Ken Borland

“The future is in our own hands but it is still up to us to put the results on the table,” DP World Lions captain Bjorn Fortuin said as he considered the #PrideOfJozi’s last four matches in the CSA T20 Challenge and the jostle for semi-final places.

The DP World Lions are in action on Sunday again as they host the Auto Investment North-West Dragons and they have dual goals of consolidating second place in the standings, but also closing the gap on the log-leading Warriors.

Following Friday night’s matches, the DP World Lions are nine points behind the Eastern Province team, but three points ahead of the Dolphins with a game in hand, and seven points ahead of fourth-placed Western Province.

Having won their last three matches in a row, our Pride will certainly be taking momentum and confidence into Sunday’s clash at the DP World Wanderers Stadium.

“We have no complaints with how things are going at the moment but we must not get ahead of ourselves. I’ve been part of teams that have won five on the bounce and then it was downhill from there,” Fortuin said.

“Our main goal is to catch the Warriors and we also still have a game against them. So our future is in our own hands, but it is still up to us to put the results on the table.

“There have already been a couple of surprise results this season so you can never write anyone off, this format has proven that so many times. Anyone can beat anyone on any day. The Dragons have some seriously dangerous players and they have a lot to play for as a team and individuals have points to prove as well,” Fortuin warned.

But for the DP World Lions it is a case of keep doing what they have been doing so far. They have not relied on a couple of players for their seven wins thus far; the presence of nine different Pride members in the top-20 of the batting and bowling averages indicates how many Lions are chipping in with important contributions.

“We are a seriously talented team and it’s good that we don’t solely rely on one or two players,” Fortuin said. “T20 cricket is quite unpredictable and not every day is going to be yours as a player. But we have always had someone to pick up the slack and that’s what you expect from quality players. We have managed to pull things together.”

A top-class unbeaten half-century by Ryan Rickelton saw the DP World Lions to a crucial weather-shortened win over the Dolphins in their last match, but the Pride have had a tough time with rain-interrupted matches this season.

Fortuin is looking for a more adaptable mindset from his team, but there is also a sense that the DP World Lions are on a steady climb to reach their peak when the knockout stages arrive.

“We won our last game at the DP World Wanderers Stadium, Ryan played an unbelievable innings in tough conditions, but we made it a bit tighter than it should have been. If there are rain delays or odd things happen, hopefully we deal with it much better.

“There are still quite a few games left, so there is time to rectify the couple of things we could have done better in certain situations. We’re not taking anything for granted, but there is a feeling that we are reaching our peak. We’re excited for when it will come, but it can also be frustrating to just inch towards your goal.

“So we have got to be patient. But we know that if we are really on our game, then not many teams can keep up with us,” Fortuin said.

Whether the Blue Bulls Company houses Sbu Nkosi’s rugby career in future is irrelevant right now, CEO Edgar Rathbone said on Tuesday, because their focus is on making sure the Springbok wing gets the help he needs to solve his personal issues.

Nkosi had been missing from Loftus Versfeld for three weeks, raising fears for his wellbeing and safety, before he was found at his father’s house in Emalahleni (Witbank) on Monday afternoon. Rathbone was among the search party and he had a 40-minute talk with the 26-year-old.

“It was important for me to establish he was okay, safe and unharmed, and to find out where he is at. I was thrilled he was alive but sad to see the state he was in,” Rathbone said on Tuesday.

“We will provide the support he needs, but it’s difficult to put a timeline on his recovery, we need to give him space and get him back to full health. We need to follow the process, for some people it takes one month, for others six months, it depends on the depth they have to go.

“Our goal is to get him back on the rugby field and feeling like the champion he is again. Even if that’s not at the Bulls, it’s our job to get him ready. It’s irrelevant right now whether he plays for the Bulls again or some other team, it’s about Sbu Nkosi the person.

“Our concern is not for Sbu Nkosi the rugby player but for him as a person. He is an employee of the company and being absent without leave for three weeks does have consequences. But at this stage, we’re missing the point if we’re worrying about whether he still has a contract or not,” Rathbone said.

In terms of how the Bulls handled the disappearance of one of their star players, Rathbone said they had to cut their cloth according to the circumstances at the time, but he added “I’m sure mistakes were made along the way, but the player’s reputation also needed to be managed and his safety was a concern as well”.

While both the Bulls and MyPlayers, the players’ organisation to look after their interests, have mental health support measures in place, Rathbone said they would review the overall efficiency of these systems.

