Many post has been done about this topic. Our players have too much rugby that they play during a year. So where does this leave our players. Obviously we cannot send an inexperienced team to the land of the pale face. We have to send a team, based on their performance in the Currie Cup and to a latter extent the Super 14. We should give some of our players a decent break from rugby, guys that will play an integral part in retaining the trophy next year.

The Currie Cup is still a breeding ground:

Who says we need Super 14? Ok actually we rely on it too much. So much in fact that we ignore the talent at our disposal. Now there will be some of you that say that a certain player is better then another, yet again forgetting that our judgment is clouded by provincial bias. I still think that if the Springboks are to improve in the coming years, that they totally change the format of the competition to 6 teams. No disrespect to the Leopards and Pumas but they are way out of their depth. This year has already seen some great players come and put up their hands. They should be considered for the Tour no matter what idiot thinks that they should not.

Fitness is key:

Like Bafana Bafana did before the WC, they went on a camp.  The problem is how do you single out 30 players?  Solution is simple.  Saru needs to step in before the Super 15 kicks off and have all the unions do an extensive fitness programme.  Everything should be co ordinated by some guru in the field and should focus on certain aspects like conditioning and mental preperation.  Although all the unions have this, we should have one big indaba, come together and skut jou biscuit.

Inexperience will cost us:

When Jake White started in 2004 he had a plan of creating a squad who’s core would form the base of his team. Percy Montgomery was bought back from Wales, Os Du Randt out of retirement and he chose his captain and stuck with him. Consistency is what won the World Cup. De Villiers you feel is a tad to late with this plan but could bring in young players who will carry the legacy of the Springbok further then 2011. One has to remember that many of our top players will retire after the World Cup so replacements has to be found. They say Flip van der Merwe is good but just how good is he? This is just an example but because my bias will favor someone like Steven Sykes or Alistair Hargreaves this question can be answered by different individuals, with totally different answers. So like teams with a general know how of the sport do, they recruit the youngsters while there is still many experienced players around them, thus they create a cycle that will continue once the experienced retires and the youngsters take up their role.

The importance of victory over the Home nations:

It is important that South Africa win all their games and that is just a fact. We must have one of the most sophisticated fanbases in the world. Critics, Media and Politics all rolled into one big stuff up create a team that can ether set the world alight or play poorly. In order for us to win the Autumn test we have to send a team filled with youngsters who’s form in the Currie Cup paid off. We have to make sure that these players know what they are playing for and that their hard work pays off. We have to win to ensure that we go into the WC prepared for anything.

We also need to start looking for players who could replace Victor Matfield, John Smit, Fourie Du Preez and Bakkies Botha.

Selecting 28 players at this stage in time is way too much and too far ahead. I would say though that players that have caught my eye thus far is Patrick Lambie, Lwasi Mvovo (Sharks), Bjorn Basson(Griquas), Elton Jantjies(Lions) and JJ Engelbrecht (WP). So based on this they should be looked after.

All in all we are in quite a predicament. Do we send over a inexperienced side and lose out on a Grand Slam, do we send our strongest possible team, achieve the Grand Slam and stand a chance of burning out our players or do we mix them up, youngsters with experienced players?

“I support my country and my country supports me”

I will post a team a bit later on

Till Later

Ciao

What a weekend of rugby. Some good results coming my way but I will let you folks talk out the reasons why we played well and why we won as well as crit Bryan Habana since I have been saying for long that he needs a break.

Pumas shock the Bulls. A result which favors WP since they too lost against the Cheetahs at home. The Sharks powered forward by beating Griquas. It has to be said that South Africa may have it’s next Springbok pairing in Bjorn Basson and Luwasi Mvovo. This results mean that the Cheetahs and Lions are fighting it out for the fourth spot and the next three weeks will be crucial for the defending champions if they are to retain their title.

