Ken Borland

I don’t know whether Proteas captain Dean Elgar was boarding or not when he went to St Dominic’s College in Welkom in the early 2000s, but much of his language in the week building up to the second Test against Bangladesh was straight out of the manual of boarding school lingo.

To my horror as I wishfully think of myself as still being young, Elgar was born in 1987, the same year that I matriculated from boarding school.

But to hear phrases like “harden up”, “man up” and “dry your eyes” certainly took me back to my education, both at school and university.

Now I know Elgar’s statement that Test cricket is a man’s game has raised some eyebrows for bordering on sexism, but, as ever, it is important to consider the context and intent of such a declaration. What is far more sexist to me is that the world’s best women cricketers hardly ever play any Test cricket at all these days, which is why such a legend as Mignon du Preez retired this week having played just one Test in her 15-year career.

I also believe Bangladesh have deserved such criticism.

They won the toss at Kingsmead in the first Test, but were too scared to give their batsmen first use of the facilities. This was basically admitted by coach Russell Domingo – who it later emerged had urged them to bat first – when he used words like “uncertainty”, “lack of confidence”,  and “not able to front up” to explain the decision at the toss.

While the inconsistency of the Proteas team suggests they could do with the services of a sports psychologist on the staff, Bangladesh, it seems, should hire a mental toughness coach.

They matched South Africa blow-for-blow for most of the Test match, following on the steel and intent they showed in the ODI series, only to then fold completely in the last two sessions.

I would suggest their problems started when they began to blame the umpires, and judging by the reports coming out of Bangladesh media, some of the team went so far as to accuse Marais Erasmus and Adrian Holdstock of being biased in favour of the Proteas.

Covid has forced the ICC into dispensing with neutral umpires – although it probably is time to reinstate them – and for an umpire of Erasmus’s quality (he is also the reigning ICC Umpire of the Year award-winner), he did not have the best of matches. Holdstock, who has proven he is a quality umpire as well, also made a few mistakes.

But to accuse them of bias was ridiculous, particularly since of the eight decisions overturned on review, four of them were against South Africa.

The Proteas certainly don’t have a reputation for being silent on the field, and we’ve got a real chatterbox in Sarel Erwee, although his talk is more a stream-of-consciousness jumble designed to distract rather than a concerted plan to annoy.

But for Bangladesh to allege that South Africa’s sledging was “unbearable” or “deplorable” does not fit with the reality of what was seen at Kingsmead, either at the ground or for those watching and listening on TV.

The only memorable flashpoint of the Test was when Ebadot Hossain had a go at Elgar, and even that was within the bounds of normal fast bowler grumpiness.

Without detracting from the way Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer weaved their magic in the second innings, it was clear Bangladesh had lost focus and had become distracted by their perceived grievances at the umpires and opposition.

There is a reason teams talk about focusing on the controllables (like your own performance) and not the uncontrollable (what other people are doing or the conditions). Bangladesh’s focus was on matters they could not control and it led to a batting display that rapidly spiralled into ignominy.

There is another phrase from my boarding school days that could be used to describe the tourists in the first Test – sore losers.

The worst fears that the Griffons have dropped out of Absa Currie Cup First Division contention were confirmed in Welkom on Friday as they lost 36-39 to an after-the-hooter penalty by Juan Kotze of the Valke.

The Griffons, who won their first four matches to set the early pace in the competition, squandered a strong first-half showing and a 22-5 lead to lose their fourth successive game and leave themselves in danger of slipping out of the top four if the SWD Eagles beat the Border Bulldogs on Friday night.

The Valke’s victory was only sealed in the 82nd minute when replacement flyhalf Juan Kotze slotted a 38-metre penalty after Griffons flank Martin Sithole had been caught playing the ball in a ruck while on his knees. This had followed his knock-on which had given the visitors a scrum as normal time finished. This was a horrible ending for the hard-working Sithole, who had enjoyed a fine match before that.

The Valke made the first strike in the game when prop Nicky Engelbrecht went over in the third minute, but this was a false dawn for the Eastern Gautengers as the Griffons scored four tries in reply in the next half-hour.

Engelbrecht’s opposite number, Rudi Britz, was the first to have his say when he rumbled through some lacklustre defending to score, fullback Hansie Graaff having provided a lovely inside-ball to the front-rower.

Graaff was once again pulling the strings just two minutes later when another silky inside pass sent Sithole bursting through and the flank did well to find talismanic Griffons eighthman Nicky Steyn, who dotted down.

The men from the Goldfields were playing like millionaires and, midway through the first half, Steyn, Welkom’s own version of Samson, stormed through the midfield to score his second try.

Graaff was back in the limelight again with seven minutes to go before half-time as he dummied and then dabbed a lovely ball through for wing Reinhardt Erwee to claim and score the Griffons’ fourth try and first bonus point.

But from then on it was an uphill struggle for the Griffons. They produced plenty of flashy rugby, but too many passes slipped from their fingers and the Valke, who had looked like fish out of water in the northern Free State, capitalised on the mistakes.

Centre Thabang Molefe dropped a pass in the shadow of his own poles and, from the resulting scrum, replacement halfback Anrich Richter squirmed and slivered his way over the tryline.

But the home side were still calling the tune at half-time with a 22-10 lead.

But a top-class second half saw the Valke draw level, take the lead, lose the lead and then win the game at the death.

A dropped pass on attack by the Griffons allowed a counter-attack, centre Willie Odendaal racing away and finding fullback JW Bell, who threw a dummy out wide before winning a race to the line with opposite number Graaff.

