Ken Borland

The integrity of the entire RamSlam T20 Challenge competition was called into question at SuperSport Park yesterday when the Unlimited Titans and the Chevrolet Warriors tied their rain-affected match, but were denied the chance to play for full points in a super over due to the shortcomings of the playing conditions.

The fact that both teams have to settle for two points is obviously unsatisfactory when one considers their precarious positions at the bottom of the log and the fact that all other tied matches in the competition have had super overs in order for one team to get the four win points. Neither team were aware that there would not be a tie-breaker.

Match referee Barry Lambson confirmed that the playing conditions did not allow for a super over to be played “due to time constraints” as the start of the match was delayed by two-and-a-half hours because of rain. This time, the all-pervasive influence of television was not to blame as they found time for a televised presentation after a string of advertisements.

The chances of playing at all looked remote at the scheduled starting time of 12pm, but by the end of the match the weather had totally cleared up, although metaphorically a cloud will remain over the game.

The eight-overs-a-side match featured perfect final overs by both Rusty Theron and David Wiese.

Wiese’s was the more impressive because it secured the tie for the Titans after they had unravelled in the field in the sixth and seventh overs, leaving the Warriors with just six runs to win off the last six balls.

Wiese made the perfect start by removing Simon Harmer (24 off 13) off the first ball and Jon-Jon Smuts, who had anchored the chase with 37 off 22 balls, was then run out off the second ball after confusion with Yaseen Vallie and a pinpoint throw from the outfield by Eden Links.

Vallie and Theron could only manage three singles, plus there was a wide, leaving the Warriors to score one run off the last ball to win. But with wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen standing up and making a fine take, Wiese beat Theron outside off stump to snatch a share of the spoils for the Titans.

The Titans had posted 79 for five in their eight overs after being sent in to bat, and looked well on course to defend that when they restricted the Warriors to 39 for three after five overs. But a host of errors in the sixth and seventh overs, including Harmer being dropped as Shaun von Berg and Theunis de Bruyn collided in the covers, changed the course of the match.

Captain Darren Sammy also contributed a fine over, conceding eight that included an edged boundary, Ethy Mbhalati again bowled skilfully and Junior Dala delivered a brilliant first over, that cost just one run and included the wicket of Warriors captain Colin Ingram (4).

Henry Davids had given the Titans innings a positive start as he scored 23 off 11 balls, hammering three fours and a six off Basheer Walters in the second over before the bowler had the last say, having him caught in the covers.

But the Titans run-rate then nose-dived as Aya Gqamane, brought on to bowl the fifth over, removed Wiese (1) and De Bruyn (16) with his first two balls and spinner Smuts was bang on target as well.

Theron conceded just four runs in the last over and trapped Sammy lbw for 16 as he showed the sort of skills that suggest he perhaps should be performing again on a higher stage.

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The Cell C Sharks will play an attacking brand of rugby in next year’s SuperRugby competition because the strength of their squad demands it, new director of rugby Gary Gold told The Citizen yesterday.

Gold will continue the Sharks’ elusive search for a maiden SuperRugby title after one season under Jake White that saw them lose in the semi-finals but also alienate many supporters with a conservative game plan.

The former Springbok assistant coach says, with the talent at their disposal, the Sharks will simply have to be more ambitious. Gold inherits a mighty pack featuring half-a-dozen Springboks and an exciting backline bursting with playmakers like Cobus Reinach, Pat Lambie, Odwa Ndungane, JP Pietersen and Lwazi Mvovo.

“One of the characteristics of a winning team is that they score tries and we’re not going to beat New Zealand teams 9-6 with three penalties, so we have to score tries. It’s easier said than done and I’m not a rugby romantic, but the Sharks are lucky to have a great squad of players so we can aspire to a brand of rugby that means scoring tries.

“We’ll still look to play in the right areas of the field, there will be a level of pragmatism, but our starting point is that we’re going to put a lot of time and energy into our attack so we can score tries. You have to tailor-make your game-plan to the players at your disposal, but with this great squad we simply have to embrace more attacking skill,” Gold said.

Gold, who was appointed by the Sharks two weeks ago, said all the pre-season planning for SuperRugby was in place, with the squad training from November 17-December 17 and then gathering together again on January 5. While the experienced Currie Cup, Premiership and Japanese league coach is inheriting a star-studded squad, he said he will be looking to make small-scale changes.

“There won’t be much recruitment, but there are two or three positions we’ve identified where we need more strength in depth, which will be important when you consider the demands of the competition. Another of the reasons champion teams are successful is that the difference between their first-choice and second-choice player in any position is not so big that it makes a difference to the performance of the team,” Gold said.

