Lucky Sithole
One of the things that makes sport great is the wow! moments when you realise something special is about to happen.
For instance, those who are old enough will remember the moment when, in the opening match of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, Pieter Hendriks ran around David Campese to score the first try for the Springboks. That was a “Wow! What’s this?!” moment.
In the first test of the Springboks against the B&I Lions in Cape Town on Saturday, early in the second half, there was a more sombre “What’s this?” moment. That’s when the Springbok front row of Kitshoff, Marx and Malherbe, the mighty winners of the 2019 World Cup, collapsed under the assault of the Lions forwards.
Later there was a dreadful moment when Malcolm Marx stood away from the loose scrum, looking like a rabbit in a shooting lamp, bewildered, wondering what the hell he was going to do next.
It was also a “What’s this?!” moment when Kwagga Smith, who had played his heart out, was now so tired that he fumbled a loose ball lying on the ground to concede a scrum.
That’s when it was clear that the Lions had fronted up and the Springboks had faded. The Covid issues, the lack of match practice, the non-existent cohesion, manifested in the look in Malcolm Marx’s eyes. “I’m hanging by a thread, ma,” he could have said.
The match is over and the score is in the record books. The Lions have won the first of the three tests.
The question is, how will the Springboks respond? Because they will. How will Jacques Nienaber and Rassie Erasmus pick up their team? And what difference will having a proper week to work together make?
This Saturday is going to be big!
