Ken Borland

In terms of the national team, the lights will be turned off at Newlands for probably the last time after the Springbok Showdown on Saturday evening, which is what the game between the Green and Gold scratch teams will most likely be remembered for. Apart from getting some much-needed game time into the legs of the Springbok squad for the Rugby Championship, there could be thin pickings for Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber given the difficulties associated with getting a team to gel after one week together.

Still, there will be some fine talent on display and it will do nobody any harm to shine given the lack of rugby South Africa has suffered this year. For the established Springboks, Saturday will be about saying farewell to Newlands while for the young guns, they will be judged mostly on their character and how much they have picked up off the training field this week.

“Cape Town has always been one of my favourite venues, although it’s unfortunate that there won’t be a crowd, that changes the dynamic. But we all know the history of Newlands and it will be great playing there one more time, even though we know how greasy it can be if the weather is bad. It’s also going to be very nice playing with new people around you,” Springbok Gold captain Lukhanyo Am said on Friday.

“Lots of energy is what the new players bring and it’s been a big week for those youngsters selected for what is basically the Emerging Springboks. They have got to experience what it’s like at Test level in terms of preparation and the environment in camp. We’ve tried to share our knowledge as senior players, they have received a lot of information, we’ve really pushed the learning, clarity and detail and hopefully it will make them better players.”

Part of the education for the youngsters will be in how to deal with combining with players you have never played with before in just a week.

“It’s really exciting to be playing alongside a guy like Rikus Pretorius, who has a lot of energy. And coming up against Wandisile Simelane is going to be challenging because he is very exciting and because of his prowess on attack we will definitely be looking out for him. No-one’s going into the game for a loss, we’re all very competitive athletes.

“We have to play with what we have, but we have a couple of tricks up our sleeves and even though we’ve only had a week to gel, we should all be able to execute whatever plans we have. It’s really nice playing with new guys in a situation where there’s less pressure. But in common with the Sharks environment, here at the Springboks it’s all about taking ownership as players,” Am said.

When Danie van Tonder’s 40-foot eagle putt fell on his last hole of the second round of the Vodacom Championship Reloaded at Huddle Park Golf Club on Thursday, it catapulted him from a narrow one-shot lead heading into the final round of the last Rise Up Series event into a sizeable three-shot advantage.

Finishing on the par-five ninth hole, it was a magnificent way to end a round which up till then had been more solid than spectacular. On a cooler day which meant Van Tonder could not bomb the ball quite as far, the hottest golfer in South Africa was four-under-par for his round, enough when combined with his superb 63 on the first day to take him to 13-under overall, one shot ahead of Jacques Blaauw.

But the eagle saw him finish with a six-under-par 66, taking him out to 15-under for the tournament. Even for a man who operates as clinically as Van Tonder, it was a spectacular strike at just the right time.

“I hit a good drive and I had 175 to the pin, so I hit an eight-iron as hard as I can and it finished pin-high, but I was left with a 40-foot snake of a putt. I didn’t really think about my lead, tomorrow [Friday] will just be another round in which I try and shoot less than 70. If I hit fairways and make putts for 18 holes then it will be like matchplay and with pars and birdies it will be hard to beat me.

“I just need to play the golf course and try to birdie everything I can. It’s easy, just grip it and hit it and trust yourself. I played well today [Thursday] but missed a couple of birdies. But at least I gave myself chances so I am still happy, the ones I missed just rolled over the lips of the holes and I knew sooner or later I would make one. I was never really getting into trouble,” Van Tonder said after his round.

Blaauw was able to hop up the leaderboard with an impressive five-under-par 67 and led for much of the day on 12-under before Van Tonder overtook him late in the day. An excellent round with the putter meant the four-time Sunshine Tour winner was confident he could secure his first trophy since winning the Sishen Vodacom Origins event four years ago.

“I’m working hard for the win and I can’t really point the finger at something in particular that is stopping me. But rolling in some putts today made a difference, I’m hitting the ball good and my caddy is reading the greens well, he just tells me where to hit it. So I’m confident and I just need to stick to what I know best. There’s a lot that could still happen,” Blaauw told The Citizen.

Promising rookie Malcolm Mitchell and veteran Adilson da Silva, who fired a brilliant bogey-free 64 on Thursday, are on 11-under and also have the potential to challenge Van Tonder as he goes for his third Rise Up Series title.

Anton Haig shot the round of the day in the second round with a 63, that included two eagles, to go to 10-under, giving himself a chance of his first professional win  since 2013, along with Jaco Ahlers, who is clearly in good touch after back-to-back 67s, and Louis de Jager, who slipped back a bit with a 70 on Thursday.

Talented youngsters Clayton Mansfield (67), Gideon van der Vyver (64) and Ruan Korb (66) are also on 10-under.

Kagiso Rabada has his superman cape back at the IPL and Proteas assistant coach Enoch Nkwe says it’s all thanks to the rejuvenating effects of Lockdown.

After three matches, Rabada, playing for Ricky Ponting’s Delhi Capitals, is the joint leading wicket-taker with seven dismissals along with India star Mohammed Shami. But Rabada also has the best average of all bowlers who have taken at least five wickets and, at 6.25, he has the best economy rate of all pace bowlers in the IPL.