Now the WP and Bulls fans out there will have one excuse, which in my opinion is a kuk one. “Ons Bokke is nie daar nie”

For a few years now, the Sharks and Bulls have made the play offs without the bulk of their squad and now all of a sudden WP and BB’s can’t cope?? They should be able too considering the amount of talent at their disposal.

What’s up with Bees Roux? According to witness reports, the deceased officer climbed in his car and was prepared to drive him home. This is toe when Bees’ realized what was happening and before he knew it they threw him in jail. Sterkte ou bal…

I see the Lions are prepared to fork out major bucks for John Smit and Jp Pietersen who’s contracts are up for renewal. They have their eyes set on Joe van Niekerk, Ryan Kankowski and Butch James amongst others. Two things I might add:

1. They must have the worst attendance in South Africa, have the worst record in the Super 14, so where the hell do they get the money from?? Lobo????you know anything about this???

2. No matter how many players they buy, they should just ensure that Elton Jantjies is kept happy. He is the future of that club and they should recognize.

Matchfixing is showing it’s ugly head again and this time at Lords. When will they learn??

Lastly I really enjoyed Toks singing the National Anthem. Die groot man het n paar pype op hom as julle my vra.

Tot Later

Much will be said about why the Boks lost this weekend and I feel obliged to through in my 10cents worth.

Reasons why we lost:

Crucial substitutions at crucial times:

The substitution of Hougaard and Smith was instrumental. Pdv will come under the spotlight, these subs making one think back to the first test of the BIL tour last year when he did the same thing and it almost cost us that game.

Players out of depth and out of form:

Even though Louw was (according to stats) the best fetcher in the Super 14, he still does not measure up to international test rugby. When he was introduced the game changed in favor of the All Blacks.

Another player out of form must be Bryan Habana. Scream and shout all you want but if he was not off his defensive line, then McCaw would not have scored period! His inability to put his “intercept” tries before the team makes one wonder whether he will ever change that bad habit.

Players ability to gel:

You could see now that provincial favoritism plays a huge role in a squad. It is my understanding that Province and BB players just don’t play well together as BB and Sharks players play together. Another instance where you can scream and shout. They may have reached the final, but the resurgence of the Sharks towards the latter part of the Super 14 showed that they had players capable of doing the job for their country.

Reasons why we could have won:

Jp Pietersen & Juan Smith:

You could see clearly why these two players are so highly regarded by their counterparts. Suddenly we had a physical winger who chased efficiently and a flanker that was most impressive and physical at the breakdown. Carrying the ball forward well was also one of his strengths and his substitution was not warranted. You can now see why they are integral to the Boks success.

The return of the prodigal son:

Frans Steyn:

Many has said that his exclusion was because he no longer desired to play for the Green and Gold but the facts say that he wants and that Saru failed to do the necessary paperwork in order for him to be released in time for the clash. His massive boot was missed and even though Aplon played well I think his inclusion is testament to what he brings to the team. On current form I would sub Habana and put Aplon on wing.

On a personal note. The loss was heartbreaking. To think that the troops could not do it for their captain is painful to bear but in the end Smit took it upon himself and that is why so many respect him.

Sharks vs WP:

REM was looking for some kind of redemption. The Sharks stats show that they have scored six more tries then WP before the start of the game but have conceded twice the amount. Therefore it was fittingly billed as the “best attacking team against the best defensive team”

The game was far better then last week’s stale game between the Bulls and Province. The Sharks showed why they are favorites and with the likes of Du Plessis and Beast showing their physical dominance and Kankowski once again handing Vermeulen a lesson in well oiled performance, they surely should have caught someone’s eyes in the Bok camp.

Lambie had a steady game, Mvovo was good on defense, Swanepoel carried the ball strongly and McCleod made a nuisance of himself to once again show Duvenhage who his daddy was.

All in all I am proud of the result and hope that in the coming weeks their play could improve. Well done boys.

