ANDY COLQUHOUN, Edinburgh | Monday 4.00pm.
DAY off on Monday and time to reflect on a job well done for the Springboks.
Mallet and Honiball leading their four-ball at the halfway house as 12 players and staff headed to St Andrews while the rest stayed back in Edinburgh for a little city R&R.
The game’s afoot now although the real drama won’t begin for another three weeks until the quarters come round and it’s hard to read the runes of round one when there were so many mis-matches dished up.
We had Welsh nerves, English muscle, Tongan tackling, Irish dash, Aussie efficiency, All Black patience…. but with the exception of the clash at Murrayfield we’re still at the name calling stage of the fight.
And we’re still waiting for the tournament to catch the imaginations of these islands and France.
The papers are giving it a good show but the host broadcaster hasn’t scheduled another programme until Friday’s round two starts and, how’s this, highlights of the Springboks’ win over Scotland weren’t shown until 12-20am on Monday morning. Ludicrous.
There have also been complaints – particularly from the English union – that RWC organisers have forbidden them from mounting any kind of pre-game show. They are allowed to spend only R50 000 compared to the R800 000 they would have liked to spend on fireworks, singers and the whole whirligig.
Of course, the English press have already decided that the trophy is going to Clive Woodward’s men. The Sunday papers were awash with Pommie self-congratulation.
Their 60-point demolition of the hapless Italians was immensely powerful and they are serious, serious challengers. There’s no question they will go further than their English counterparts at this year’s cricket world cup.
But they won’t be able to bully New Zealand in the same way next weekend when the tournament sparks really begin to fly.
Relief was South Africa’s chief emotion although their win had more merit in it than they claimed themselves or were granted by the Scots.
There were only two moments when the possibility of defeat began to impinge itself on one’s imagination but that’s not to say South Africa don’t have to improve to reach the last four.
On Sunday they will thrash Spain with a side largely made up of the 15 who did not start yesterday with the exception of Honiball who is likely to be rested.
Andre Venter has a bruised eye and won’t be considered but otherwise the Springbok camp is an oasis of serenity.
Seven out seven wins in World Cup rugby now – five more and the Cup is theirs again. — MWP