Busy replacement wing Jaco Oosthuizen then rushed up to force a lineout from his pinpoint up-and-under and, even though the Valke lost their own throw, a sleepy scrumhalf meant they were able to regain possession. A series of big forward drives then took the Valke to under the poles, where they earned a penalty. Bell wasted no time in tapping and dashing over the line past some dazed defenders.

Flyhalf Karlo Aspeling kicked the easy conversion and the Valke were back level at 22-22.

The situation only became worse for the Griffons as Erwee was yellow-carded for holding a man back off the ball as the Valke roared back across the home side’s 22. The penalty was kicked to touch, the lineout won and, after some strong driving play, Richter sniped across the line for his second try.

The scores were level again, though, with 18 minutes remaining when the Griffons second row combined for a fine try – Joubert Horn broke straight through to put the Northern Free Staters on attack, Chris Ehlers muscling over for the try.

The Griffons reclaimed the lead in the 66th minute when Philip Burger, the former Cheetahs and SA Sevens speedster, burst through a gap and sent a lovely long pass out to Sithole, who bumped off a tackler before feeding replacement scrumhalf Oshwill Nortje, who sped away on the angle for the corner and the try.

Graaff’s angled conversion made the score 36-29, but the Valke used their powerful ball-carriers to bash their way back into the Griffons 22. They earned the penalty and Bell once again tapped and dashed to embarrass defenders who were admiring the countryside rather than guarding their tryline.

Kotze’s conversion tied the game up and then came the disappointing final minute for the Griffons, who are rapidly heading down the log after their wonderful start to the campaign.

The Griffons are facing a long, hard struggle if they are to reach the semi-finals now.

SCORERS

GRIFFONS – Tries: Rudi Britz, Nicky Steyn (2), Reinhardt Erwee, Chris Ehlers, Oshwill Nortje. Conversions: Tiaan van Wyk, Hansie Graaff (2).

VALKE – Tries: Nicky Engelbrecht, Anrich Richter (2), JW Bell (3). Conversions: Karlo Aspeling (2), Juan Kotze. Penalty: Kotze.

http://www.supersport.com/rugby/currie-cup-first-division/news/120817/Late_Kotze_penalty_gives_Valke_win

The Griffons were overpowered up front and had little hope against a Ford Pumas side that hammered them 43-12 (half-time 22-5) in their Vodacom Cup match in Welkom on Friday.

With their scrum being shoved backwards and their lineout not functioning, the Griffons were playing on a wing and a prayer, and, with such tremendous first-phase ball, the Pumas were able to breach their defences with ease, running in six tries.

Flank Jaco Bouwer scored two tries and revelled in the wonderful platform laid by his tight five, while flyhalf JC Roos collected 13 points via five conversions and a penalty.

That penalty came in the sixth minute and opened the scoring in the North Section encounter. But a storm then approached the North-West Stadium and referee Archie Sehlako took the players off the field due to lightning danger and play was interrupted for 20 minutes.

Upon their return, it took a while for the Pumas to regain their momentum, but the educated boot of fullback Coenie van Wyk set up the first try in the 25th minute. Van Wyk’s chip was perfectly placed for wing Wilhelm Loock, who returned the favour by passing back to Van Wyk to score with the tryline in front of them.

Roos converted and the Pumas led 10-0.

The one aspect of the Griffons’ play that the Pumas never really learnt to handle were the bullocking runs of stocky centre Japie Nel in midfield and, as he kept the visitors’ defence busy trying to bring him down, eighthman Nicky Steyn was on his shoulder to take the try-scoring pass (10-5).

But the Pumas were quickly back in Griffons’ territory and wing Deon Scholtz dashed over for a try as the home side’s defence napped after a penalty was awarded against them.

As half-time approached, the Pumas pack kept driving forward and the inspirational Bouwer was the one to dot down, with Roos converting. Thunder could still be heard in the distance, but the Griffons’ players’ ears were full of the ominous sound of an approaching hiding as the visitors went into the break 22-5 up.

Referee Sehlako had to order uncontested scrums shortly after half-time as the Griffons had no more props left, which gave the home side some respite. But Sehlako was still firm in policing the outmatched hosts, yellow carding replacement scrumhalf Tertius Carse and, towards the end of the match, red-carding fullback Tertius Maarman, who had moved to halfback, for stamping.

The second half sprung to life in the last 10 minutes, with Bouwer scoring his second try on the back of the Pumas’ forward dominance, with Roos kicking the extra two points (29-5).

The Pumas did pay the penalty for again not stopping Nel in the danger area as another blazing run by the powerhouse centre set up Steyn for his second try, but the final say would be the Pumas’ as Loock, who showed great passion and pace, and captain and centre JW Jonker crossed for tries.

The other Pumas player to shine was scrumhalf Shaun Venter, who maintained a cracking pace in terms of his distribution and linking play between forwards and backs.

With the odds so heavily stacked against him, Steyn led the Griffons pack with aplomb, performing miraculous deeds from the back of the scrum as he parted the Pumas defence on a number of occasions.

GRIFFONS– Tries: Nicky Steyn (2). Conversion: Reinhardt Erwee.

FORD PUMAS – Tries: Coenie van Wyk, Deon Scholtz, Jaco Bouwer (2), Wilhelm Loock, JW Jonker. Conversions: JC Roos (5). Penalty: Roos.

http://www.supersport.com/rugby/vodacom-cup/news/120323/Pumas_hammer_Griffons