Fulham vs Man United:

A tough fixture for any team travelling to Craven Cottage, Fulham showed why they reached the Europa League Final. United should have won when Nani missed a penalty. Why he was given the responsibility baffles me when they have capable players like Owen, Giggs and Scholes to take.

A draw away is a good result but a draw for United is a loss since their expectations are high. Still not much can be said since it is early in the season and a long way lays before us.

Overall a weekend with heartbreak of the Boks. You have to wonder how Smit is taking the loss and what his state of mind will be in this week? You will also notice that I have not blamed any ref for this game, yes he blaased rather k@k but what can one do?

Till Later

Ciao

This raving about how “wonderful” the All Blacks are is making me a bit…well mad, and like this blog our friend sums it up perfectly. This however will not put a damp on the occasion and what meaning this weekend holds.  Something short…

John Smit:

If you have read his book “Captain in a Cauldron” you will come to understand the significance of a wonderful leader. John will be playing in his 100^th Test match and will become only the 15^th player in the world to do so. Met Uysh gave a very comprehensive post about Smit and I would like to take it a bit further.

John William Smit born 3 April 1978 is the 50^th captain for the Springboks and after leaving Pretoria Boys high where he was head prefect, he moved to Durban to pursue a career in Rugby. Smit made his debut against Canada in 2000 and was made took over the captaincy in 2004 when Jake White was appointed as National Coach.

People do not realize the scrutiny and pressure a captain of a national side comes under, and John has equipped himself well of his task. In a country where a team can come under the spotlight after a few weak performances, Smit has stood up for his team in more ways then one and for that many applaud him, not just for services rendered to his country, but for being the humble yet objective captain that we have come to love.

To the captain of my beloved Sharks, we all salute you. Well done on yet another milestone in your career. A special thank you goes out to the BBRU for rejecting him at the time.

And finally to all the haters….who’s complains are really annoying us….

VOESTEK!!!!!

Enjoy!

Sadly Saturday holds sadness for REM. Never ever in his life did he ever wanted to go to a game more badly then Saturday, Soccer City…FNB Stadium or what ever you want to call it. The day is draped with history, and this will be a weekend, close to SWC madness.

Many will have read the Lead SA article on the site, and the bid to break into the record books by most fans waving a flag in unison, with a estimated 92 000 spectators expected at Soccer City. REM’s employer is a proud partner of Lead SA and as support we have been given badges to carry. But still, being there would have made my year….until something new pops up.

From what I can gather, regular bloggers attending, and even your average Joe, will then miss out on the Sharks Province clash. That is to my benefit because trust me, the fire will burn, the sound will blare, and the flags will wave. The family wants to get involved and since being a big rugby day, and REM being the only child supporting the Sharks but all of us draped in our Green and Gold and I can already see that it is going to be a great weekend. The weather should hold up, so if you out there and you are at home, get out your SA flag and let it wave. You may not say that you were there, but you will always remember that on that day, you did something worthwhile, and no arse can take that away.

Today I will refer to foreigners as the ones that don’t make a point to watch rugga, instead watching football and Kitch, who is a Highveld Mama’s boy from Benoni, born with egg on his face. So to all you foreigners, this is what you will need for Saturday:

Alcohol: Preferably Beer

Food: Preferably chops and Texan

Friends and Fam: Preferably people with common sense

And lastly……

Your attention because this weekend will be awesome

Till Later

Ciao

PS:       Don’t go and Drink and Drive

PSS:    Don’t be a fool….wrap your tool

Last night while watching the Man Utd game, it got me thinking as to why I love sport.  Not talking about their performance but in general.  If you consider what Sir Alex has done for the game, then you will truly understand why winning is such an important culture for the team.

This got me thinking off all the sporting codes I love, and the people that made them what they are today.  These people rose to the top of their game and in the meantime made pots full of money.  Words may not describe my love for sport in general, or the soapies that follow but maybe a quick illustration may point out what I mean.

