Captain Cook, Friday, April 16

A STRANGE mood of defiance has taken hold in our rugby. It reminds me of the period when Natal were relegated to the B Section of the Currie Cup all those years ago, and we fought our way out of it and very nearly lifted the cup before the administrators came to their senses and rejigged the whole competition. It was an exhilarating phase because the team - and the fans - knew what we were capable of and from a situation of sheer hopelessness it paid off.

In this year's Super 14 we played out a comedy of errors in the first few matches, picking up bonus points when we should have had full points, aided and abetted by some villainous refereeing in Australia. We relegated ourselves to a situation of hopelessness. Knowledgeable people did not give us a chance Down Under.

But then we picked ourselves up in what should have been the toughest and most exhausting part of the tour – New Zealand – and came back exhausted and jetlagged to put together a patchy, though at times close to brilliant, performance (especially by the forwards) to hold out Queensland and again take full points.

That puts us theoretically within range of a semi-final spot – if all kinds of other contingencies come into play as well – but the main thing is that the focus now is on all-out attack. Maximum points has to be the target for each remaining match.

If the side clicks at last – starts firing on all cylinders as it has not so far this season – we could be in for some spectacular rugby, whether or not we make it to the semis.

We've nothing to lose. It starts tomorrow against our tradititional foes (the Lions in Super 14 parlance, Transvaal for those of us who have rugby tradition ingrained) and it should be an enthralling spectacle. The Vaalies have been having a season even more miserable than ourselves, but never underestimate them. A Natal-Transvaal encounter rouses an atavistic something extra out of both sides. They too have nothing to lose. They too have to click some time and we have to make sure it's not tomorrow.

Much hinges on Andy Goode at flyhalf. Pitchforked into the Super 14 from northern hemisphere club rugby, he shows signs of settling in well. The line moved against Queensland in a way to suggest our guys have rediscovered an enthusiasm to run with the ball. We must keep it in hand, avoid kicking away possession.

Goode is by all accounts enjoying being with the Sharks and enjoying being in Durban. He'll enjoy it all the more if he can get them to spark into life tomorrow. We'll buy him a pint of crème de menthe in the  Boutique Bar. That's rocket fuel!

I've a feeling the season is going to end on a high note, whether or not we get to the semis. One game at a time. All-out attack. Take-off tomorrow. Tora! Tora! Tora! as the Japanese used to say.

One game at a time. Forget the log, forget the semis, this is an epic, Natal versus Transvaal. See you in the Bootleggers, where they've got the blonde with the gypsy fiddle. Let it roll!