Ken Borland

South Africa’s two most iconic courses hosted their big events in December and winning scores of just five-under-par at Sun City and 13-under-par at Leopard Creek showed that they were excellent tests for the outstanding fields and the many international golfers included in them.

Johannes Veerman, an American who has campaigned mostly on the DP World Tour, prevailed in the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Gary Player Country Club with an inspired 69 on the gruelling final day.

There was no respite from the searing heat and tough layouts the following week in the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek, with Shaun Norris also coming through the field, overcoming a six-shot deficit with a 67.

At Sun City, the prestige field had to contend with temperatures that reached 46° as well as the usual treacherous, shifting winds and nefarious pin-placements in the nooks of the clover-shaped greens. The heat was turned up even further in Malelane as a startling temperature of 50° was recorded on the second day, with irregular winds adding to the torment.

Romain Langasque tied for second in the Nedbank Golf Challenge, finishing one stroke behind Veerman after rounds of 70-70-73-71, and the fact that he was pretty chuffed to shoot around par indicated just how tough the conditions were.

“To shoot 70 is actually a very good score. If you shoot under-par here, you have played very well. The course plays very tough mostly because of the wind, which is constantly going anywhere, blowing one way and then completely the other direction. If you are just off the fairway, then it is very difficult to hit the green. You have to stay very patient, take a decision and see where the ball goes.

“The greens get firmer and firmer and it seems to just get tougher and tougher. Sometimes you will land in a very bad place, but that happens to everybody. Your attitude is so important,” Langasque said.

But the Frenchman also spoke about how wonderful the whole Sun City experience was.

“I’ve had good results in South Africa. But it’s not just about the golf, it’s the people too. There’s good food and a good hotel, the hospitality is something I really enjoy. So it’s a good week here, the course is always so unbelievable, but tough,” Langasque said.

Fit-again American star Will Zalatoris was delighted to finally make his Nedbank Golf Challenge debut, having first accepted an invite for the 2022 event but then getting injured. The 28-year-old spoke glowingly about the history of the tournament and how special walking on to the ninth green was with the plaques honouring all the previous winners decorating the pathway.

“I stay up late at night at home and watch this tournament, I’ve been doing it for a decade. So it’s special to play here for the first time, I was really upset to miss out previously because of my back surgery, it’s a tournament I’ve had circled on the calendar for a while.

“It’s Africa’s Major and the 18^th hole is the real deal with an awesome vibe all week, and I think it’s the toughest hole on the course. And the history of the tournament is special, you see all the past champions on the ninth green – that hole is my favourite – and that’s a really strong list with a lot of Hall-of-Famers,” Zalatoris said.

‘Stick to the fairways’ was also the mantra at Leopard Creek, according to Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult, who had to settle for a tie for second after shooting 74 on the last day.

“I enjoy playing this golf course and look forward to the challenge. I like what I see, most holes suit my eye, but some are very tough as well. It’s quite similar to Sun City in that you have to be on top of your game. There’s nowhere to hide, which is what I like, but some Leopard Creek holes do give you more of a margin for error.

“But there’s no way to bail out, you have to take on every shot. The greens are also slopey and they can tuck the pins like at Gary Player Country Club. It was tough out there, the wind was gusty and the temperature is more than 40°.

“But it’s a great course, it’s my first time here and I am really impressed. It’s even more important here to drive well, you’ve got to hit the ball straight, in the fairways, and then you can attack some pins, you expect some to be tucked; be in good positions in order to attack or even just to hit to the fat side of the green,” Kinhult said.

But a few extra minutes spent at the 13^th green, overlooking the Crocodile River and the Kruger National Park, is enough to convince anyone that it will all be okay.

“It’s an amazing course, I’ve never played anywhere with a national park right on their doorstep. The 13^th green is something else with its hippos and crocs. We’re very lucky to get to play here.

“I’m a massive animals fan and there is wildlife everywhere in the park. We were able to see elephant, lion and leopard. We only get a pigeon and a crow at home!,” a delighted Alex Fitzpatrick said.

The next Springbok squad will be named in October for the end-of-year tour and here are four players who knocked the door down during the Rugby Championship and must be included in the group for the Tests against Ireland, France, Italy and England.

Jasper Wiese

The Leicester Tigers loose forward turns 27 in October and is clearly entering his prime, knocking over opponents on the gain-line and just being constantly busy in terms of work-rate. While it remains to be seen whether he will depose Duane Vermeulen at the World Cup next year, the great eighthman has some bouncing back to do after his injury problems, although he made an encouraging cameo off the bench at Kings Park this weekend. At the moment, Wiese is certainly bringing the fire though and is a real thorn in the opposition’s flesh.

Jaden Hendrikse

A series of polished displays means young Hendrikse surely now owns the No.9 jersey. Despite his tender 22 years, he has taken on the key tactical kicking role of the Springboks with aplomb, and has generally been slick and precise with his service, as well as offering some variety on attack. This Rugby Championship has proven he belongs in Test rugby.

Kwagga Smith

The former Springbok Sevens star made a series of crucial contributions at the breakdown through the tournament and, coming off the bench, he has been able to form a great partnership with whoever his other two loose forwards are, showing his experience and versatility. And it’s not just the flashy stuff Smith has been doing, he gets through a lot of ‘dirty work’ too. Most important has been the sheer energy he has brought from the bench, which is exactly what you want from your replacements.

Damian Willemse

The highly-talented 24-year-old will no doubt be in the Springbok squad, but will he be earmarked as a flyhalf, centre or fullback? Hopefully he will play flyhalf because the Springboks will need to sort out this key position post-haste. Handre Pollard will still be around, but has just battled to get the attack firing of late, while surely the time has now come to ditch Elton Jantjies, who is making more headlines off the field than on.

