Ken Borland

The relationship between new CSA Director of Cricket Enoch Nkwe and Proteas head coach Mark Boucher has been an obvious point of discussion since the former national team assistant coach’s ascension to the lead administrative role, but Nkwe himself assured on Friday that they are eager to get “the best out of each other”.

Nkwe resigned as South Africa’s assistant coach last August, stating concerns over the team culture, and said he had not seen Boucher since then. During the period when Boucher was under disciplinary investigation by CSA, much was made of Nkwe’s departure from the Proteas and he was expected to testify against his former boss.

Nkwe declined to do so and the roles are now reversed with Boucher reporting to him. The new Director of Cricket said he had the pleasure of a clear-the-air meeting with Boucher and the Proteas team on Thursday, on the eve of their departure for England.

“It was a bit strange at first because we have not engaged in person since August, but it ended up being a great meeting,” Nkwe said at his introductory press conference at CSA headquarters on Friday.

“I know a whole lot has been spoken about there being deeper-level issues, but it was nothing personal and Mark and I do have a good relationship. The meeting ended with us laughing and I know he is excited to work with me too.

“We now feel that we are in the best positions to get the best out of each other. I’m glad we were able to meet in person before they left for England and we all walked away with smiles after 40 minutes.

“There’s a lot more clarity between us now and being Director of Cricket does not mean I am director of the Proteas. I am director of cricket in totality. Mark and the team leadership are in a very good space,” Nkwe said.

Apart from finding the squad in good humour, Nkwe said he was also impressed by the vibe, which had improved since he was last with the Proteas.

“I could feel the positive energy and also in the way the team engaged with the Board as well. It’s actually been a great week for South African cricket and it’s important that we restore our positive image.

“That’s a part of my 18-month plan and I will be giving as much support as possible to the national coaches, to allow the head coach to focus on his role because his hands are quite full.

“It was quite an emotional moment at the start of the meeting with the team yesterday [Thursday]. This role is very close to my heart, it’s what I have strived for. It’s a massive honour and privilege.

“It’s a position in which I can actually make a difference to South African cricket, which I am very passionate about. There will be a lot of pressure, but pressure is a privilege,” Nkwe said.

Saturday is the day when South African rugby returns to, as the Spanish would say, La Vida Normal (the normal life) as the former national sport can once again be played in front of full stadiums of spectators.

Although, seeing as though it is Griquas and the Pumas who will contest the Currie Cup final in Kimberley on Saturday afternoon, we might be heading into a new normal for rugby. Griquas have actually won the Currie Cup three times, although the last time they did it was in 1970, which was also their last appearance in the final.

The Pumas, or South-Eastern Transvaal as they were then known, only came into being a year earlier, in 1969. This is their first ever appearance in the final, having been well-beaten by Northern Transvaal in the semi-finals in 1980, their previous best showing in the famous tournament.

It will be a massive day for two unions, their players and coaches, who don’t usually get to shine in the spotlight. Such occurrences are what makes sport so utterly charming at times.

But there is no denying the defending champion Bulls, who were desperate to become the first team to win a hat-trick of titles since the Free State Cheetahs did it between 2005 and 2007, are less than charmed about their exit from the Currie Cup at the semifinal stage at the hands of Griquas.

There is growing dissatisfaction amongst the country’s four international franchises that play in the United Rugby Championship that trying to contend in the Currie Cup at the same time is a bit like tilting at windmills. And next year will be even worse as they also have European cup tournaments to play in.

The sponsors, Carling Black Label, have also expressed their concern over the famous event continuing to lose prestige, and it is important SA Rugby lance this festering boil of malcontent over the Currie Cup.

As admirable as the campaigns mounted by the Griquas and Pumas have been, it has been unfortunate for the tournament that of the so-called Test unions, only the Bulls fielded anything resembling a top side and even they had to give in to the realities of fighting on two fronts in the closing stages.

Moving the Currie Cup until after the end of the European season seems the best way to go. Of course it will then clash with the international season of the Springboks, but that cavalry has long since departed the Currie Cup and fans and sponsors have become accustomed to them not featuring in the premier domestic tournament.

Speaking of the Springboks, there was certainly an air of great excitement in their camp this week as they gathered in Pretoria.

Eight new faces will always bring an injection of fresh energy and the URC has certainly unveiled some exciting new talent that deserves exposure at the highest level.

But without deflating fans too much, they should not expect the starting XV to pay Wales at Loftus Versfeld on July 2 to differ much from the team that last appeared in the UK at the end of last year.

