MARK KEOHANE hails the positive advertisement for South African rugby provided by the Vodacom URC derbies at Cape Town Stadium.
The Stormers brought the curtain down on South Africa’s 2023 rugby calendar by beating the Sharks 16-15 in Cape Town on Saturday night.
This came a week after John Dobson’s side claimed a seventh successive victory over the Vodacom Bulls in front of just over 40 000 fans at Cape Town Stadium.
More than 37 000 supporters flooded into the stadium for the coastal derby, and, writing on his blog keo.co.za, Keohane said the match was illustrative of the strength of South African rugby.
“The Stormers won and there will always be debate about how they won. One thing I appreciate is that they won as champions do; they found a way,” Keohane writes.
“They refused to create the crowd illusion that four points wins it and then spend the final three minutes defending their line to win the match. It showed maturity from the Stormers, who also profited from a superior substitutes’ bench.
“It was a big win, in the context of the month, and the league positioning, but again it was an advertisement for the quality of rugby in South Africa.
“Nearly 40 000 made it to the DHL Stadium for a second successive Saturday, amid Christmas and New Year celebrations and the financial strain that comes with the festive season. It said everything about the love for the game in the Western Province and the local support for the likes of the Bulls and Sharks.
“Each time these SA teams play, South African rugby wins, even if one set of provincial supporters loses on the night.”
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images