Willemse showed enough when he did play flyhalf in the Rugby Championship to suggest he has great potential there. He has an attacking mindset, is a steely defender and seems confident enough to be the team’s general. He will need to work on his kicking, but that should not be a problem for a player as skilful as he is.

Cricket South Africa’s decision to take action against Lizelle Lee had more to do with her dishonesty surrounding her fitness tests than her actual weight, CSA insiders have claimed.

Lee shocked the global game on July 8 when she suddenly announced her retirement from international cricket on the eve of the ODI series in England. Her joint statement with CSA, which also had input from the players’ association and her agent, said she felt she had “given everything I could to the Proteas” and “I feel that I am ready for the next phase in my career and will continue to play domestic T20 cricket around the world.”

It subsequently emerged that Lee had retired because CSA had withdrawn her from the tour of England and threatened to not give her a No Objection Certificate (NOC), which allows contracted players to ply their trade in overseas leagues. The 30-year-old claimed this was because she had failed a fitness test and, in a BBC podcast last week, she said the only aspect of the test she had failed was her weight.

But CSA insiders have told The Citizen that her misrepresentation of her weight was the major issue, and that the organisation was fed up with their continued struggles to get Lee fit.

The Citizen has seen correspondence between CSA and Lee which indicates that, before the tour to England, Lee was meant to go to Potchefstroom for fitness tests. She said, however, that she “wasn’t able” to go and Proteas strength and conditioning coach Zane Webster allowed her to do the testing in Ermelo, with the provision that she would then be retested in England.

Lee did the test with a biokineticist in Ermelo, but did not have her weight done because she said she had already measured it in the morning and passed on the number to Webster.

On July 5, between the two tour games before the ODI series, Proteas manager Sedibu Mohlaba sends Lee an urgent e-mail requesting clarity on what exactly happened with her Ermelo test.

Lee explains and says she was “afraid that it might … result in me not being selected. I know now that that was wrong and that I should have done it there.” 

On July 6, CSA’s Head of Cricket Pathways, Edward Khoza, emails Lee to tell her she has been immediately withdrawn from the tour for her “failure to meet the workload and fitness standards”, a contravention of her employment contract. He says they will not grant her an NOC until she has met and maintained the requirements.

“We tried corrective action, we were willing to bend over backwards for her,” a CSA insider said. “We were prepared to take her through a fitness programme like we did for Sisanda Magala and others.

“We then tried to protect her and not speak about these things, we did not want to demonise her in the statement she was part of. But now what she is saying is different to the statement which she, SACA and her agent were involved in.

“She was not honest with us, her fitness tests were fraudulently done. She is now trying to embarrass us and has gone rogue.”

Lee’s retirement has robbed the Proteas of one of their few truly world-class players, although she has been in poor form lately, not passing 40 in any of her nine innings for South Africa since September 2021.

Lee has also frustrated the team management with what has been described as her negative energy in the changeroom.

With the 2022 Rugby Championship now two weeks away, we take a look at the form of the four teams involved, with today’s focus on Australia.

What they did in July

Following an incredible win (30-28) in the opening Test of their series against England, with 14 men and key injury disruptions, Australia then lost the second (17-25) and third Tests (17-21) to allow the tourists to keep the Ella-Mobbs [formerly Cook] Cup they have had since 2012.

In the first Test, in Perth, Australia lost lock Darcy Swain to a red card in the 34^th minute and had already lost flyhalf Quade Cooper just before kickoff with a calf strain. Prop Allan Alaalatoa went off in the first half with concussion and fullback Tom Banks broke his arm. But a remarkable second half saw the Wallabies score three tries in the last 17 minutes to take control of the game, England scoring two consolation tries in and after the final minute.

Having beaten England for the first time since 2015, Australia went to Brisbane confident of wrapping up the series, but, beaten in the collisions and the territory battle, had to fight back from19-0 down to pile on the pressure at 17-22 against 14 men. But a key lineout miss saw England survive and then seal victory with a penalty.

The third Test again saw the Wallabies’ mount a rearguard action as they came back from 10-21 down in the final quarter, but still fell short.

What they did in the Champs in 2021

Coach Dave Rennie breathed new life into Australia’s challenge in the southern hemisphere competition as he steered them to second place and four successive wins in the tournament for the first time.

The Rugby Championship did not start well for the Wallabies, though, as they set a new low for most points conceded against the All Blacks, going down 57-22 at Eden Park to also allow their neighbours a 19^th-straight year of holding the Bledisloe Cup.

Another sparkling All Blacks display in Perth saw Australia lose 38-21, although the contest was closer with New Zealand scoring two intercept tries.

But with Quade Cooper restored at flyhalf and playing his first Test in four years, the Wallabies’ fortunes turned with successive wins against the Springboks.

Cooper snatched a 28-26 win on the Gold Coast with a long-range, angled penalty after the final hooter, and then backline stars Len Ikitau and Marika Koroibete both scored twice as Australia ran South Africa ragged in a 30-17 bonus point win in Brisbane.

A 27-8 victory over Argentina in Townsville and then a 32-17 triumph over the Pumas, wing Andrew Kellaway scoring a hat-trick, saw the Wallabies break new ground in the Rugby Championship.

Fixtures

August 6: Mendoza, v Argentina

August 13: San Juan, v Argentina

August 27: Adelaide, v South Africa

September 3: Sydney, v South Africa

September 15: Melbourne, v New Zealand

September 24: Auckland, v New Zealand