Born to Dominate

Wayne Gretzky

“Super” Mario Lemieux

Born to stand out

Tiger Woods

Gary Player

Born to run

Usain Bolt

Oscar Pistorius

Born to lead

Francios Pienaar and Nelson Mandela

John Smit & Thabo Mbeki

Born to set new barriers

Roger Federer

Pistol Pete Samprass

Born to Overcome

Roland Schoeman

Penny Heyns

Born with a Football at their feet

Edison Arantes do Nascimento “Pele”

Paul Scholes

Born to leave a legacy

Michael Schumacher

Ayrton Senna

Born to defeat

Lance Armstrong

Born to inspire

Ernst van Dyk

Born to lead the way

LaBron James

Born to Fly

Micheal Jordan

On Saturday after the Province game REM decided to go to the ATM and at the same time head to the local pub, for a quick beer. REM was busy ordering when this huge dude, dikgesyp with a torn Province shirt came up to him. Now I am not one to hold back an opinion and simply asked the dude a simple question: “Do you think Province will play the same next week?”

I swear the dude wanted to behead me, and after calming him down, I explained my logic. Now he does not know REM the way other patrons do, and I told him firstly that I admire the new attitude WP rugby has, but I also reminded him that his current attitude needed an adjustment since all Province fans thought that they would win the Super 14 and still managed to lose.

You see I have no problem with being cocky, heck I can be so at times, but one should never forget that in rugby anything can happen and I think and I know, and I believe that the Sharks can pull one over Province this weekend. Yes, both teams are playing some good rugby but there is something about the way the Sharks are playing now that gives me the hope that Province coming to Durban will be tough but we can pull through.

The mature play of Pat Lambie and the explosive finishing of Lwazi Mvovo really catches the eye of SA rugga fans. Mvovo is a working wing, strong in the tackle and with ball in hand of the most dangerous players in this year’s tournament. He is certainly making a name for himself so watch this space.

Till Later

The last post of three, rounding up the remaining teams contesting this year’s Premier League. At the bottom you will also see a short list of teams for DArwinia to support since her knowledge of English Football is not so leka so here goes and enjoy.

Sunderland:

Manager: Steve Bruce

Stadium: Stadium of Light

Capacity: 49000

Nickname: The Black Cats

Another team with very passionate supporters, Sunderland fans were recorded as the loudest according to a survey in 2007 measuring at 129 decibels! They are coached by ex United player Steve Bruce and will certainly look to improve on recent seasons.

Players to watch: John Mensah, Andy Reid, Frazier Campbell, Darren Bent

Tottenham Hotspurs:

Manager: Harry Rednapp

Stadium: White Hart Lane

Capacity: 36310

Nickname: Spurs

Under Harry Rednapp, Spurs qualified for Uefa Champions League this season and the money it will bring in will surely boost the club and their finances. Rednapp has this ability to bring out the best in players and Spurs certainly has the players to make a huge impact on football this season.

Players to watch: Luka Modric, Aaron Lennon, Jermaine Defoe

West Bronwich Albion

Manager: Roberto Di Matteo

Stadium: The Hawthorns

Capacity: 26500

Nickname: The Baggies

Not much to say. Actually want to see whether they wil be stumped upon or actually stay in the league?

Players to watch: Scott Carson, Chris Wood

West Ham United

Manager: Avram Grant

Stadium: Upton Park

Capacity: 33303

Nickname: The Hammers

Last year the Hammers was nearly relegated to the First, when they narrowly escaped. Under Zola they never looked like the Hammers of old who at times can be a handful. Under Grant look at them to play sensible and technical football. The club also has a very good following.

Players to watch: Matthew Upson, Boa Morte,

Wigan Athletic:

Manager: Roberto Martinez

Stadium: DW Stadium

Capacity: 25318

Nickname: Latics

The youngest team in the League, and this only their fifth year in the topflight, look at Wigan to either fight it out for survival, or lose out. I think they can once again look forward to some stiff competition for bottom of the log. Sorry ouens.

