Sporting Action - The Sun Is On Us Right Now

Records, Returns and South Africa's Mid-year Magic

By Koketso Mamabolo

For the past month it’s been difficult to keep up with all the winning South Africans are doing on the sporting front. Every time one checks the news cycle there’s another trophy being lifted, records being broken and limits being pushed. These feel like statements not just of athletic proficiency but of national identity. They are examples of what hard work can do, and South Africans are loving it. From the grounds of Lord’s in England to the vibrant community of Gqeberha, South Africa’s elite sportspeople have blended grit, technical skill and inspirational storytelling in a way that breathes poetry into competition. There’s a rhythm to it, and the beat keeps getting louder.

From Lords to Zimbabwe

It finally happened. The moment the Proteas Men side has been chasing for decades arrived in the crisp English summer: the ICC World Test Championship trophy. Under the grey skies of Lord’s, the Proteas outclassed the defending champions, Australia to break the 27-year drought and to become only the third country after the losing finalists and New Zealand to win a World Test Championship final.

It was big boy cricket: measured and matured. The kind of cricket only a team with scars and a steely mentality could pull off: Aiden Markarm’s 138 runs, Kagiso Rabada’s fast bowling clinic of nine wickets. After years of coming close, dropping at the final hurdles, the win felt like the greatest in the country’s cricketing history.

Captain Temba Bavuma’s contribution - which may not have been as headline grabbing as the way Markarm lifted the bat, or how Rabada sent stumps flying - came from how he held the centre, not just tactically but symbolically, fighting through an injury instead of retiring with what Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus calls a ‘warrior’ spirit.

In a team long searching for belief, and a country wanting to believe in the Proteas again, Bavuma has become belief embodied. Through the pressure, and the often misplaced criticism, he has remained calm and unshaken. His ten match unbeaten streak as test captain equals the almost 100-year old record held by England’s Percy Chapman.

“We’ve been knocking at that door, being relentless, getting ourselves into positions where we can be in the finals,” said the captain, following the monumental win. “We’ve gone through the heartache, we’ve gone through the disappointment, and seen it with past players who’ve come before us. The sun is on us at the moment and that responsibility, we’ve been carrying it and hopefully this is one of many.”

The post-isolation history of the Proteas is one of near-misses in the ODI and T20 international competitions and success in the test format that hasn’t translated to trophies. Memories of needing 21 runs off one ball cling to many fans, and the recent loss T20 world final loss by a few runs will cling to the next generation of fansthe ones who fell in love with the game after the time of legends like Jacques Kallis, Makhaya Ntini, Shaun Pollock, Dale Steyn and more.

Wiaan Mulder breaking Hashim Amla’s test run record with 367 not out against Zimbabwe and Lhuandre Pretorius, the teenage star of the SA20 competition, introducing himself to test cricket with a century on debut could be signs of a new golden era for South African cricket.

From Schoolboy Rugby Moves To Netball Court Victories

When you’re blessed with the depth of talent and the rich knowledge base Rassie Erasmus has, things start to get interesting. You get to give popular talents like Asenathi Ntlabakanye their first test of test match rugby in another testament to the belief in transformation.

You get to experiment with bringing a large centre on as a loose forward from the bench - a sleight of hand trick that signals the beginning of the ‘hybrid player’ era Eddie Jones spoke of like a prophet in his days as the England coach. Ben Earl is doing the same for Andy Farrell’s British & Irish Lions at the moment in their tour of Australia, albeit the other way around: loose forward to centre.

South Africa’s great Houdini, whose coaching innovation was first marked by a traffic lights communication system in the stands, has the wits and capable lieutenants to pull off stunts like the Paul Roos U14B team inspired play in the second test against Italy. Three wins to kick-off the year with a determined Georgia side to come on the 19th of July will give Rassie and his charges some momentum leading up to the Rugby Championship and fans can expect more tricks to come.