The CEO added that he hoped the general public would cotton on to the fact that coarse messaging on social media can lead struggling players into the dumps.

“I would ask everyone to be kind and not to make any remarks that may be harmful to Sbu. If you look at the comments and articles on social media, it’s quite frightening how stones are thrown at people.

“Everyone is going through stuff, no-one is immune to it. I would ask people to have a bit of respect for their fellow human beings.

“Unlike other jobs, our employees win or lose every Saturday and that’s pressure. I know it’s what they signed up for, but if they need help handling it then that support needs to be there,” Rathbone said.

When one leaves the job of national cricket coach “to pursue other opportunities in line with his future career and personal objectives”, then the IPL would be a most suitable next step and Proteas coach Mark Boucher was duly confirmed as the Mumbai Indians new head coach on Friday.

Boucher announced earlier this week that he would step down as the Proteas coach after the T20 World Cup next month in Australia, and the “pursue other opportunities” reason was attributed to Cricket South Africa CEO Pholetsi Moseki in their statement.

“It’s a pleasure to welcome Mark Boucher to Mumbai Indians. With his proven expertise on the field and off it as a coach, guiding his team to numerous victories, Mark will add immense value to MI and take forward its legacy,” Akash M. Ambani, the chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm, the owners of the franchise, said.

Boucher has overseen a steady growth in the Proteas T20 team, such that they are now ranked third in the world and are considered dark horses for the World Cup crown in Australia.

For Boucher, taking the coaching reins at a franchise as powerful as Mumbai Indians, the most successful IPL team in history with five titles since 2013, can almost be considered a step-up, especially in terms of salary.

But the last couple of years have been rough for Mumbai and there will be pressure for Boucher to turn around their fortunes as quickly as possible, because they missed the playoffs in 2021 and finished last this year.

“It is an honour and privilege for me to be appointed as head coach of Mumbai Indians,” Boucher said. “Their history and achievements as a franchise clearly put them up there as one of the most successful franchises in all of world sport.

“I look forward to the challenge and respect the need for results. It’s a strong unit with great leadership and players, and I look forward to adding value to this dynamic unit.”

Reports had suggested Boucher was being lined up for the MI Cape Town coaching gig in the inaugural SA20 early next year, but Australian Simon Katich has been appointed to head that sub-franchise, with Hashim Amla as the batting coach.

Boucher replaces Mahela Jayawardena as IPL coach, with the Sri Lankan great now looking after all three sub-franchises in the IPL, SA20 and Emirates T20 for Reliance as global head of performance.

When Bulls director of rugby Jake White returns to his Loftus Versfeld office on Monday morning, it will be with a sense of delight over how his team got the job done in Swansea and great excitement for the future of what is still a largely young squad.

The Bulls beat the Ospreys at the weekend, 38-31, a bonus point win that was more convincing than the scoreline suggests and which ensured a home United Rugby Championship quarterfinal against the Sharks on the first weekend of June.

“We played really, really well at times and we could have won 45-24 if the ball had gone to hand when Juan Mostert threw a pass that was intercepted and Ospreys scored,” White said after the Bulls overtook the Sharks in the standings to finish fourth.

“It was a comprehensive win and I was happy with everybody. I thought we played really well tonight – the shape of our attack, the speed of our game and the quick ball from the rucks, our understanding of space and where to go.

“At times we made it look so simple against a really good team that was vying to be the top Welsh side. We did that by creating space, carrying through the middle and using tip-passes.

“To be able to do that under pressure makes it even more gratifying. I’m really looking forward to how good this team is going to be. The confidence we showed is going to be important for the next couple of years too,” White said.

While outside centre Cornal Hendricks ran the Ospreys off the park in the second half with a hat-trick of tries, there were heroes all over the field for the Bulls.

“Cornal was outstanding and I was very happy he got Man of the Match, but Canan Moodie showed why we put young guys in these positions, he knocked on in his own 22 and Ospreys scored, but then he set up his try and one for Cornal.

“Ten seconds before Mostert threw the intercept pass, he made a try-saving tackle. Ruan Nortje was very good. If he keeps playing like that, it’s going to be difficult to leave him out of the Springbok squad.

“I wouldn’t have been surprised if Gerhard Steenekamp had got Man of the Match, at times he was outstanding as well, and a guy like Johan Grobbelaar does so much for us.

“I’m just really happy to see how we have grown as a team and that the guys now get a chance to play at home, having shown we can win away if we play well enough,” White said.