Captain Cook Friday, March 16, 2012

THAT was more like it! Nothing like seeing a good side go up a couple of gears every match. How many tomorrow? That's the big question.

Yes, the old sharkies are still getting it together. There still are areas where we need to tighten up. The line-outs were a lot better against the Lions, but a long way off satisfactory. There's a strange whiff of chloroform that seems to drift across our fellows after they've scored a great try. They lose focus and let the opposition in from the resulting kick-off. Mama mia! Twice! It looked almost as if we were determined not to shove them completely out of the game.

But overall it was excellent, a lot of go-forward. Patrick Lambie had a couple of superb breaks. JP Pietersen is working up a head of steam in his new positioning at centre. Things are beginning to click. Four tries to two says it all. Full points!

I myself watched at King's Park and we celebrated afterwards with customary decorum in the Duikers' Club. I'm told there was riotous behaviour elsewhere, a shooting out of street lights in the vicinity of the Street Shelter for the Over-40s – the well-known celebratory feu de joie. One unconfirmed report has it that not only was the street strewn with broken glass caused by catapults fashioned from the knicker elastic of the ladies, the windows of the office of the headmaster of Durban High School, across the way, also took a few hits.

I find this unlikely, the distance being rather too great – though who knows for sure about the range of Ukrainian knicker elastic.

Great rugby. And absolutely superb rugby in the Six Nations encounter between England and France (where three South Africans were on the field for England). This rerun of Agincourt was an absolute nailbiter, England running in three tries, the French clawing back with penalties and their special brand of running/handling genius; then getting a try when it was just too late. Only two points in it. Oh boy! It doesn't come better than this.

And England will be touring South Africa in a few months. Hmmm.

Meanwhile, the cognoscenti are beginning to rumble about referees. Refs dish out yellow cards, red cards and now white cards, which mean the offender will be automatically cited. Why – given some of the appalling refereeing decisions – should refs not also be cited? Why should the side that believes it has been badly wronged not get the ref to appear before a board of inquiry? In today's game, with so much at stake, why should referees continue to have the "royal game" status they enjoyed in the amateur days? Let them be accountable like the players.

It couldn't affect results, of course. But, as Voltaire said when Admiral Byng was shot by firing squad on his own quarterdeck, the English kill an admiral from time to time, "pour encourager les autres" – to encourage the others.

Queensland Reds tomorrow. Up a gear or two! 'Erewego, 'erewego, 'erewego!