The 47-year-old is also a proponent of a rotation policy, which should avoid the burnout that seemed to afflict the Sharks towards the end of this year’s SuperRugby campaign.

“Another characteristic of successful SuperRugby and Premiership sides is that they embrace a rotation policy. A first-choice player can start for three weeks and then you can give him three days off because he knows he’ll be coming off the bench for 30 minutes the next weekend. He knows he’s still the number one in his position but he’ll appreciate the break and will be a better performer when he comes back because of it. I’m personally not a big believer in playing people into the ground,” Gold said.

The new director of rugby confirmed that the three coaches who guided the Sharks through the Currie Cup – Brad Macleod-Henderson, Sean Everitt and Paul Anthony – would serve as his assistants before taking the reins again for next year’s Currie Cup.

With Brendan Venter on board as a consultant and plans to bring an overseas attack consultant to Durban for a short while later this year, Gold is keen on getting different ideas into the system.

“As the director of rugby, it’s very difficult to coach and deal with recruitment, agents or budgets towards the end of the year and I also want to support the junior team coaches. Hopefully I’ll get a really good working relationship going with Brad, Sean and Paul in SuperRugby and I want us to get together with all the coaches, as a group, and shoot the breeze or share ideas. The U19 coach might have ideas that will work with the senior team … ” Gold said.

Former West Indies captain Darren Sammy will be playing for the Unlimited Titans in this year’s RamSlam T20 Challenge, it was announced at the competition launch last night.

All-rounder Sammy has played 38 Tests and 115 ODIs for the West Indies

and Titans captain Henry Davids said his explosiveness and experience would be invaluable.

“He’s a very experienced player and explosive with the bat, so that’s the sort of player you want in T20,” Davids told The Citizen last night.

The 30-year-old Sammy is also one of the most popular figures in cricket and will also be a valuable contributor in the changeroom for the Titans.

“I played with him in the Caribbean Premier League for the St Lucia Zouks and he’s a very calm character, with a great attitude and personality, a wonderful team man,” Davids said.

Sammy will be a highly effective replacement for the injured Albie Morkel,  Davids added.

Other confirmed overseas visitors for the T20 Challenge are Dwayne Bravo (Dolphins), Kieran Pollard (Cobras), Andre Russell (Knights) and Craig Kieswetter (Warriors).

The T20 Challenge will kick off on November 2 with a triple-header at the Wanderers.

Throughout the competition, there will be a share of a million rand on offer for any spectators who take a clean one-handed catch off a six.

It was generally ugly, but the Vodacom Blue Bulls got the job done and beat the Toyota Free State Cheetahs 31-22 to stay alive in the competition in their Absa Currie Cup match in Bloemfontein last night.

The amount of aimless kicking had irked the Bloemfontein crowd throughout the game and it was ironic that it was a charged-down attempted drop-kick by Cheetahs flyhalf Willie du Plessis that sealed the Bulls’ win.

Replacement flank Wian Liebenberg was up quickly in defence and the ball rebounded off his hands for wing Sampie Mastriet, who had a wonderful game, to gather and streak away for the try.

But where the Bulls really won the game was in the period of excellent ball-retention and multiple phases they put together to earn Jacques-Louis Potgieter a penalty shot in the 77^th minute. The sharpshooting flyhalf nailed the kick from 5m in from touch to cancel out a 73^rd-minute drop goal by Du Plessis that had snatched a 22-21 lead for the home side.

The Bulls had the upper hand in the first half, but they once again squandered opportunities on attack and they paid for poor discipline with both Potgieter and lock Paul Willemse being yellow-carded and Du Plessis kicking four penalties to keep Free State in touch.

The Cheetahs will be bemoaning their poor performance at the scrum, where they were penalised several times by referee Marius van der Westhuizen, but the Bulls will be pleased with the character they showed in denying the home side despite a much-improved second-half display.

Mastriet scored in the first half after props Dean Greyling and Werner Kruger went on the charge to earn a penalty, and a slick lineout move then created space for the wing, who regularly injected some much-needed pace into the Bulls’ attacks, to dot down.

But young Liebenberg will be the toast of Pretoria after ensuring that the Bulls will still have a chance of making the semi-finals when they take on the Pumas (away) and Griquas (home) in their last two games.

Scorers

Free State Cheetahs – Try: Sarel Pretorius. Conversion: Willie du Plessis. Penalties: Du Plessis (4). Drop goal: Du Plessis.

Blue Bulls – Tries: Sampie Mastriet (2), Grant Hattingh. Conversions: Jacques-Louis Potgieter (2). Penalties: Potgieter (4).