Op Nuweland (i.e. In Newlands Stadium) for Capetonian Rugby lovers has a special connotation understood only with a beer, friends, family, braai and biltong on match days. This match day Cape Town can boast a Currie Cup Final, and a deserved one I might add, for the first time in 12 years. It will also be the 12th time since 1939 that this illustriuos stadium hosts the Currie Cup Final, with only Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria hosting more (17). It has also been dominated by these two teams for the last 4 years with Western Province(WP) taking part in three of the last four finals. The Sharks can boast being in their fourth Currie Cup Final in as many years, each winning the title just once in that time. A stat each side will want to change as it's one thing to take part in a show piece and quite another to win one. WP are in the uneviable position of being tagged favourites come Saturday not just for them being the defending champions and them being at thier home patch but because t...

March 18, 2011 If I should have a daughter… “Instead of “Mom”, she’s gonna call me “Point B.” Because that way, she knows that no matter what happens, at least she can always find her way to me. And I’m going to paint the solar system on the back of her hands so that she has to learn the entire universe before she can say “Oh, I know that like the back of my hand.” She’s gonna learn that this life will hit you, hard, in the face, wait for you to get back up so it can kick you in the stomach. But getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air. There is hurt, here, that cannot be fixed by band-aids or poetry, so the first time she realizes that Wonder-woman isn’t coming, I’ll make sure she knows she doesn’t have to wear the cape all by herself. Because no matter how wide you stretch your fingers, your hands will always be too small to catch all the pain you want to heal. Believe me, I’ve tried. And “Baby,” I’ll tell her ...

By coming to Ellis Park and beating the Springboks 38-27 in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship on Saturday night, the All Blacks made an emphatic statement and confirmed they remain the world’s best team by some distance. Richie McCaw’s team scored five tries to four to win with something to spare, though it was nip and tuck for much of the way as the Boks repeatedly raised their supporters’ hopes only to reduce them in the next instant with mistakes and soft moments that ultimately cost them any chance of winning. The All Blacks effectively met the objective of winning the Championship when Beauden Barrett went through a host of ineffectual tackles, a major problem for the Boks on the night, for the fourth try that secured the bonus point they needed to make sure of the title. But they will have been pleased to put the seal on their superiority over their opponents by going on from there to win the game. New Zealand have always enjoyed a loose game more than South Africa has, a...

The world of rugby will be taking cumulative deep breath after the thriller in Johannesburg on Saturday but while the action was a perfect advertisement for the game, the result will send shudders around those hoping to de-throne the All Blacks. New Zealand's superiority showed yet again despite the best efforts of South Africa in the decisive game in the Rugby Championship. The 38-27 win not only handed the All Blacks yet another piece of silverware but also emphasised their position as the sport's undisputed masters. It is a status that is difficult to see anyone challenging for some time to come, meaning an air of predictability could overshadow the build-up to the Rugby World Cup in England which is just two years away. South Africa are widely regarded as the closest challengers to All Black hegemony and had high expectations at their spiritual home, if not snatching away the tournament laurels then at least winning the game. To take the Rugby Championship they ...