Locked Down Spectator

Let us go rifling through the archives to when flyer Cheslin Kolbe chased down Henco Venter with the tryline at his mercy. In a Super Rugby match played on April Fool's Day in 2017, then-Stormers wing Kolbe displayed the sort of spirit which would see him become a bona fide legend as he hunted down now-Sharks loosie Venter with nothing to play for. The Stormers had already cantered to 48-10 lead with six minutes when the moment of comedy arose as the Cheetahs tried to add some sort of respectability to the scoreline. It was a turn of delicious irony, as former Stormers coach Robbie Fleck watched on with a knowing smile in the coaching booth. Fleck, in one of the defining moments of his career, was infamously and embarrassingly reeled by Deon Kayser in a Super 12 match back in 2001. Though the game was a dead rubber - the Sharks had sealed a home semifinal, while the Stormers had been bumped out of the running for the playoffs - the knock on turned out to be costly as the Sharks won

I'm not sure about you, but I had not forgotten that the Proteas were on tour amid the noise elsewhere in the world of sport. One can't be blamed for logging out emotionally from our South Africa's cricketing fortunes at the moment. The men's team has been in an undeniable decline in recent years, characterised by unprecedented series losses at home and broad, which culminated in the disastrous campaign at the 2019 World Cup in England. Last summer was a continuation of the mediocrity, which saw the Proteas lose a combined four out of five series in all formats against England Pakistan in a COVID-19-interrupted schedule. The one win was the Test series against Sri Lanka, the only glimmer of light in a dark summer. ODI and T20 captain Temba Bavuma owes the team big runs when it matters most © PA Sport As such, the indifference within the local cricketing fraternity was palpable as the team embarked on a tour of the West Indies and Ireland recently. It is difficult to rem

It's the afternoon after the night before. Like a lot of Springbok fans, I'm trying to figure out what stage of grief I might just be in after the memorable loss to a remarkably resilient British and Irish Lions in the first Test in Cape Town. If I'm in the final stage - acceptance - it's permeated by annoyance and regret at what might have been. The only other time I've ever felt like this was in the aftermath of South Africa's loss to Australia in THAT controversial quarterfinal of the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. The less said about that one, the better. Siya Kolisi is tackled by Anthony Watson © African News Agency Look, the Boks were thoroughly rinsed by the visitors in the second half after what was a promising first one. Blame is flying in every direction as I type this, but the bottom line is that the Lions were full value for their win, considering how I did not expect a Warren Gatland-led outfit to pull a seemingly lost cause out of the fire. H

Former Wallaby flyer Drew Mitchell is of the opinion that referees must front up before the press after matches to explain their decisions. As a proud reactionary, I say, "BULLSH*T. Absolute bullsh*t!" Marika Koroibete is controversially sent off by Ben O'Keefe. © AFP Keep your hands off our whistlemen and women. They do not have to explain anything to the public. Sports around the world, including rugby, are losing referees in high numbers already, and having them appear before the media is another way to discourage participation in officiating. It's hard enough trying to reason with an irate player, let alone the abusive degenerates seated in the stands and those throwing projectiles at the TV back home because of mystifying decisions. You know full and hell well that the attendees of the press conferences would love nothing better than to excoriate a fumbling match official! The bloodbath would be unsightly. "It would provide clarity and understanding which ma

Ah! The buildup to the first Lions Test match on tour; always characterised by politicking between the teams, among the fans and stoked by the media. What more can one ask for as the anticipation reaches a climax! The press and social media have made for fascinating reading as the Springboks and British & Irish Lions jostle for a psychological one-up before the kickoff on Saturday at the Cape Town Stadium, and I have needlessly gone through the trouble of trawling through the inter-web for gems, turds and red herrings... Warren Gatland  © BBC Wales The tourists are said to be royally pissed after it was announced that South Africa Marius Jonker was appointed by World Rugby to take over TMO duties from New Zealand's Brendon Pickerill, who withdrew because of COVID-19-related travel issues. Neutral match officials are a non-negotiable in a series of such significance, meaning World Rugby technically  should have a contingency plan, so I do kinda understand why Warren Gatland and