Duane Vermeulen will need to be replaced at eighthman and Evan Roos and Elrigh Louw, who announced themselves in such incredible fashion in the URC, will be in the forefront of most fans’ thinking. But Jasper Wiese is the incumbent back-up No.8 and, after his inspirational display in the English Premiership final for Leicester, he is probably the favourite to come in for Vermeulen.

Key stars such as Cheslin Kolbe, Faf de Klerk and Pieter-Steph du Toit should also be back in action, and I look forward to Damian Willemse playing the Frans Steyn role of utility back on the bench. Hopefully there is space for one of Roos or Louw alongside him on the wood, and maybe even Marcell Coetzee.

Winning competitions is your measure of success and the South African Shield is just a “nice-to-have”, former Stormers great Jean de Villiers said ahead of their United Rugby Championship quarterfinal against Edinburgh in Cape Town on Saturday.

While the Stormers finished second on the overall URC log and were the top South African team, they have a history of playoff disappointments in Super Rugby to overcome. In 10 Super Rugby playoffs, they only won one – winning the 2010 semifinal against the NSW Waratahs at Newlands. They then lost the final away to the Bulls.

“The Stormers have won a few shields, I should know, but they mean nothing, apart from being a nice-to-have,” De Villiers said. “It’s very important for the team to go all the way.

“Winning tournaments is your measure of success, even though I’m sure the supporters are pleased that results have been so good on the field with so much bad stuff happening off it.

“I’m really enjoying their more freer approach on the field and I like Damian Willemse at 12. It’s a new position for him, but I think it’s probably his best at this stage, it brings a better balance to the Stormers game,” De Villiers, who started 95 of his 109 Tests for the Springboks at centre, said.

While it would appear on face value that Edinburgh’s best chance of victory will be to turn the quarterfinal into a tight, tactical battle, De Villiers said one should never ever underestimate the Scottish team’s ability to play dazzling rugby as well.

“Edinburgh can be very dangerous as well with ball-in-hand. Blake Kinghorn at flyhalf has brought a different dimension and he can vary his play. They have a strong South African contingent as well.

“But you don’t ever look only at your opposition, the Stormers will be focused on getting their approach right. If they execute their attacking game well, then I believe they are the better team at that type of rugby.

“When it comes to finals rugby, you sometimes are tempted to change your approach, but the Stormers should stick to what has worked, but maybe just be a bit more conservative, add some management to their game.

“Manie Libbok and Herschel Jantjies always look at running options first, but maybe on Saturday they should first look for space at the back too and kick when they’re in their own half,” De Villiers said.

Victor Matfield’s love for the Bulls is well-known given his legendary career at Loftus Versfeld and so it was no surprise to hear the former Springbok captain say that Jake White’s team are clear favourites for him when it comes to their United Rugby Championship quarterfinal against the Sharks in Pretoria on Saturday.

And the presence of White, who was coach of the Springboks when they won the 2007 World Cup with Matfield the man of the match in the final, is one of the differences between the two teams for the former lock, who backed him to get the better of Sharks coach Sean Everitt, whose ability to get the best out of a star-studded Sharks team has been questioned in some quarters.

“The Bulls must be favourites,” Matfield said. “They are better coached at the moment, they know how they want to play and how to win.

“The Sharks are a fantastic team on paper, it’s just that they don’t always play the way we know they can.

“Playing at Loftus Versfeld will also definitely be an advantage for the Bulls, they know how to play there and have had a very good record there for the last two-to-three years.

“But the Bulls scrum will need to stand up because the Sharks have won a lot of penalties there. The Sharks scrum very well,” Matfield said.

The lineout maestro also said he wanted to see the Bulls really pile on the pressure in the opening exchanges, using their powerful forwards to batter the Sharks and have them crying for mom early on in the quarterfinal.

“The Bulls struggle when they start games too loose, they are very good when they start by getting that forward dominance.

“In some games we’ve seen them not employ a drive at the first three lineouts, instead going to the midfield and trying to play ball-in-hand rugby.

“But I think once they get that momentum, that forward dominance, then they can spread the ball and really test the defences.

“I would like to see them build first, really squeeze the Sharks, and then they can throw the ball around,” Matfield said.

If the Bulls do beat the Sharks, however, then Matfield said a likely semi-final against Leinster at Aviva Stadium in Dublin would be a daunting prospect.

“Once they get over to Europe for the semi-finals then it becomes much more difficult. To beat Leinster you have to be at your best.

“But I believe the Bulls and Stormers can compete against them if they get their packs of forwards really up for the game,” Matfield said.