Ken Borland

GQEBERHA, Eastern Cape – Tristen Strydom, the 24-year-old from Pretoria Country Club, has been able to supplement his undoubted talent with confidence from a fine season and astute course-management, and the benefits showed as he claimed the lead after the first round of the Vodacom Origins of Golf Series event at Humewood Golf Club on Thursday.

In incredibly tough conditions of strong wind and then rain, Strydom fired a superb four-under-par 68 to lead by one stroke from Richard Joubert.

The weather had already turned foul in Gqeberha on the eve of the tournament, so the golfers were expecting the worst when they teed it up at the famous old links course, that was especially wind-blown on Thursday.

Strydom and Joubert were together in the first group off and Strydom did not make a good start, missing a short putt for bogey on the first. But, remarkably, it was to be his only dropped shot on the day as he showed great composure to refuse to get flustered.

“We knew on Wednesday already that it was going to be pretty bad weather, so I was mentally prepared and just tried to enjoy it as much as possible, just do the best you can. Normally when you’re first out there is less wind, but today it was pumping from the early hours. It was a three or four club wind the whole day, I was hitting eight-irons 110 metres.

“I actually hit two great shots on the first, chipped but then two-putted because I missed a really short putt. But in conditions like this you can’t get upset by a bogey on the first hole otherwise you’re just going to make it a much longer day, which doesn’t help,” Strydom said.

The in-form Strydom, 10^th on the Order of Merit, turned in one-under with birdies on the par-four fourth and par-five seventh hole, before finding another gear on the back nine as he collected three birdies, which he says were products of his good course-management.

“Richard Joubert was playing really nicely as well so we pushed each other. It was a really solid round, a good day at the office. I didn’t really hit anything wayward, I made sure I was in good positions and missed on the right sides. All-in-all it was a well-managed round. And luckily I got out dry because it only started raining on my last hole!” Strydom said.

Joubert, coming off three successive missed cuts, was one over through nine holes, but finished in scintillating fashion with three birdies and an eagle, on the 17^th, in his last six holes.

Botswana’s Stuart Smith celebrated his country’s Independence Day by shooting a two-under 70 that gave him third place on his own, while James Kamte and Jake Redman were the only other golfers under-par after positing 71s.

For a second week in a row, the Springboks produced a messy, error-strewn performance as Australia showed top-class finishing to beat them 30-17 in their Rugby Championship Test in Brisbane on Saturday.

A clinical Wallabies side did not need to create a whole lot as they were gifted a bonus point through a slew of basics mistakes by the Springboks, who showed a dismal lack of nous and accuracy at the breakdown. A ruthless Australian backline capitalised on ample turnover ball with centre Len Ikitau and wing Marika Koroibete both scoring twice.

They were helped by a dreadfully scrappy defensive effort by the visitors, with a third of their tackles missed.

South Africa made a terrible start to the game as scrumhalf Faf de Klerk was yellow-carded for a stupid act of ill-discipline, playing his opposite number at a ruck on his 22-metre line. Ikitau burst through two soft tackles to score the opening try after the penalty was kicked to touch, but more importantly, Australia had been gifted momentum and a firm grip on the match from early in the piece.

Ikitau scored again just before De Klerk returned, hooker Folau Fainga’a’s strong charge giving them front-foot ball and a killer inside pass from fullback Tom Banks to Koroibete providing the centre with the space needed for the try.

The Springboks were already chasing the game after a torrid first quarter, trailing 3-12. They managed to keep a finger-hold on the game though as flyhalf Handre Pollard nailed all his shots at goal for a 12-15 deficit at halftime.

Forty minutes can be a long time in rugby and De Klerk began the second half by making up for his blunder in the first half, injecting immediate energy with a blindside break and then putting a lovely grubber through for centre Lukhanyo Am to score.

South Africa had snatched a 17-15 lead and there was renewed hope.

But Springbok fans have spent a lifetime waiting for their team to really dominate the Wallabies on their home turf, and it was the home side who thoroughly dominated the rest of the match.

The lead lasted just eight minutes as the Wallabies won territory thanks to a good kick by scrumhalf Nic White and then Quade Cooper slotted a penalty for offsides (18-17).

The basic skills of passing and handling seemingly deserted the Springboks after the hour mark, a series of errors culminating in replacement scrumhalf Tate McDermott sniping from a scrum, Australia then went blind and a sublime offload by tighthead prop Taniela Tupou put Koroibete away for the try.

