It’s a good job that Rudolf Straeuli’s nature does not admit panic. If it did the performance of his team in the first test against Scotland in Durban last week would have been an excuse for ceaseless trips up the tunnel to find new trousers.

There was a time, not so long ago, when the announcement of four new caps in the Springbok team would have been sensational news. Not any more. Since the 1999 World Cup semifinal, South Africa’s selection policy has matched the downward spiral of its results.

This time last year there was a general feeling of well-being after the announcement of Rudolph Straeuli’s first squad as Springbok coach.

A couple of weeks ago Ernie Els was back in the country for just three days to get his second child, Ben, christened at the little church in Herold’s Bay. It’s about a three wood from his newly completed house, which occupies prime position overlooking the sandy bay. The local florist spent the morning trying to cover up all signs of Catholicism in the church – ”But I couldn’t do much about the altarpiece.”

Three years ago in East London I discovered how hard it is to be Naas Botha. Naas and I had been contracted to speak at a beachfront bar 48 hours ahead of South Africa’s Test match against Canada: the biggest thing to happen in East London since – well, since the discovery of the coelacanth.

This week the wounded arrived back in Cape Town and Pretoria. The Stormers have a sick list that would have kept Florence Nightingale busy for a month, while the Bulls have lost some key personnel (including their inspirational captain Joost van der Westhuizen), but not all hope.

It’s never a good idea to get carried away about a home win in the Super 12. The tournament is into its eighth season and it became clear very early that away wins were what counted, home wins being taken as a given for any side that had pretensions to finishing in the top half of the table.

The death of Vernon Pugh could not have come at a worse time for the sport of rugby union. Pugh, who died of cancer last week at the age of 57, held two key positions in the game: chairman of the International Rugby Board (IRB) and chairman of Rugby World Cup Limited (RWC).

Pieter Rossouw has grown up. The boy who apparently made it all up as he went along is now 31 and last Saturday, as the result of a crippling injury list, he captained the Stormers to a one-point win against the Chiefs at Newlands.

Fresh from winning the South African Open last week, Trevor Immelman shot an opening-round three-under-par 69 on the first morning of the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Houghton on Thursday.