Sport

Soweto full house for vital Springbok test

Brad Morgan

30 July 2010

The Springboks are set to make history in Soweto on 21 August, when they take on the All Blacks in front of the largest crowd in South African rugby since 1955. Despite a poor start to their Tri-Nations campaign, a full house of 88 791 is set to watch the two arch-rivals do battle.

It will be the first rugby test match to be played in Soweto, and the crowd will be smaller only than the estimated 95 000 people that watched the Springboks take on the British Lions 55 years ago.

There are three major reasons for the sell-out in Soweto: the ground-breaking Super 14 semi-finals and final played by the Bulls at the Orlando Stadium, the successful hosting of Fifa World Cup matches at Soccer City, and the long-time success of the world champion Springboks.

The Bulls' decision to take their Super 14 playoff matches to Soweto was well rewarded, with their traditional fan-base linking up with a legion of new fans from the world famous township. Together they produced an enthusiastic, unique atmosphere and the idea was born that maybe playing a test in Soweto would be a viable prospect, and certainly one that could advance the game of rugby.

Obstacles

There were some obstacles to overcome, however. The Golden Lions Rugby Union (GLRU), as the host of the test, had to agree to a change of venue from Coca-Cola Park to Soccer City. To do that, they had to consult their sponsors, suite and season ticket holders, and the rugby clubs of the Golden Lions Rugby Union. The result was a big thumbs-up.

"The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive and, as much as we love Coca-Cola Park, there was widespread agreement that we must take such a significant rugby match to one of the best stadiums, not just in South Africa but in the world," said GLRU President Kevin de Klerk.

Thanks to a ticketing model similar to the one that Fifa had employed successfully during the World Cup, the tickets were rapidly snapped up.

Andre Homan, the Commercial Manager of the GLRU, explained: "Within just two days, the first phase of 45 000 tickets sold out. The next phase of 5 000 tickets that went on sale at Computicket outlets in Soweto on Monday, were completely sold out in a few hours.

'Exceeded our wildest expectations'

"The success of these sales has far exceeded our wildest expectations, but we are thrilled that what initially seemed like a risk has turned into an astronomical success."

It's a triumph for rugby, but it will be very important for the Springboks to deliver a good performance in front of an audience that could significantly boost the popularity of rugby in South Africa.

There is also the not insignificant matter that it will be Bok captain John Smit's 100th test match and it comes at a time when he and his team have come under severe criticism for their poor performances in the Tri-Nations thus far.

From the highs of 2009 when South Africa won the Tri-Nations, with five wins from six matches, including three out of three over New Zealand, and also beat the British and Irish Lions, they have fallen a long way and now there is talk that some of the team's long serving stalwarts won't, or don't deserve to, make it to the Rugby World Cup in 2011 in New Zealand. That includes skipper Smit.

Home soil

The Springboks on home soil are usually a tough nut to crack, but three losses without scoring a point in the standings underlines the scale of improvement needed for the Boks to win in Soweto. They lost 12-32 to the All Blacks in Auckland, followed that up with a 17-31 defeat to New Zealand in Wellington, and then fell 13-30 to the Wallabies in Brisbane.

Certainly the Boks have not done themselves any favours by having players sent off early in each of their three losses. Bakkies Botha is serving a nine-week suspension because of a silly head-butt on All Black scrumhalf Jimmy Cowan and Jaque Fourie is out for four weeks for a spear tackle.

Adding to the frustration for South Africa has been the questionable punishment handed to the Springboks, both on and off the field, when compared to that handed to the All Blacks and Wallabies. And, thanks to Botha's head-butt - which was no doubt partially a result of frustration Cowan holding him back off the ball, an offence that went unpunished by the referee – the Boks are again being viewed as dirty bullies, a tag they had managed to shed some time ago.

Many supporters believe there is some kind of conspiracy against South Africa when it comes to suspensions and given the differences in bans that have been handed out over recent seasons one could argue that there is valid reason to believe something is wrong with the citing system.

Winning solves everything

The bottom line, though, is that winning solves everything. The Springboks simply have to avoid putting themselves in positions in which they can be punished. They have to perform basic skills better, and they have to improve their defence, which has traditionally been a strength of South African teams.

And with the Boks now on a three-match losing streak, one can also question the wisdom of not considering young players like Francois Steyn for selection. Sure, he is playing his rugby for Racing Metro in France at present, but one forgets too easily what a fine talent Steyn is.

When Jean de Villiers was injured right at the beginning of the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Steyn stepped in impressively at inside centre. Last year, in South Africa's Tri-Nations clinching 32-29 victory in Hamilton he landed three long-range penalties that, arguably, no one else in world rugby would have been capable of landing. It was the difference between victory and defeat.

Apart from the absence of a player with the quality of Steyn, a reason for optimism is the list of players missing through injury, which is always a factor at the top level.

Absentees

Included among the absentees are Fourie du Preez, South Africa's Player of the Year in 2009 and the man regarded by many as the best scrumhalf in the world. Also out of action is Heinrich Brussouw, who made such a huge impact in 2009. The Springboks have struggled to turn over ball during this year's Tri-Nations competition and the presence of someone like Brussouw would surely make a huge difference to their ability to do just that.

So, it's not all doom and gloom for the Springboks, but a victory in Soweto over the All Blacks is important for many more reasons than would normally be the case. And Springbok supporters need to for one moment cast their doubts about John Smit's form aside and consider just how much he deserves a win in his 100th test match.

Titles under John Smit

Smit has twice led South Africa to victory in the Tri-Nations and captained them to World Cup glory in 2007. He is the most capped captain in test rugby history.

The men who play under Smit have lauded his value as a leader, which he has proved time and time again, and thus it would be fitting to honour him with a win over the Springboks' toughest traditional rival in a setting that celebrates South Africa as a rainbow nation.