RUGBY: Jon Swift
THERE is little doubt that, right now at least, if you=20 asked Kitch Christie for the loan of his life, he would=20 willingly sign ov er a long-term lease on it.
Such have been the frustrations and fumblings of our top=20 players over the past few weeks, that the national coach=20 must, at best, be a rather bemused individual.
There is really little real explanation for the seeming=20 unco-ordinated firing mechanism which is there to release=20 the broadsides the Transvaal armada are eminently capable=20
The team which came out of the clash with New South Wales=20 looking like conquering heroes were made to look like a=20 disorganised rabble in many respects against Western=20 Province in a Super 10 encounter all but the foolhardy=20 put money on Transvaal to win.
The root of Transvaal’s problems was not hard to=20 pinpoint. The pack which had seemed so invincible against=20 the Waratahs at Ellis Park, were run ragged by the pace=20 provided by Andrew Aitken in the revived Province side.
Aitken’s pace off the side and to the breakdown gave=20 Tiaan Strauss the extra elbow room to display the full=20 range of his rampaging talents. And the man reputed to=20 be the hardest forward in South African rugby made full=20 use of the opportunity.
Here, one must also mention the solidity of the Province=20 front row. Give Mornay Visser and James Dalton –=20 favourite on paper for the national hooking berth — even=20 honours. Both had storming games.
But in the recall of Keith Andrew ahead of incumbent=20 South African tighthead Tommie Laubscher to partner Garry=20
It was a rock-solid wall of frustration which resulted in=20 the unseemly raking of Province scrumhalf Michael=20
Strange that little was made of this unpleasant incident=20 for it must be remembered that Pagel, in a similar flare- up against the French which cost Michel Tordo his=20 captaincy and his place in the Tricolor line-up, was=20 sidelined for a not inconsiderable period.
Pagel’s reintroduction to the game at top level after his=20 penance has shown that he is indeed a fine forward and,=20 if the shadows of the past have receded far enough is=20 surely in the corner of Christie’s eye.
In essence, Transvaal were robbed of the possession that=20 made them such a force against New south Wales and — in=20 patches — against North Harbour a week later.
The possession, thanks largely to another storming game=20 from the massive Kobus Wiese — was there again. But it=20 was not well used by a backline under constant=20
Even the arguably cleaner ball won by Transvaal was not=20 as well used under pressure than that which went=20 Province’s way. Johan Roux has a way to go before he=20 regains full form.
It is really only the unexpected 6-6 draw under lights=20 betwen New South Wales and North Harbour which has kept=20 Transvaal on top of their section of the log.
This shakiness under the full firepower of a side going=20 forward bodes little good for Transvaal against the=20 quick-fire, all out commitment of Otago on their home=20 ground on April 2.
Western Province, savaged by the Kiwis in their opening=20 Super 10 game, would be the first to attest to the rapid=20 — one hesitates to say armed — response of Otago and=20 their ability to bring the ball back into play … again=20 … and again … and again.
And then, in Jeff Wilson, Otago have a runner every bit=20 as willing to take on the opposition with the ball in his=20 hand as Chester Williams.
Of the contribution made by Williams enough cannot be=20 said. After starting the game by ignominiously — and=20 uncharacteristically — knocking on, he made the try=20 scored by Justin Swart and glittered as he went over for=20 his own account.
In the stocky Williams, Christie has one of his World Cup=20 wings. Only fate can now rule Williams out.
For the rest? Well, right now, the betting is that your=20 guess is as good as any the national coach can make on=20 current switchback form.