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The past week was filled with several highlights, depending on what side of the fence you found yourselves. Some great rugby was played and the announcement of a Springbok squad to play against Georgia and the B&I Lions the highlight.
The Varsity Cup was won by Tukkies after nine rounds of brilliant and exciting rugby. Ikey's having finished on top of the standings were the favourites, however, nobody bothered to tell that to Tuks.
Tuks got off to a flying started only to have to survive a second-half fightback from Ikeys. Tuks the winners (34-27) to claim their fourth Varsity Cup title.
The Pro14 Rainbow Cup is balanced on a knife's edge in South Africa as well as Europe with the finalist still not decided.
Locally, the Cell C Sharks opted to rest a number of their first-choice players for their trip to Johannesburg, but the team that ran out at Emirates Airline Park had more than enough fire-power to not only beat the Emirates Lions but also to reverse a two-match losing streak.
With the Vodacom Bulls sneaking home with a late try against the DHL Stormers in Pretoria on Friday evening, it means the Cell C Sharks can still top the log if they can beat the men in blue with a bonus point, and keep their opponents from getting any log points.
The Vodacom Bulls’ positive points’ difference of 54 will come in handy should the teams end up on the same number of log points, while the Cell C Sharks are on -14.
In Europe, the Glasgow Warriors, in extinguishing the last flickering hopes of pre-tournament favourites Leinster, entered the equation as possible winners as they went to the top of the log.
However, they have just a one-point advantage over second-placed Benetton, who still have a game to play while Glasgow has completed their schedule. And then there’s Munster, who are four points behind Glasgow and are still in it if Benetton slips up against the Ospreys in their final game on Saturday.
Even a losing bonus point won’t be enough for Benetton to secure their highly coveted place in the final on their home ground as Munster do have a superior points difference, as they also do in comparison to Glasgow. Munster, who didn’t play this past weekend, will fancy their chances of beating Zebre when they visit Italy on the final weekend of the league competition, and could well do it with a bonus point too.
Watch our "brilliant" analysis of everything that happened in South African Rugby the past week.
However, the biggest discussion point of the weekend was the announcement of a Springbok Squad of 46 players.
My gripe with the announced team is the message a selection of 23 foreign-based players is sending to our local players who entertain the locals week after week.
Mr Mark Alexander, President of SA Rugby, announced the squad on Saturday that will do duty for the first time since the Springboks lifted the Webb Ellis Cup in Japan on 2 November 2019, with 29 Rugby World Cup winners and eight uncapped players in the 46-man squad.
The Springboks will line up against Georgia on successive Fridays, 2 and 9 July, before battling it out against the British & Irish Lions in three Tests on 24 and 31 July, and 7 August respectively.
The South Africa “A” team, which will comprise players from this squad, will also meet the Lions on Wednesday, 14 July.
The entire 2019 Rugby World Cup-winning squad, except for the retired trio of Tendai Mtawarira, Francois Louw and Schalk Brits, and the injured Warrick Gelant, were named in Springbok head coach Jacques Nienaber’s squad.
The eight uncapped players are Joseph Dweba (hooker), Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg (lock), Jasper Wiese (loose forward), Sanele Nohamba (scrumhalf), Wandisile Simelane (centre), Yaw Penxe, Rosko Specman (both wings) and Aphelele Fassi (fullback).
After all the discussion during this weekend at the braaivleis and shebeens, there is only one thing to do. Support the Boks.
Go Bokke !!!!!