Sharks Currie Cup Champions 2008

It has taken the Sharks 12 long years but the wait was worth it. Currie Cup Champions 2008! We woke up to a grey and wet Durban. The thought of sitting in the rain and watching my beloved Sharks losing to the Blue Bulls did not sit well with me. In fact it made me feel ill.

At one stage I was running a fever with sharp shooting pains in my chest. Was this how it was going to finish a heart attack and the game had not even started. It has been a long time since I have seen Kingspark so full I recon if 500 people did not pitch up of the 52000 that was a lot.

Congratulations to the Baby Sharks for winning the U/19 Final against WP. The exacted revenge for the last encounter when they lost at Varsity to the men from Cape Town. The Sharkies ran out 31-18 champions. The Blue Bulls U/21’s beat a very spirited Cheetahs side 20-18.

Onto the main game. As a final goes it was a classic. It was never going to be pretty, but at times there was amazing ball skills no more so than when Frans Steyn went over for the second try.

The Sharks dominated ever aspect of the game. They were the strongest scrummages, the better jumpers and way quicker to the brake down points. The backline out ran and out muscled the Bulls back. The only thing that saved the Bulls from a bigger score was the great defence of the Bulls.

Ruan Pienaar out played De Preez and proved why he is the best scrum half in South Africa. His power leg drive for the try line that gave him only his fifth Currie Cup and most import try was a joy to watch. I thing my larynx broke and burnt up from the screams of joy coming from my mouth.

The overall performance was just wonderful. Victor Mattfield summed it up, “They were just to fast for us, we thought they would slow down in the last twenty and they got faster”. It was a big team effort and every player did there part and more to ensure that the millions of Shark fans will celebrate. Celebrate they did, and judging by the state of the Varsity 4th side on Sunday, I think some of them were still celebrating.

The interesting as always is our dearly beloved Springbok touring side. As every year there are surprises and gasps of “Dear lord, what were they thinking!” Earl Rose, where is Peter Grant, where is Morne Steyn. These are fly halves that played so well this season.

Why Ruan Pienaar at first five eight, he is the best half back in the country? John Smit at Tight Head. Play him at Lose Head, it is more suited to his game and let’s face it, if you have ever played in the front row, you will know you are not made into a Tight Head you are born it.

Oh yes where is Puke Watson? There are some very unlucky player not selected, Jean Deysel, Baywatch Grobler, Stephan Terblanche the best full back of the season in South Africa. Bottom line the rugby party has been selected and we can only do one thing, support our boys in Green and Gold, support our Springboks.

“Go Bokke”

Onto a little know secret also out of KZN. Who of you know about a 19 year old blond bombshell called Kathryn Meaklim. Well if you have not let me be the first to introduce you to her. She has just raked up five gold medals and the FINA World Cup of swimming in Sydney Australia. Seems like you can’t keep the Sharks out of the water.

Grant Hackett has decided to give up swimming at the age of 28 to take up a future in politics. He was one of the worlds leading long distance swimmer taking two gold’s in the 1500m and held many world records for the long distance events.

Ferrari have threatened to pull out for F1 should Max the Nazi Mosley go ahead and introduce one engine into the sport from 2010. It is time that these idiots get a grip with the times; it is not 1920 and start to understand the dynamics of the sport. If you can’t afford it don’t participate.

What would happen to SBK and Motor GP if the FIA said you can race your own maker’s power plant but only race in Honda powered bikes! What a joke, it would be like a formula Ford race. Who cares who won! Imagine a Yamaha frame with a Honda engine. It is like watching A1; it is ok, but not a Ferrari or McLaren or BMW.

Spurs finally win a game. In the coupe of the season Harry Redknapp sneaked out of Pompie and ran off to North London to try and save the day. As always when a new manager comes in a team rallies around the new man and gives the result that every home fan wants a win.

Man United were very lucky to get away with a point from Gooderson Park(Everton). Liverpool god an important win away to Chelsea 1-0 and so did Arsenal with a lucky 2-0 win away at Upton Park against West Ham. Hull won again and it still lying in third.

Congratulations must go the Christiano Ronaldo has been selected as player diverplayer of the year. Congratulations must also go to my girlfriend Ana Ivanovic for winning her first title since the French open this weekend by taking the Linz Open. Federer won his home title again for the third year in a row and young Scot Any Murray won his fifth title of the year by taking the St Petersburg Open.

I was asked to mention something about the Varsity 4th cricket side, in my weekly report, but lets just say we lost by 1 run to a bunch of school boys yesterday. Thanks Captain, when your team says we will bat if you win the toss and then do a rain dance when we finish, it means we don’t want to field first. “Just a note for next time.”

Well sports fans, until next time, have a cracking week.

ONETIME J