The Rugby Spectator

South African Rugby Fans Can Never Be Pleased You can never fully please a South African rugby fan, can you? While a lot of us were satisfied with a remarkable draw against the greatest team on earth, trust some among us to find fault with the tie against the mighty All Blacks. The Boks were not favourites to win last Saturday, but were at least expected to make a fist of proceedings, which they duly did. In fact, they should have won were it not for a lack of composure. However, fans who cynically accuse us of “celebrating” a draw are being highly disingenuous! Not long ago, the All Blacks were pasting their archenemy by an average of 50 points a match, but now clashes against the Boks are being decided by two or less points! Furthermore, the draw put South Africa in pole position to win the truncated 2019 Rugby Championship. Imagine if they had lost! The Springboks Are Blessed With Depth Who in their right mind – ahead of the 2018 international rugby season ...

In 1970, there was no Rugby World Cup, John Vorster was South Africa's prime minister, the Boeing 747 took off on its maiden flight and the Beatles broke up. Of significance in 1970 on the South African rugby landscape was Griquas - known as Griqualand West back then – winning their third (and as of yet, last) Currie Cup title.  A legendary victory that continues to resonate in the annals of the gentleman’s game, Griqualand West defeated the then-Northern Transvaal 11-9 on a brutally hard and sparsely grassed De Beers Stadium, signalling the Currie Cup’s last Cinderella story. In 2019, it appears that Griquas’ ship, promising to come in and dock in the harbour but pushed out back to sea by bigger vessels over 49 years, might just come in! Brent Janse van Rensburg and his staff have built a formidable outfit in Kimberley, and were duly rewarded with a dominant SuperSport Rugby Challenge win last month after stumbling at the final hurdle in 20...