With 12 minutes remaining, another Brisbane battering was sealed as more woeful breakdown work by the Springboks gifted a turnover, replacement flank Pete Samu burst clear and set up an easy run-in for Koroibete’s second try.

The Springboks spent the last 10 minutes battering away in Wallabies territory but had nothing to show for it as they regularly turned possession over. It is hard to remember when last South Africa were so poor at usual strengths like the breakdowns and defence.

Scorers

Australia: Tries – Len Ikitau (2), Marika Koroibete (2). Conversions – Quade Cooper (2). Penalties – Cooper (2);.

South Africa: Try – Lukhanyo Am. Penalties – Handre Pollard (4).

Bulls coach Jake White praised his team for producing almost the perfect game in their record Currie Cup final win over the Sharks on Saturday night: forwards and backs were in unison, the attack was clinical and the defence showed no weakness. And he believes their performance has given them huge confidence and cohesion as they head to Europe.

The Bulls battered the Sharks 44-10 at Loftus Versfeld, the biggest winning margin ever in a Currie Cup final, and the scoreline did not flatter them, so complete was their performance.

“Our captain, Marcell Coetzee, was saying that everything felt so composed and in synch, the backs and forwards just working slickly together. That was very close to the perfect game based on getting chances and making sure we take them, no soft moments in defence and we did not give away many penalties. That’s how you play rugby and it’s going to create massive confidence and cohesion going forward.

“When we play like we did tonight then I’m sure everyone at this incredibly proud union is very happy. To get that composure from what is a young side is very pleasing and it felt like we were in control the whole time. I’m also very happy that in the last two weeks there has been a definite progression in our game; that’s what you want to see – that at the back end of the competition you get better,” White said after the Bulls defended their title in emphatic fashion.

The value of aggressive defence was once again clearly shown as the Sharks dominated possession and territory in the first half, but foundered on the rock of the eager Bulls tackling. The Sharks trailed 19-3 at halftime and the result of the final was all but settled.

“That first set of defence, against attack after attack, and then after 12 phases we get the turnover and the penalty, kick it downfield and then score a try from first phase – it does not get better than that, taking your first chance in a final. Big moments are crucial in finals, but they don’t just happen on attack, but in defence too.

“The Sharks wanted to have a go at us, but we could counter that because we were able to defend and keep our shape, and not allow them to get around us. Altitude catches you and then when they were dead on their feet, we were able to pounce. But it was our defence that gave us the ability to counter-punch. I’m very proud for us to have won back-to-back Currie Cups now,” White said.

Bulls coach Jake White was pleased that his pack stuck with the same physicality they showed in the upset win over SA A when they laid the platform for an impressive 40-21 win over the Lions in their weekend Currie Cup game at Loftus Versfeld.

“We learnt a lot in the match against SA A, those are guys who are on top of their game and a lot of them play in the Northern Hemisphere. It was nice to replicate that physicality, especially by the forwards. It was a good outing because we have struggled against the Lions recently. And there was one block of defence at the back end of the first half, the way we defended then was outstanding.

“I was really pleased with the way the forwards fronted up front, even though I think it was the first ever maul try we have conceded. If they keep doing well as a group than I’m sure a guy like Johan Grobbelaar, who has ambitions of playing international rugby, will be noticed. We’ve been working hard on him and I’m sure we will keep him,” White said.

Hooker Grobbelaar had an outstanding game, gobbling up turnovers, linking with the backs and defending stoutly. He and eighthman Elrigh Louw were the pick of the outstanding Bulls pack.

“Elrigh Louw showed those little touches that add so much more to our game, like that little run around the corner from a scrum in our 22. He’s such an athlete, he’s a great carrier and rugby player. And that was his first game since he had the same ankle injury as Duane Vermeulen, which only bodes well,” White said.

Speaking of Vermeulen, he made a surprise appearance on the field as the Bulls’ waterboy, joining the list of high-profile people doing the job after Rassie Erasmus’s cameos with the Springboks.

“Yeah, he was running quite nicely with the water bottles!” White laughed. “He’s helluva important for us and it’s fantastic that he likes being part of the game. His ankle is coming on and hopefully he will be back on the training field in a week or two,” White said.