Australia, set to take on the British & Irish Lions in three test matches, will go into the competition battle hardened after facing the best that Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales have to offer. Argentina are coming off two losses to a watered down England side that’s missing its Lions representatives but they will take great confidence in having beaten the Lions in a herculean effort that may end up being the tourist’s only loss.

New Zealand, despite facing a French side which is controversially touring without over a dozen starters and a string of squad players, is always up for it.

There are signs that Springboks are using these four games to blood new talent and test the readiness of the veterans to pick a full-strength squad for the southern hemisphere’s premier competition. A few stalwarts looked rusty in the first match but the coaching staff will take heart in a promising debut from the Sharks’ Congolese-born blindside flanker and emergency lock Vincent Tshituka, who is a long way from the tireless work ethic of arguably the best player in the world, Pieter-Steph du Toit, but showed he’s made for test rugby and his brother Manu may follow in years to come.

Jasper Wiese’s brother Cobus, the Bulls lock/flank also joined the promising class of debutants which includes Sharks powerhouse outside back Ethan Hooker. Along with Lions tighthead prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye, the pair’s introduction to test rugby came on the occasion of the ever passionate Willie le Roux’s 100th appearance for the Springboks. The genius playmaker became the eighth player to reach the milestone, joining Percy Montgomery, Victor Matfield, Bryan Habana, John Smit, Tendai Mtwarira, Jean de Villiers, and the most capped Bok of all time, Eben Etzebeth.

Like the Proteas test captain Temba Bavuma, he hasn’t always been appreciated but has always been committed to the team and has always given his all and a deep look at his stats shows how influential he has been in creating tries. For the last 12 years he has been a key cog of the Springboks’ attack, and has marshalled the troops like the flyhalf that he was in his days at Boland with the late Cornal Hendricks.

Rassie and co will hope he still has a season or two under his belt to guide the next generation of Springboks.

The Proteas and Boks haven’t had the headlines all to themselves the past month. Gerda Steyn added to her staggering record with another Comrades Marathon win, Kgothatso Motjane won her fourth grand slam and Redhill School’s netball team became the first South African school to win the U17 World School Netball Cup.

What's On In July & August

Rugby

July & August International:

Springboks Men vs Georgia - 19 July

Australia vs British & Irish Lions - 22 July

First Nations & Pasifika XV vs British & Irish Lions - 22 July

Australia vs British & Irish Lions - 26 July

Australia vs British & Irish Lions - 2 August

Currie Cup

Airlink Pumas vs Suzuki Griquas - 25 July

Fidelity ADT Lions vs Hollywoodbets Sharks XV - 26 July

Boland Cavaliers vs Toyota Cheetahs XV - 27 July

Toyota Cheetahs vs Airlink Pumas - 1 August

Fidelity ADT Lions vs DHL Western Province - 2 August

Vodacom Bulls vs Hollywoodbets Sharks XV - 2 August

Suzuki Griquas vs Boland Cavaliers - 3 August

Suzuki Griquas vs DHL Western Province - 8 August

Vodacom Bulls vs Airlink Pumas - 9 August

Hollywoodbets Sharks XV vs Toyota Cheetahs XV - 9 August

Boland Cavaliers vs Fidelity ADT Lions XV - 10 August

Cricket

Zimbabwe T20 Tri-Nations

Proteas Men vs New Zealand - 16 July

Zimbabwe vs Proteas Men - 20 July

New Zealand vs Proteas Men - 22 July

Bangladesh U19 SA Tour

Proteas U19 Men vs Bangladesh - 17 July

Proteas U19 Men vs Bangladesh - 19 July

Proteas U19 Men vs Bangladesh - 22 July

Proteas Tour of Australia

Australia vs Proteas Men: 1st T20 - 10 August

Football

Women’s African Cup of Nations

Banyanya Banyana vs Senegal - 19 July

Motorsport

MotoGP

Czech Grand Prix - 20 July

Formula 1

Belgium Grand Prix - 22 July

Hungary Grand Prix - 3 August

Sources: ESPN | ICC Cricket | The Guardian | BBC | WTC | Ruggas