It’s a far cry from the Rabada who struggled to get going for the Proteas in 2019 and who limped out of action in February 2020, missing the epic ODI series against Australia. A month later and all cricket was stopped by the Covid-19 pandemic, but Nkwe said on Thursday that the enforced break has done a world of good for South Africa’s spearhead.

“KG had a heavy schedule and he needed a break from both the physical and mental point of view. By the end of last season he was carrying some niggles, which is a sign of fatigue. You need a break when you’re competing at such a high intensity for so long, you just need some time to focus on yourself and not be constantly on the road, constantly on the move.

“I’ve been watching mostly the games with South Africans involved and it’s been very pleasing to see a lot of guys put in great performances, taking responsibility and responding really well in different situations. It’s been fantastic how guys like Faf du Plessis, KG, Lungi Ngidi and Anrich Nortje have stepped up to the plate and I have no doubt Quinton de Kock is due a massive performance soon too,” Nkwe said on Thursday.

The one player Nkwe did not mention though was AB de Villiers, who has really been going to town with the bat, scoring 134 runs in three innings at a strike-rate of 186.11.

Virat Kohli, the captain of De Villiers’ Bangalore Royal Challengers side, heaped praise on his matchwinner

“He’s relaxed and has turned up every time he walks on to the field and that’s exactly what we need from him. He keeps things simple and doesn’t watch a lot of cricket. He enjoys his golf, enjoys his life and comes out here, backs his ability and there are very few like him. Just to have his energy on the field and getting stuck into the bowlers was a joy to watch. Only he can do that best,” Kohli said this week.

Sounds like the sort of player the Proteas would love to have available for next year’s ICC T20 World Cup. Nkwe admitted on Thursday that the timing of the IPL has been very useful from a Proteas point of view.

“The IPL has been a massive boost because increasing the workloads of the players after Lockdown is very important. We are fortunate to have quite a few Proteas involved and hopefully they all come back very fit. Locally the guys are looking forward to getting back on the field and domestic and international cricket will start up very soon. Soon they’ll be playing warm-up matches.

“So the Proteas will have guys in different phases of readiness, some of them will have just started playing again. So there are going to have to be different management processes for different guys, it’s important to manage the individual. I think the guys are more hungry now and a lot of them are in really good shape, which is good because the next couple of years are going to be quite heavy,” Nkwe said.

Du Plessis has been the other South African batsmen to excel at the IPL, scoring 173 runs in three innings for the Chennai Super Kings, at a strike-rate of 149.13. Ngidi has taken four wickets in two matches for the same team, while Nortje has played all three games for the Delhi Capitals and impressed with an economy rate of 7.83 in the United Arab Emirates.

Ruan Dreyer (Gold)

World Cup-winning tighthead prop Frans Malherbe still has his haters despite being the country’s best scrummager, with some people saying he ate all the pies. Malherbe is now injured, which has opened the way for former Springbok Ruan Dreyer to start in the No.3 jersey for the Gold team. The dangerous Steven Kitshoff is at loosehead and it will be interesting to see whether Dreyer performs like the tighthead who was given such a hard time by Kitshoff on SuperFan Saturday or like the Lions strongman who played for the Springboks in 2016.

Wandisile Simelane (Green)

The career of the former SA U20 star has not been meeting expectations at the Lions largely due to the lack of faith shown in him by his own union. Now, with the backing of Springbok backline coach Mzwandile Stick, Simelane has a big stage to show his talents as he comes face-to-face with World Cup hero Lukhanyo Am, the captain of the Gold team and one of the world’s best outside centres.

JD Schickerling (Green)

Schickerling is uncapped at Springbok level but is highly-rated in the Cape and for good reason. The 25-year-old lock is starting to become a standout player in the powerful Stormers squad – not only is he a persistent threat in the lineouts, but he is also always in the reckoning whenever there’s some grunt work to be done in the tight. There is an injury crisis in the second row at Springbok level at the moment and Schickerling is poised to make his move.

Rikus Pretorius (Gold)

Another man with a growing reputation in the Cape, and deservedly so. Pretorius is 21 years old now and is starting to bulk up and become a real physical presence at inside centre. But he also boasts an ever-expanding suite of skills and his deft touches could form a thrilling partnership with arguably the most skilful centre in the country in Lukhanyo Am.

Marco van Staden (Gold)

Van Staden is the classic fetcher who has a great nose for turnover ball and hits hard in the tackle. It’s going to be interesting to see how far he gets under new Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber if the Bulls man can stay fit for an extended period. The Springboks did not play with a typical openside flank when Rassie Erasmus was coach, but it’s a position that is still very important in this age of high-tempo rugby.

Gianni Lombard (Green)

Lombard was a dazzling star for one of the most larney rugby schools in the country – Paarl Boys High – and is undoubtedly a player of great skill and playmaking ability. But he has been played here, there and everywhere in the backline and so has battled to make his mark after three years of senior rugby with the Lions, injuries not helping either. On Saturday he gets a chance at fullback on the grand stage of Newlands. Will he show he belongs in more esteemed company?