January at the coast obviously suits Tim Clark. The boy from Umkomaas who had to pre-qualify before winning the South African Open at Durban Country Club last year, had a fast start to his defence at Erinvale on Thursday, shooting a five-under-par 67 to be one behind the early leader, Jean Hugo.

It is possible to fluke a win in a major championship. Andy North even managed to win two United States Opens without being admitted to the pantheon of great players.

The Springbok year began and ended with resignation. In January Harry Viljoen resigned as coach of the national team, while in November the team returned from Europe, tails between legs, resigned to the fact that South Africa is no longer among the elite rugby nations of the world.

Before the 2002 Nedbank Challenge got under way much was made of how the Gary Player Country Club course had been toughened up. At Augusta and elsewhere it is known as ”Tiger-proofing”, but given that Tiger Woods has only played this tournament once, it might more sensibly be called ”Ernie-proofing”.

Trainer Geoff Woodruff should be forgiven if he breaks into a rendition of Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina come Saturday evening.

The Nedbank Golf Challenge has grown a good deal more cosmopolitan since it began as a four-man mega-stars-only field two decades ago. This year there are three Africans, three Americans, three from Britain and Ireland, an Australian, a New Zealander and a European.

What did Goliath’s coach say to the Philistine media at the post-match press conference? How did Napoleon’s defensive consultant explain Waterloo? What do you say after a complete disaster? At Johannesburg International airport on Monday morning Springbok coach Rudolf Straeuli and captain Corné Krige said, basically, ”these things happen”.

Contrary to what you may have heard, beating England at Twickenham on Saturday should be a doddle. All South Africa have to do is win their scrums and lineouts and avoid giving away penalties within 60m of their own posts. Easy.

Rudolf Straeuli’s reaction to South Africa’s performance against France last week is typical of the man. No conciliatory talk about processes and the difficulties of end-of-season tours, just a frank admission that it wasn’t good enough, followed by a swinging axe.

When the Springboks walked off the Stade de France this time last year, reality had been borne in upon them. After a week of training in Johannesburg notable only for the injury to the then (and still) unknown Danie Rossouw, the Springboks had checked into their ”lucky” hotel, the Concorde Lafayette, in Paris.