Why South African rugby fans are suddenly so upbeat

Maybe it was the imagination playing tricks, but there did seem to be more interest in this past weekend's round of Currie Cup action than there was at a corresponding stage of last year.

Western Province drew almost 23 000 people to what was expected to be a low key derby against the Boland Cavaliers, while the Lions and the Bulls played in front of a sizeable Ellis Park crowd. It was reportedly a similar story down in Durban, where the Sharks were always expected to beat the Leopards.

The only venue which again did not draw much of a crowd was Bloemfontein, where Free State and Griquas played in their derby.

Why the sudden upswing in interest? It probably has something to do with last week's Springbok win over Australia. If Corne Krige's team had a choice of which game to win in the Tri-Nations, it would of course have been the last one. You know what they say about a team being as good as its last game and the last game being remembered the longest.

But the improvement in the South African rugby mood happened long before referee Paddy O'Brien brought the Ellis Park test against the Wallabies to an end. That game was in fact played in front of the first Ellis Park fullhouse since the World Cup final in 1995 and the Durban test against the All Blacks the previous week also appeared to attract more than the usual interest.

No, the long-suffering South African rugby public have been upbeat for some time now - possibly since that thrilling but ultimately vain second half comeback against the Aussies in the Brisbane fixture which ended the overseas leg of the Tri-Nations. Come to think of it though, even the 41-20 defeat to the All Blacks in the Tri-Nations opener a week earlier did not attract the same degree of criticism we have become accustomed to with a Bok defeat.

The reason for this was that while the Boks went down, they at least played an exciting style of rugby. Eavesdropping a conversation in my local gym the other day, it appears that new mood adrift might be rooted in a perception that this latest Bok team employs a strategy that fans can be proud of.

Okay, so we came last in the Tri-Nations. But not even the overseas critics will deny that this year the Boks added spectacle to the competition. The Brent Russell try in Brisbane, where he outran the Aussie cover defence before diving over in the corner, would surely qualify as the try of the tournament were it not for the one that came a few weeks later.

This time it was Joe van Niekerk who ran over 40 metres before going over after one of the finest delayed passes from No8 Bob Skinstad had put him in the clear. The Russells, Andre Pretorius' and Werner Greeffs have added excitement to the rugby world and they have awakened South Africans to the fact that rugby can be entertaining and need not be all crash, bang and tackle.

Judging from e-mails I have received from overseas, they are starting to recognise this Down Under too. In New Zealand they are talking about the Boks as the team to watch at the World Cup. In Australia, and wait for this, some critics are even suggesting the world champions should take the lead of the Boks and recognise the value of having the odd "pigmy" in the team. Forget about size and strength, they say, go instead for speed. This in a country that we have become used to following, not leading.

Of course, a lot of water still has to flow under the bridge before we arrive at the big event in Australia in 2003. But for now it appears South African fans are proud of their team again - not necessarily their results just yet, but certainly the way they play the game.

Someone summed it up perfectly the other day: "A side with Joe van Niekerk in it, with his dynamic approach and smiling face, and Breyton Paulse, with his celebratory flik-flaks, is one that I would want to support even if I were not a South African."

Pieter van Zyl, that crazed attacker of referees, may have chased a few would-be overseas supporters away after the Durban incident. Some Aussie writers are still harping on about it.

They say it could only happen in South Africa, which we assume means that it would only be in South Africa that a fat guy with a green and gold jersey and untidy jeans would try and tackle a referee. In Oz it would probably be a thin guy dressed in absolutely nothing and the name of a cellphone company emblazoned across his bottom.

If we forget about that one small blaps, it appears SA rugby suddenly has a lot to be proud of. Not only are the current Boks an exciting bunch of players, they are also all nice guys who understand the need to remain humble and courteous. There are plenty of talented youngsters coming through, as was shown when the SA under-21 side won their recent World Cup.

Suddenly there appears to be some depth out there and we can for once forget about the appalling Super 12 record. And the quality of play produced in this week's round of the Currie Cup, in Cape Town and Johannesburg anyway, was good enough to ensure the fans will come back to watch their new heroes again next week and the week after that.