Opinion: 1News sports presenter Andrew Saville is in South Africa as the All Blacks and Springboks do battle. He gives some thoughts after the second Test in Cape Town.
Cape Town, we have a problem
To the actual game soon, but what about that flyover. The Ellis Park jet display was amazing enough but then Cape Town tops that.
Without barely any notice, two jets from sponsors Airlink passed JUST over the stadium roof. You’ve had to wonder if the second black plane got its calculations right. If they did, this pilot makes Top Gun look like he’s on a learner licence.
The whole grandstand vibrated before the jet powered up, tail only metres from the roof as it headed off into the early evening sky.
Fans were left shocked, with the general question - were they really supposed to fly that low? We now await FNB Stadium in Soweto next weekend, or the South African Civil Aviation Authority to step in.
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A great, bruising pulsating match again, which was decided by a few key moments and mistakes under extreme pressure.
BUT a key gripe from the game or at least pre-match. After last week’s emotional Fitzpatrick-Savea moment, which has been seen online by millions, what happened in Cape Town? One of the members of Kiwi band Six60 held the flag this time around. Good guys, good music but excuse me?
Meanwhile another of our greats, Zinzan Brooke, stood sideline, hardly noticed. Others from the famous 1996 series winning team are here. 1970 and 1976 tour star Ian Kirkpatrick. Zinny was earlier inducted into World Rugby’s Hall of Fame, at a low key, cheap-looking function in Cape Town, where many weren't invited, like Brooke’s old mate Sean Fitzpatrick. That’s rugby for you, one week creating everlasting memories, the next, making you cringe.
Cape Town or Auckland Town?
Parts of this magnificent coastal city remind me so much of NZ and in particular, some of the leafy green suburbs of Auckland. No we don’t have a Table Mountain, but the air is clear and clean, tight city streets with traffic. There’s a different vibe compared to Johannesburg and not as much high fencing and barbed wire.
Cape Town does have its dangerous areas and major problems, like congestion, political rumblings, crime, but I can’t fault the feel of the waterfront and the atmosphere at DHL Stadium over the weekend. Great buzz, great venue, great people.
The more time I spend in this country the more I realise how similar both sets of fans are. Always ready with a sharp tongue and a one liner, followed by “sit down, have a drink”.
If you’re considering it, the next tour is eight years away, plenty of time to save the pennies.
Trilogy Time
I know it’s too late but let’s drop Baltimore. After being in South Africa for two weeks and another week before the Soweto Test, I’m convinced this is a THREE-test series, with the winner takes all match next weekend at the 90,000 seat FNB Stadium.
All three tests in the Republic, all three will end up being classics, decided on pivotal moments.
Yes the respective rugby unions need the millions which the Baltimore “Bolt-On” will raise, but it reeks more of a money grab as the days go by, it cheapens the series even more compared to long and historic visits in the past.
Fans I’ve spoken agree 100%.
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