Advertisement

From Singapore to the Tiger roar

rugby16 April 2019 04:40| © SuperSport
By:Johan Coetzee
Share
article image
Kurt-Lee Arendse © Gallo Images
SuperWrap - week 9, 2019

“Hey daddy, what’s happening?” said my six-year old son as he walked into the living room on Sunday evening, finding me dumbstruck in front of a curiously buzzing television set.

He knew something big must have happened and so he left behind his movie in the room to come check in on me. Sons have a way of just knowing.

“It’s… it’s Tiger,” I stuttered. “He’s just won!”

He looked briefly at the screen and then, quite worried, right back at this eternally disinterested sportswriter he gets to call dad. “Who is Tiger?” he asked.

Who is Tiger? How do you explain him to a child that has never heard the name, that could never be bothered to even watch a minute of golf on TV? You can’t. There is no one summary that could accurately depict the life of that walking legend, no one-minute biography anyone could dream up on the spot.

But on Sunday night no one had to.

“There,” I said as I pointed to a balding man with teary eyes and a red shirt on the screen. “That is Tiger. He is the best golfer there’s ever been!”

He turned back and watched for real. The pictures told 10 000 words.

The man in red had his arms aloft as thousands of people, packed as far as his eyes could see, chanted his name, lost in delirious joy. From the commentary booth emanated only the sounds of revered silence for a whole five minutes. No words were needed. None could do it justice.

The man in red pushed through the throb of adulating humanity to find a young boy. It was his son, and he was dressed just like his dad but with the baseball cap turned backwards. The man in red picked him up and held him tight for as long as he could, neither wanting to let go of that moment ever. Nor the dream.

Then to his daughter, embracing her with a hug that wordlessly comforted “You don’t have to worry about me anymore. Here, for just this one moment, everything that has ever been in our lives is perfectly fine”.

And on to his mother, whispering thanks to her for never stopping to believe. Also his girlfriend, she needed to know he was still the man of her dreams.

The man in red walked past a long line of former champions, all resplendent in their green jackets, all greeting him with the utmost respect. He walked past a line of admiring fellow competitors, most of whom grew up idolising him.

And then the man was back in green. The tournament he had just won was back in the headlines. The cheers refused to abate because the entire sport had just been given a straight-to-the-head shot in the arm.

In my living room there were two young boys now - with an age-difference of about 33 years. Not a word was exchanged, none was needed. Both of us were dumbstruck.

MASTERS OF SINGAPORE

It is not as if we’ve never seen a comeback before. In fact, we saw one for the ages just that afternoon.

On the opposite side of the world and around eight hours before, there were also some men in green lined up in a sporting arena. On this occasion they were all receiving medals having just astonished the world themselves.

Moments before, and in a sunny backyard back home, I was settling behind a braai having just seen South Africa crash to a 19-0 halftime deficit in their World Sevens final against Fiji. A graphic on the screen reminded us that no team has come back to win a title this year after trailing at the break of a tournament decider.

Not only were we behind - they were practically engraving 'Fiji' on the trophy. The game was done for all intents and purposes.

“Come look, daddy!” my son approached with an invite. South Africa had scored first in the second half and I didn’t feel like breaking his spirit yet, so I went.

And then they scored again. And again. By the time they were awarded a penalty five metres out and right in front of the uprights we were two small children with eyes drilled deep into a computer screen.

“Take the points!” I begged vociferously. “Take the points!” he copied unquestioningly. The Blitzboks listened. They took a drop-kick from the penalty and won us our country’s first-ever Singapore title.

“Yes boys!” we shouted in between high fives and man-hugs. “Yes boys!”

I went back to the braai smiling. He went to his cupboard to fetch his rugby ball and pretend his name is Kurt-Lee Arendse for the rest of the afternoon.

Similarly, driving ranges across the world played host on Monday afternoon to hordes of young boys wearing red shirts and dreaming big. Their fathers grouped enthusiastically in the parking lots as everyone discussed the previous evening’s miracle, vaguely remembering once dreaming themselves.

On Sunday night I didn’t have to explain the intricacies of the game of golf. I didn’t have to give any details about Tiger Woods’ often-checkered past. We all just stared at a buzzing screen and knew we were witnessing history.

As for this being a Super Rugby column, my only opinion this week: rugby’s 15-man format - and especially in the predictable southern Hemisphere - desperately needs itself a Tiger-moment.

------------

Let’s have a look at what happened elsewhere in the world of rugby this week.

Tries of the week:

------------

Best of social media:

On a weekend of spectacular comebacks, also this...

----

Ah, a throwback to the good old days of home-made banners at sports matches...

----

Nothing like a bit of team spotting at the airport...

----

RG Snyman, South Africa's newest folk-hero...

--------------

Steely Dan

We were all relieved to hear the news last week that All Black legend Dan Carter has successfully come through a serious neck operation.

Carter got the call-up from French club Racing 92 to replaced retired Springbok Pat Lambie, but he failed his medical and was sent for a cervical fusion instead.

The former All Black flyhalf posted a picture of himself on Twitter after going under the surgeon's knife.

In a brief message, the 37-year-old Carter said the operation went well and he's focused on getting his body right again.

"Another challenge to conquer!" Carter wrote.

"Happy my neck surgery went well and now the long road to recovery starts."

From the Wrapdesk we wish one of our favourite rugby players ever a speedy recovery.

Blood Sport

Former England forward Dean Richards has accused his country's 2003 team of cheating to win the World Cup, the New Zealand Herald reported on Tuesday

Sir Clive Woodward has immediately rejected the suggestion as "ridiculous" and Richards provided no real evidence when making the claim.

Richards, who was not part of the 2003 World Cup squad, was banned for three years in 2009 over a fake-blood scandal.

But a documentary released last week unearthed an old investigation in which Richards claims the cheating he committed at Harlequins was not unusual in rugby then.

"The use of fake blood, cutting players, re-opening wounds, feigning injury in the front row, jabbing players with anesthetic all occur regularly throughout the game," Richards said.

When was asked for examples, he reportedly said: "RWC 2003. England used faked blood (did not know whether capsule or cut by someone in medical team to manage replacements)."

According to the former Harlequins boss he was informed "by someone from within the 2003 England squad."

Now here at the Wrapdesk we are normally against scratching open old wounds, but we'll make an exception in this World Cup year.

Advertisement