Andy Capostagno rugby The international season is over until November. We are now in the middle of mud- slinging season and it is scarcely surprising that the Currie Cup has lost its lustre. For who can concentrate on the game when the real heavyweights are spending every waking moment consulting with their lawyers?
Five years ago the fact that the Lions were likely to lose interest in the Currie Cup halfway through the competition would have been scandal enough. Now the South African Rugby Football Union (Sarfu) wants to deduct points from the union for manipulation of the quota system, and Louis Luyt wants to remove its CEO for saying nasty things behind his back, but in front of his microphone. Five years ago the visit of the Sharks to Ellis Park would have been an event, now it is hardly likely to draw a crowd of more than 20 000. Sharks coach Rudolf Straeuli may well look into the empty stands on Saturday and ponder exactly how much water has gone under the bridge since he was a member of the most successful Transvaal side in history. Straeuli and his assistant, former Springbok centre Ian Robertson, are in the middle of what is euphemistically referred to as a rebuilding process. When the Lions did not stick to the script in last year’s final such Natal icons as Andre Joubert, Henry Honiball and Gary Teichmann slipped away into history leaving the youngsters to start from scratch. A dreadful Super 12 campaign, which saw the beginning and end of Hugh Reece-Edwards as coach, has given way to a Currie Cup season of quiet achievement for the Sharks. They are unbeaten and to all intents and purposes, certainties for the knockout stage. Notwithstanding which, Straeuli has been talking up his opponents all week. And it is difficult not to talk up the reigning champions, for they have Springboks all over the place and a bunch of talented youngsters as well. What they have not had is continuity and peace of mind, due respectively to Springbok commitments and boardroom wrangling. By contrast Natal have had it easy. They have been able to get away with many things, including playing the best flyhalf in the country at fullback. Gaffie du Toit still regards himself as a flyhalf, but is happy to fill in at the back. Sharks technical guru Jake White stakes his life on the fact that South African under-23 flyhalf Butch James is the man for the number 10 shirt and he is usually right. But there are compelling arguments for the fiery James to be moved to inside centre to allow the more cerebral game of Du Toit to guide the team from his favourite position. However, similar arguments were used for Honiball in the past and he rose above them to prove himself at flyhalf. Across the Jukskei the Bulls are in crisis mode again ahead of Friday night’s encounter with the North West Leopards at Loftus. Ruben Kruger is out with concussion, so Joost van der Westhuizen assumes the captaincy. The loss of Kruger may be less significant than the potential absence of Casper Steyn, who is struggling with a troublesome knee. There have been times this season when the ever-cheerful Steyn has been almost the sole source of points for the Bulls and they can ill afford to be without him. But even if victory does arrive, it might be irrelevant for both the Bulls and the Lions if Sarfu decides to wield the big stick over quotas. A five-point deduction for either side would rule them out of the Super Eight section of the competition, effectively ending each province’s season. Time was when such an eventuality would have appalled the ruling body so much that it would have sought any method by which to avoid it, including changing the rules in mid-season. And given that it changed the rules halfway through this year’s club championships, some skulduggery should not be ruled out again. Sarfu has made a rod for its own back and no amount of shifting blame towards the provinces will change that situation. The quota system was a knee-jerk reaction to transform the game and as with so many well- intentioned measures it was as full of holes as a string vest. If the intention was to empower the smaller Cape provinces then it was successful, with Border and Eastern Province emerging from the doldrums to play some stirring rugby with genuinely mixed sides. But if the intention was to convince the northern provinces to pick more players of colour it was doomed to failure from the start.
Instead we have a transfer system that ferries Cape-based players up north, rather like the one that used to operate between Wales and Lancashire when rugby league was still outlawed in Britain. The time will come when Sarfu will ban such shenanigans in another misguided attempt to instil a rugby culture where one does not exist. Then Western Province should win the Currie Cup every year. Maybe that’s the intention.