The fallen giants of South African rugby watch from the sidelines as the revamped Currie Cup brings back the excitement Andy Capostagno The Super Eight section of the Currie Cup comes to an end this week and, strange but true, it has been an unqualified success. Natal and Western Province have emerged as the teams to beat and any two of four teams can still join them in the semifinals. After some fizzing performances in the log section, the Pumas have fizzled in more rarefied company, while a debilitating list of injuries has meant that Griquas may rue having climbed into the Super Eight at the last possible moment. And if those are the only two hard-luck stories so far, then the South African Rugby Football Union (Sarfu) is to be congratulated for its boldness in reconditioning the Currie Cup at the right time. Normally the governing body waits for the big end to fall off first, so let’s give praise where praise is due. There are losers, of course, most obviously the beleaguered Blue Bulls. It is only two years since, against all the odds, the Bulls won the Currie Cup. But the day in 1998 when Joost van der Westhuizen hoisted the trophy at Loftus and called for the injured Ruben Kruger to join him seems a lifetime ago. Allegations of financial naivet’ and gunboat diplomacy with the playing squad have surfaced, but in all honesty the real problem lies with the selection policy. Virtually every other team in the Currie Cup has benefited from Bulls cast-offs and the days when the union used to have enough depth to laugh off those mercenary departures have gone. Some people at Loftus are going to have to take a hard look in the mirror to answer questions such as these: why is Victor Matfield, a future Springbok and a star for the Bulls at every age group level, now captaining Griquas? Why is John Smit with Natal? Why is Jaco van der Westhuizen living in Pretoria and playing for the Pumas? Why did Johan Ackermann join the Lions? Why did Adriaan Richter move to Italy?
It is only three years since the Eagles tempted a bunch of Pretoria league players to seek their fortunes in the quaint town of George. Now victory over the Cheetahs at Outeniqua Park on Friday will give a few of those pioneers a chance to play in a Currie Cup semifinal. How Bulls supporters must envy them. Victory over Boland in Wellington last weekend has given the Eagles the right to dream. They got to the semis last year too, lest we forget, before imploding against the Lions at Ellis Park. But they had no right to get this far this year given that half their players were lured away by other unions before the season began. It goes to show what can be achieved if you win your home games, enjoy your rugby and don’t ask for millions of rands up front. It is possible that the Eagles may beat the Cheetahs and still not qualify, if Boland bounce back from last week’s hiding and beat their traditional foes, Western Province, at Newlands. Province have played some stirring rugby of late and should expect to win, but over the past few years they have found that playing their neighbours is a little like taking a careless walk in a banana plantation.
The problem for Boland will be winning enough ball to unleash their gifted back- line. There is not a better centre pairing in the country than Wayne Julies and Marius Joubert, while Antonius Verhoeven at fullback is the most exciting find since Gysie Pienaar moved to flyhalf to get Andre Joubert into the Free State team. If Harry Viljoen really is going to take 40 Springboks on tour at the end of the season he must find a place for Verhoeven. The Lions are probably safe even if they lose against the Pumas in Witbank, and have only to make a decision about which team they would rather avoid in the semis, Province or Natal. As for the latter, they would be more sanguine about Saturday’s trip to Kimberley had they not lost to Griquas there last year. As for Viljoen, the new Springbok coach will have to make up his own mind whether the fact that there are no foregone conclusions in the weekend’s fixtures means that either talent or mediocrity has become widespread in South African rugby. The previous regime thought it had found the road ahead, but discovered to its cost that it was in fact a cul-de-sac. Viljoen says he sees no reason to look beyond the traditional strengths of South African rugby, a mission statement that would carry more weight if the Bulls were assured of a semifinal berth, instead of a walk-on part in the Bankfin Cup, otherwise known as the Not So Super Six.