Ken Borland

As a professional rugby player, whether the Springbok captain like Siya Kolisi or a 23-year-old still making their way in the game, you are going to have your character tested by the vagaries of the sport.

The shifting fortunes of the teams in the United Rugby Championship have illustrated this perfectly. The Bulls, who had the pressure of expectation on them having dominated the local scene for the last couple of seasons, had to come through the toughest of starts in Europe and are only now inching their way off the bottom of the log.

The Sharks, meanwhile, looked the form South African team last year, culminating in their impressive dismantling of the Bulls in Durban in December. But since then they have been held to a draw and then beaten by the Stormers, who have now overtaken them at the top of the local shield competition.

And now the Bulls and the Sharks will clash in Pretoria on Saturday, a key local derby which Bulls coach Jake White described as being like a final.

“You’re going to have your character tested at certain times but the Sharks are still a great team,” Ruan Nortje, the highly promising young Bulls lock, said on Monday at Loftus Versfeld.

“They have lots of experience, Springboks all over their team. I’m sure they will be playing good rugby on Saturday and it’s important for us to also be ready.

“I don’t think last weekend’s result will affect the Sharks in any way. I’m sure they will be ready to bounce back.

“We’ll take confidence from the points we’ve gained in the last two games against the Lions, but it was not a perfect performance by us last weekend, we struggled in many aspects. There are lots of areas we need to grow, basic errors cost us,” Nortje said.

The Lions, Stormers and Sharks have all put the Bulls under pressure at scrum time recently and Nortje acknowledged that getting the better of Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi and Thomas du Toit is going to be a major challenge and the Bulls need to improve drastically in that set-piece.

“We’ve been under a bit of pressure at scrum-time lately, we’ve had some injuries. But the work coaches Russell Winter and Werner Kruger are putting in will help a lot in the long-term.

“It’s been better the last couple of weeks, but we are not where we want to be yet. We’re up against an all-Springbok front row – what a challenge for us!

“We will just focus on our processes and it will be great to test ourselves against a quality side like the Sharks. Last time we struggled against them in the scrums, which gave them a lot of opportunities to get into our 22 and convert that into points.

“So a massive step-up is needed by us at the scrums, and also at the breakdown, where we struggled as well,” Nortje said.

The CSA T20 Challenge gets underway in Gqeberha on Monday and whether the St George’s Park pitch, which has often been tricky for batting this summer, will favour the powerhouse batting line-ups of teams like the KZN Dolphins and Free State Knights or the strong bowling attacks of sides like the Northerns Titans or Boland Rocks is the big question.

And if it is a bowler-friendly tournament, will it be pace or spin that holds sway?

If it is spin, then Northerns look well-equipped to prosper with Tabraiz Shamsi, arguably the world’s best T20 spinner, in their squad, along with Aaron Phangiso, a perpetual banker in domestic white-ball cricket. They also have two wicket-taking Proteas fast bowlers in Lizaad Williams, with the new ball, and Junior Dala for the key middle overs.

But above all, the Titans have Quinton de Kock in their ranks and there is no doubting his ability to dominate and spearhead a title challenge. There will also be much excitement if U19 superstar Dewald Brevis makes his senior debut.

There are other Proteas sluggers who will have key roles in the tournament, and David Miller of the KZN Dolphins is someone who could have as large an impact as De Kock.

Janneman Malan will be a key player for Boland, while one feels either Reeza Hendricks, with the bat, or Bjorn Fortuin and Sisanda Magala with the ball, need to have big tournaments if the Central Gauteng Lions are to bring the T20 trophy they won at the end of last season back to the Wanderers.

But T20 cricket is the sort of game where an individual wise old head can put in a matchwinning performance at any time and it is advisable not to underestimate Western Province.

They have included former Proteas Richard Levi and Dane Vilas in their squad and they also have current Proteas squad members, and experienced campaigners to boot, in captain Wayne Parnell, George Linde and Beuran Hendricks.

The Eastern Province Warriors should be watched as well because they will know what is required in home conditions, and they have a good balance between veteran campaigners like Jon-Jon Smuts, Dane Paterson and Rudi Second, and explosive new talents like Matthew Breetzke, Wihan Lubbe and Tristan Stubbs.

