KATINKA'S suspender belt is becoming one of the most reliable indicators there is in the world of rugby. Last week when we were all worrying ourselves sick about the impending clash with the Bulls, this lissome Ukrainian lead dancer in the Thunder Bar pooh-poohed our concerns and pointed to the wad of betting slips backing the Sharks that were stowed in her suspender belt. We'd run away with the game, she insisted – and run away we did. Remarkable. The Oracle at Delphi couldn't do better.
What does Katinka say about tomorrow against the Cheetahs? She strums her suspender belt. Snap! Snap! "Zis vun vill be tight. Ze boys, zey must not relax. Zese Free Staters, zey sting like ze bee. Zis vill be tight. Tight like ze duck's ass – unt zat's vatertight."
I couldn't agree with her more. Tomorrow we face not just the physical challenge of a side like Free State – and they really are dangerous – we have to lift ourselves mentally as well to perform as we did last Friday. We have to stay absolutely focused.
Meanwhile, last week's match tells us what we've known all along. We have one of the top sides in Super Rugby. Get over the Free State hurdle tomorrow and we can carry on right to the pinnacle, in Australia, New Zealand or wherever. We've got what it takes. We're peaking at just the right time. Glory is within reach.
What a match it was. I speak as something of a connoisseur of Natal-Northern Transvaal encounters. I was there (in short pants) at Kingsmead in 1956 when we went down 9-8 – a scrambled and dodgy Northerns try in injury time – in Natal's first-ever Currie Cup final.
I was at Loftus in 1990 when Tony Watson eeled his way round the fullback to dot down and give us our first-ever Currie Cup victory, 18-12.
Last week's match was right up there with those. It was an epic. We shunted them backwards in the scrums. We disrupted their line-outs. We tackled like demons. We threw the ball about, we ran onto it. We ran in four tries. This was absolutely amazing. And it was against Northerns! (Er, the Bulls. I keep forgetting the Yankeefied terminology of today).
I don't quite agree with those who say our fairly long lay-off made us fade a bit in the second half. I think we'd burned up so much energy, that's why we faded. (In fact I thought the Bulls looked slightly jaded in the first half, with no lay-off). But in the end we did overcome exhaustion and we did get it together again and we showed the discipline and cohesion that got us that final try. This showed guts. This showed class.
Yes, the Van Diemenslanders and the Kiwis have something coming their way. We just have to get over this pesky hurdle of the Free State, who have a habit of producing fireworks. Very awkward customers.
Let the good times roll! See you in the Duikers!
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