Players to watch: Charles N’Zogbia, Gary Caldwell

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Manager: Mick McCartney

Stadium: Molinuex Stadium

Capacity: 29195

Nickname: Wolves

Club with a small but intimate following, Wolves would want to make sure they go a step further this year. What is always interesting is the bottom half battles between the small teams, they are the main reason why English Football is so popular.

Players to watch: Matthew Jarvis, Kevin Doyle

Now you may want to wonder why I included the pictures of their kits. Well there is people out there that wants to talk to us with knowledge of football since they started following it with the WC. DArwinia, I made you a pact that I will advise you on your team for this season. This team should have the same type of supporters as the Bulls fans. Liverpool fans…..they envy. Man City fans…..they jealous. Arsenal fans….they wish. So for you I would say, go with Newcastle. They have loyal fans who stick with their team through thick and thin. Did you know that when they were relegated to the First Division, their stadium just got fuller and fuller by the week. So Newcastle it is for you Dar.

I was going to do another short post, but heck, time is money people so here is my thought. We all have our preferences in soccer, heck for any team sport out there. But besides that, I have seen some really beautiful kits and would like to share my favorite four.The rule here is that you don’t include your own team because come on, we all know I will say Man United has a great looking one, Lobo and Gmeister will agree that Liverpool’s shirt looks the best. Sheriff and Dobbel H prefers Everton. So the rule here is NOT to choose your team.

Chelsea 2nd Kit

Bayer Leverkusen Home Kit

AC Milan Home Kit

Juventus Home

This is my third attempt at this post. Hope you enjoy, loads of sport for the weekend.

Till Later

Ciao

Post 2 of 3

Everton

Manager: David Moyes

Stadium Goodison Park

Capacity: 40157

Nickname: Toffees

Team that has come a long way. Everton under David Moyes has become difficult to beat at home and seems that now they are held in the highest regard. They will be looking to take it one step further this year and despite the size and quality of their squad should never be underestimated. They hold the record for the longest stint in topflight football, 107 seasons.

Players to watch: Steven Pienaar, David Cahill, Louis Saha

Fulham

Manager: Mark Hughes

Stadium: Craven Cottage

Capacity 25700

Nickname: The Cottagers

Under Roy Hodgson they were losing finalist in the Europa League. Very good team, also very tough to beat at home. See them in the first half of the log. Also see Mark Hughes coming under severe pressure. This may just define his coaching career.

Players to watch: Bobby Zamora, Damien Duff, Clint Dempsey

Liverpool:

Manager: Roy Hodgson

Stadium: Anfield

Capacity: 45362

Nickname: Scousers

Had a disappointing last season where they started as favorites and ended up….somewhere seventh. With the change of manager a sense of hunger has been injected into a somewhat depleted Liverpool outfit. They are dangerous and have the players well capable of doing the job. The only question is whether Roy will play the right players at the right time and in the right circumstances. This in my opinion has always been the downfall of Rafa Benitez.

Players to watch: Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Joe Cole

Manchester City:

Manager: Roberto Mancini

Stadium: City of Manchester Stadium

Capacity: 47726

Nickname: The Citizens

Big spending City can get it right this season if their players ego’s don’t get in the way. I still say Hughes should have been given the chance to continue but anyway…

Always dangerous. Only time will tell whether they can continue to play winning football week in, week out.

Players to watch: Carlos Tevez, Craig Bellamy, Shane Given

Manchester United:

*Here I can write a resume, but to be fair let’s keep it sweet and short

Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson

Stadium: Old Trafford

Capacity: 75957

Nickname: Red Devils.

Sir Alex will be looking to overhaul Liverpool this season. See them as favorites. Even though he has not spent a big amount of money in the transfer market yet, he has the ability to call on players when he needs them and his team’s adaptive nature has seen them reach success on many occasions.

Players to watch: Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez, Paul Scholes.