The tournament comprises the eight Division One teams in a single round-robin format with 31 matches in total. The top four teams will go through to the semi-finals and the final is set to take place on Sunday, February 27.

With more than a dozen current Proteas involved, this season’s CSA T20 Challenge seems set to be highly competitive and entertaining.

Squads  

Eastern Province Warriors: Sinethemba Qeshile, Matthew Breetzke, Diego Rosier, Wihan Lubbe, Lesiba Ngoepe, Jon-Jon Smuts, Tristan Stubbs, Mthiwekhaya Nabe, Tsepo Ndwandwa, Tiaan van Vuuren, Stefan Tait, Kyle Jacobs, Dane Paterson, Lizo Makosi, Rudi Second, Akhona Mnyaka, Alindile Mhletywa.

Boland Rocks:Pieter Malan, Janneman Malan, Cebo Tshiki, Clyde Fortuin, Christiaan Jonker, Ferisco Adams, Michael Copeland, Valentine Kitime, Hardus Viljoen, Shaun von Berg, Ziyaad Abrahams, Siyabonga Mahima, Achille Cloete, Hlomla Hanabe, Zakhele Qwabe, Imraan Manack.

KZN Dolphins:Bryce Parsons, Grant Roelofsen, Andile Phehlukwayo, Khaya Zondo, David Miller, Jason Smith, Eathan Bosch, Prenelan Subrayen, Thando Ntini, Daryn Dupavillon, Ottneil Baartman, Kerwin Mungroo, Ruan de Swardt, Marques Ackerman, Odirile Modimokoane, Keegan Pietersen.

Central Gauteng Lions: Joshua Richards, Kagiso Rapulana, Mitchell van Buuren, Shane Dadswell, Ruan Haasbroek, Dominic Hendricks, Tshepo Ntuli, Malusi Siboto, Tladi Bokako, Aya Myoli, Codi Yusuf, Sisanda Magala, Juan Landsberg, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks.

Free State Knights: Farhaan Behardien, Patrick Botha, Mbulelo Budaza, Gerald Coetzee, CP Klijnhans, Patrick Kruger, Wandile Makwetu, Greg Mohlakoana, Mangaliso Mosehle, Alfred Mothoa, Migael Pretorius, Jason Raubenheimer, Jacques Snyman, Pite van Biljon, Nealan van Heerden, Raynard van Tonder.

Northerns Titans:Theunis de Bruyn, Quinton de Kock, Dayyaan Galiem, Heinrich Klaasen, Sibonelo Makhanya, Donovan Ferreira, Aya Gqamane, Dewald Brevis, Aaron Phangiso, Lizaad Williams, Tabraiz Shamsi, Junior Dala, Grant Mokoena, Corbin Bosch, Gihahn Cloete.

North-West Dragons: Nicky van den Bergh, Lesego Senokwane, Wesley Marshall, Dwaine Pretorius, Senuran Muthusamy, Heino Kuhn, Delano Potgieter, Nono Pongolo, Duan Jansen, Johannes Diseko, Chad Classen, Lwandiswa Zuma, Eldred Hawken, Taheer Isaacs, Caleb Seleka, Ndumiso Mvelase.

Western Province Blitz:Jonathan Bird, Junaid Dawood, Tony de Zorzi, Beuran Hendricks, Gavin Kaplan, George Linde, Richard Levi, Aviwe Mgijima, Tshepo Moreki, Mihlali Mpongwana, Wayne Parnell, Kyle Simmonds, Daniel Smith, Yaseen Vallie, Dane Vilas, Basheer Walters.

Normally before the great North/South derby between the teams based at Loftus Versfeld and Cape Town, Bulls coach Jake White has enjoyed making a few mischievous digs at the opposition, like the harlequin in early pantomime, but on Friday he was refusing to take the bait and very much focused on his own team ahead of their United Rugby Championship match against the Stormers in Pretoria on Saturday.

As White correctly pointed out, the Bulls, while so dominant in domestic rugby, have fared the worst of the South African franchises so far in the URC and are second from bottom. The Stormers are two points and two places above them in 13^th.

