Captain Cook Friday, May 7, 2010

ARE we disheartened? No! It was a great showing against Northerns, we led most of the 80 minutes and we could have won. Just one little lapse that let them through – but that's showbiz! I told you it would be a humdinger. More is nog 'n dag. We'll sock it to them in the Currie Cup.

It's odd how you can go into the fag-end of the Super-14 feeling buoyant, even though we have as much hope of making the semi-finals cut as Tiger Woods has of getting into a Trappist monastery. The Bulls and the Stormers (aka Western Province – are these Yankeefied Super-14 names not totally corny?) are likely to be the finalists. We came within a squeak of beating top of the log Northerns and tomorrow night we're going to give carrots to Province.

But there'll be 79 minutes of blood, sweat, tears and toil before that happens. That's the game we play. This is another big 'un. Form and the log mean nothing. Province were absolutely awesome against Canterbury last weekend. Seldom have I seen a rugby side operate with such commitment and precision, they were like a combine harvester as they baled up the New Zealanders. But even a combine harvester can't handle a spanner in the works. We've got lots of spanners. They've got names like Deysel, Kankowski, Pienaar, Kockott and Du Plessis.

Only the other night I was in deep discussion with a beautiful lady of Polish extraction. We were discussing the heroism of her race, the way the Polish cavalry defeated a German armoured division early in World War II. The way John Sobieski defeated the Turks at the gates of Vienna.

Anyone remember old Major Ivanowski, who used to display the Lippizaner stallions at the Royal Show? He was part of that cavalry charge against the German armour. They galloped past the German tanks, slapping limpet mines onto their sides.

I mention this partly to illustrate the point that rugby is a war substitute (in the best sense of it - rugby is not war, it's a healthy substitute for war); partly to make the point that in rugby, as in war, improvisation and guts can make all the difference; and partly to speculate. I'm sure Ryan Kankowski must be Major Ivanowski's nephew.

Yes, we have another humdinger on our hands.

Meanwhile, much action on the gogglebox tomorrow as well. The Guinness Premiership gets going again with Bath v Leeds, Harlequins v Sale, Leicester v Saracens, London Irish v Northampton, Newcastle v Wasps and Worcester v Gloucester. This is quality rugby – fast, hard and error-free – and, let's be honest, every bit as good as anything produced by the Super-14.

London Irish –Northampton is the game to watch. It will be the swansong of flyhalf/centre Mike Catt who got dropped by Eastern Province then went on to play 95 games for London Irish, 75 for England and I can't remember how many for the British Lions. Duh! From next week Catt goes on to coaching London Irish. Eastern where did you say?

But King's Park is the focus. This is where we end the season on a high. See you in the Duikers! I'll be with the dangerous-looking Polish lady with limpet mines in her handbag. They call her the blonde bombshell.