Newcastle

Manager: Chris Hughton

Stadium: St James Park

Capacity: 52387

Nickname: Magpies

Back in the topflight after one season in the First Division, the Magpies has to prove this season that they are indeed on a comeback trail. A club with a huge following and some legends under it’s name, Newcastle needs to finish strong in order to regain some faith, lost with their relegation.

Players to watch: Leon Best, Andy Carrol, Kevin Nolan

Stoke City

Manager: Tom Pulis

Stadium: Brittania

Capacity 28393

Nickname: The Potters

A very unpredictable side at times, Stoke has shown that they can dance with the big dogs.

Players to watch: Kenwyne Jones, Ricardo Fuller

Barclays Premier League. Commencing the 14^th of August. What is probably the best domestic football league in the world, the eyes of millions will be firmly on who will be crowned champions. Since 20 teams take part in the League I will try and do a little feature on them in three consecutive days so bear with me.

Arsenal:

Coach: Arsene Wenger

Stadium: Emirates Stadium

Capacity:60355

Nickname: The Gunners

Arsenal will look to improve on their recent years when they ran short of legs come end of season. What has always made me wonder is the fact that they claim to have a “young” team, but this particular one has been together form some years now and if ever they want to return to the top they have to win this season.

Players to watch: Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas, Niklas Bendtner, Theo Wallcott.

Aston Villa:

Coach: Kevin McDonald (Caretaker)

Stadium: Villa Park

Capacity: 42788

Nickname: The Villans

Villa’s pre season was dealt a massive blow when coach Martin O’ Neil quit with immediate effect. How the Villans deal with this is entirely in their hands. They have been pushing for a spot in Europe for some time now but I feel, unlike the “Big 4” they don’t have the resources to accomplish this. They do however enjoy a huge following.

Players to watch: Emile Heskey, John Carew, Gabriel Agbonlahor

Birmingham City:

Manager: Alex Mcleish

Stadium: St Andrew’s

Capacity: 30009

Nickname: Blues

Blues had an impressive run last year but ended up 9^th in the League, not bad considering that they are such a small club. You may just see them pushing for a spot in the lucrative Europa League.

Players to watch: James McFadden, Barry Ferguson

Blackburn Rovers:

Manager: Sam Allerdyce

Stadium: Ewood Park

Capacity: 31367

Nickname: Rovers

One of only four clubs to have won the Premier League since 1994, Rovers became the first team to do so when the league format changed in 1994. Last season saw them finish on halfway on the log. Big Sam will be under pressure to make the team perform.

Players to watch: David Dunn, Mame Biram Diouf, El Hadji Diouf

Blackpool 

Manager: Ian Holloway

Stadium: Bloomfield Road

Capacity: 12555

Nickname: The Sea Siders

Currently their stadium is being revamped which will increase their capacity to 17000 give or take. Not much to say about the club except for…Good Luck.

Bolton Wanderers

Manager: Owen Coyle

Stadium: Reebok Stadium

Capacity: 28723

Nickname: The Trotters

Bolton have spent the longest time in the top flight without ever winning it. 2009/10 was their 71^st season. Although Bolton have not won the top flight they have won four FA cups but none in recent years. See them looking at the bottom half of the table this season.

Players to watch: Mark Davies, Martin Petrov, Kevin Davies

Chelsea FC

Manager: Carlo Ancelotti

Stadium: Stamford Bridge

Capacity: 41841

Nickname: The Blues

Defending champions will look to improve on their double of last year. Chelsea fans has recently longed for European success, being beat by Man Utd two seasons ago in a very controversial final. They will feel undone by the fact that “the Chosen One” has won the tournament with Porto and last season with Inter and not them. A huge following, some of the biggest names in World Football and a very rich Owner and what you have is a success story. Let us see whether they can do it again this season.

Players to Watch: Didier Drogba, Yousi Bennayoun, Solomon Kalou…bloody hell the whole team ok.