“This is a chance for us to get off the bottom of the table,” White said on Friday. “It’s our second North/South derby this week, but our first home game in the URC. I don’t think many teams have played five away games.

“We have some momentum from the two Currie Cup wins, but it’s not just about preparing for Saturday, we’re building for three years’ time. We are still a work in progress, we are still looking to fill certain positions.

“It’s about playing teams like Leinster and Munster; we’re not a long way off but we are off. We have to find some depth and the right player profiles.

“And we’re looking forward to playing a couple of home games now. It looks as if Europe is getting back to normality and the competition will become more balanced. Hopefully by mid-tournament we’ll be more in it in terms of the table,” White said.

Because White has been willing to field many of his URC players in the first two rounds of the Currie Cup, his whole squad for Saturday have had game-time and he is hoping they start well against a Stormers side that has been inactive since being hammered by the Lions 37-19 in Cape Town in early December.

It also means the likes of flyhalf Chris Smith, hooker Johan Grobbelaar, props Gerhard Steenekamp and Mornay Smith and 19-year-old debutant flank Reinhardt Ludwig all have experienced and in-form cover on the bench.

“We have a bit of experience that can come off the bench,” White acknowledged. “We’re trying to balance the whole team and the players coming off the bench will help someone like Reinhardt.

“Playing at 5pm in 30° and at altitude and all our players have played recently – hopefully that will give us a head-start. But the Stormers are just ahead of us on the table and they will back themselves.

“Obviously they’ll be disappointed with the Lions game. If you look at their backline, there are a lot of Sevens players, so they won’t be scared to play. They’ll want space and time though … ” White said.

Bulls team: David Kriel, Madosh Tambwe, Lionel Mapoe, Cornal Hendricks, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Chris Smith, Embrose Papier; Elrigh Louw, Reinhardt Ludwig, Arno Botha, Ruan Nortje, Walt Steenkamp, Mornay Smith, Johan Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp. Impact – Bismarck du Plessis, Lizo Gqoboka, Jacques van Rooyen, Janko Swanepoel, Marcell Coetzee, Zak Burger, Morné Steyn, Harold Vorster.

For Duanne Olivier, Monday’s first day of the second Test against India felt like “a new debut” and he gave credit to his fellow pacemen for their efforts in helping to turn a slow start into ultimately a successful opening day for the Proteas as they bowled the tourists out for just 202.

Olivier missed the first Test as he built himself back to peak conditioning following a bout of Covid, but on Monday he was back sharing the new ball with Kagiso Rabada, playing Test cricket for the first time since February 2019, when he took a Kolpak contract in England.

But things did not go well in the first hour for either Olivier, whose first four erratic overs went for 18 runs, or South Africa, as India reached 36/0.

But the drinks break helped the Proteas focus their effort and thereafter they squeezed India and claimed 10 wickets in 49 overs. Olivier and Rabada took three wickets each and young Marco Jansen claimed the other four; Lungi Ngidi bowled as well as any of them but ended with 0/26 in 11 overs.

“It felt like a new debut for me and I was very nervous,” Olivier admitted. “But we just wanted to try and have good energies and put pressure on the batsmen. Lungi and Marco did a superb job to create that pressure.

“And then the whole unit did it. It was a good day for the bowling unit as a whole. We would have taken 202 all out any day. The message from the coach was to stick to the basics and our processes and then reap the rewards.

“Lungi bowled exceptionally well but did not get the rewards, it was just one of those days for him. I am still trying to bowl fuller at good pace, but a couple of balls were too floaty. I will try to do better in the second innings,” Olivier said.

The Proteas batsmen then reached 35/1 at stumps and Olivier is optimistic they can cash in on the second day.

“If we want to be hyper-critical then we probably gave India 20-30 too many runs. The pitch is a bit different to how it is in domestic cricket, there’s not as much grass. It is harder and it will speed up.

“It was very hot today and it will start deteriorating in the second innings and then it might spin. We are 1-0 down, that is the reality, and of course we want to win the series.

“But as a team we can’t look too far ahead, otherwise our focus is not where it needs to be and you can get distracted. Tomorrow is a new day and we will break our processes down into smaller bits,” Olivier said.