All Black Springboks

A momentary freeze frame just before the curtain came down on the Springboks’ wonderful 42-6 victory over England at Twickenham provided the defining image of the 2008 rugby season.

A scrum is being set. The frontrows eye each other with the intensity of bulls on the verge of charging. The camera hones in on the Bok trio… Tendai Mtawarira, Chiliboy Ralepele and Brian Mujati. An all black Springbok frontrow helping to turn the tables on England at a ground where not too long ago we suffered our greatest humiliation.

Who would have said, even a year ago, that this would come to pass? To me it spoke volumes of how far the much-maligned sport has come on the rocky road of transformation and that far from the racist tags so often pinned on the game rugby can hold up a light up to other codes.

That moment, coupled to a famous victory, combined to provide Pieter de Villiers with a B+ pass mark in his first year as Springbok coach.

A walking, talking cartoon character, De Villiers made a number of errors at the outset of his career, mostly because he failed to appreciate the intensity of the media scrutiny that goes hand-in-hand with the job and SA Rugby erred in not providing him with better support, but as the season wore on he started to come to terms with the job and seemed to strike up a good working relationship with his squad of highly experienced players.

The role of John Smit in this was inestimable. Few international teams can be faced with the aggravations hurled in the direction of the Boks and that they continue to perform at the level they do speaks volumes for the qualities of their captain coupled to their own pride in the badge they wear, their respect for those that went before them and their dedication to the future.

Even though I was not as near to the class of 2008 as I was with the World Cup squad of the previous year there is little doubt that the players themselves played an enormous role in righting a Springbok ship that at times listed precariously.

In mid-term their record was not a good one, just over 50%. But, in the week between a defeat to the Wallabies in Durban and the next test match in Johannesburg, something happened within the squad that ensured four straight wins, two by a record margin, that lifted the record to 69% and left the impression that South Africa possesses the material to become the first nation to retain the Webb Ellis Cup when the next World Cup tournament rolls by in 2011.

It was disappointing to lose twice to both the All Blacks and the Wallabies (home and away) but in the end the year contained some remarkable achievements.

Pieter de Villiers is the first coach who can lay claim to a victory over New Zealand in Dunedin and the potential of the Boks is underscored by no less than three record victories – two over countries ranked in the IRB’s top four.

Argentina were trounced 63-9, Australia taken apart 53-8 and the curtain brought down in style with that 42-6 result at Twickenham. New players were introduced with great success (Beast Mtawarira and Andries Bekker), others returned with aplomb (Conrad Jantjes and Adi Jacobs) while the core of a great vintage continued to mature.

There were moments of panic, periods of gloom but in the end the heart that beats within Springbok rugby is strong. All in all a very good year.

*This column concludes my rugby contributions for 2008. I will now take time to gird my loins for the start of the 94-match Super 14 marathon on February 13 after which the Boks will hopefully be allowed to simply play rugby on their way to giving the British and Irish Lions a good hiding. May your holiday season be filled with happiness, love and peace. Yours sincerely, Dan Retief.