The disease called 'ignorance'

There’s an aphorism that says: “Ignorance is bliss.” However, Jan de Koning tells us why he feels this has become a disease.

I have lost count how many times since the weekend I have read that John Smit, the Sharks captain, or his Bulls rival Victor Matfield, could become the first South African to lift a Super rugby trophy.

Gentleman of the media … IT IS FACTUALLY INCORRECT!

Another cock-and-bull story – or falsehood, if you like – that has been perpetrated in the South African media this week, is that it is the first Super final on South African soil.

Maybe some of my colleagues are too young to remember, or were still at school or in nappies when it happened, but in 1993, at Ellis Park, in Johannesburg, Francois Pienaar lifted the Super 10 trophy aloft. Transvaal had beaten a very good Auckland team 20-17 in the Final.

That Transvaal team went on to win three and share one trophy – the Night Series (they shared this), the Lion Cup, the Currie Cup and the Super 10 that year. The same Transvaal team also formed the backbone of the Springbok team that won the World Cup, under the guidance of Pienaar and the late Kitch Christie, in 1995.

Is it just plain ignorance that us media types have forgotten about these events?

Or are we now saying the Super 10 and its forerunner, the Super Six, were not ‘Super rugby’ tournaments.

What then, do we call a Super rugby tournament?

I want to take you briefly back to the Super 10 series.

In the inaugural Super 10 Final, on 22 May 1993, there were many super players.

The Transvaal team included stars like Pieter Hendriks, Japie Mulder, Hennie le Roux, Francois Pienaar, Hannes Strydom, Kobus Wiese, Uli Schmidt and Balie Swart. Who can forget Uli Schmidt’s match-winning try, when he steam-rolled over the Auckland fullback Shane Howarth?

Talking of Auckland. That team included superstars like Terry Wright, Eroni Clarke, Lee Stensness, Va’aiga Tuigamala, Grant Fox, Michael Jones, Zinzan Brooke, Robin Brooke, Olo Brown, Sean Fitzpatrick and Craig Dowd.

Now isn’t that a SUPER team?

And are my colleagues going to claim players like Andre Joubert, Pieter Muller, James Small, Henry Honiball, Gary Teichmann, Wahl Bartmann and John Allan, who played for Natal in the 1994 Final in Durban against Queensland (Damian Smith, Jason Little, Tim Horan, Anthony Herbert, Michael Lynagh, Ilie Tabua, John Eales, David Wilson, Rod McCall and Michael Foley), are not worthy of super status?

The 1995 Super 10 Final was between Transvaal and Queensland in Johannesburg and those two teams had some superstars as well.

The correct facts are:
1. It is the first all-South African Super rugby final.
2. It is the first time in the professional era (since 1996) that a Super Final will be hosted on SA soil.
3. …and it is the first time IN THE PROFESSIONAL ERA that a South African team will win a Super rugby tournament.

John Smit (Sharks captain) and Victor Matfield (Bulls captain) are both superstars in their own right. They deserve every accolade that comes their way.

But please don’t attribute incorrect facts to their achievements.

It simply distracts from the wonderful event that Saturday’s Super 14 Final will be!

With the help of my colleague Paul Dobson, who did a very well-researched article on all previous Super rugby finals (click here for this story), I have managed to obtain the teams from the three Super 10 finals.

Have a look at these and then tell me again that Super rugby only started in 1996.

The Super 10 may have been a shorter version, but still just as intense!

Super 10 finals:

1993: Transvaal vs Auckland, 20-17 at Ellis Park on 22 May 1993

Scorers:

For Transvaal:
Tries: Schmidt 2, Pienaar
Con: Van Rensburg
Pen: Van Rensburg

For Auckland:
Tries: Tuigamala, Stensness
Cons: Fox 2
Pen: Fox

Teams:

Transvaal: Theo van Rensburg, Pieter Hendriks, Bernard Fourie, Japie Mulder, Chris Dirks, Hennie le Roux, Johan Roux, Deon Lotter, Ian MacDonald, Francois Pienaar, Hannes Strydom, Kobus Wiese, Johan le Roux, Uli Schmidt, Balie Swart

Auckland: Shane Howarth, Terry Wright, Eroni Clarke, Lee Stensness, Va’aiga Tuigamala, Grant Fox, Nu Nu’uali’itia, Michael Jones, Mark Carter, Brendan Jackson, replaced by Zinzan Brooke, Richard Fromont, Robin Brooke, Olo Brown, Sean Fitzpatrick, Craig Dowd

1994: Queensland beat Natal 21-10 at King’s Park on 14 May 1994

Scorers:

For Queensland:
Tries: Lea, Scott-Young
Con: Lynagh
Pens: Lynagh 2
DG: Lynagh

For Natal:
Try: Van der Westhuizen
Con: Joubert
Pen: Joubert

Teams:

Natal: Andre Joubert, Cabous van der Westhuizen, Pieter Muller, replaced by Andy Marinos, Jeremy Thomson, replaced by Shaun Payne, James Small, Henry Honiball, Robert du Preez, Gary Teichmann, Andrew Blakeway, Wahl Bartmann (c), Steve Atherton, John Slade, Adrian Garvey, John Allan, Guy Kebble

Queensland: Matthew Pini, Damian Smith, Jason Little, replaced by Paul Carozza, Tim Horan, replaced by Anthony Herbert, Barry Lea, Michael Lynagh, Peter Slattery (c), Sam Scott-Young, Ilie Tabua, replaced by John Eales, David Wilson, Rod McCall, Garrick Morgan, Adrian Skeggs, Michael Foley, Cameron Lillicrap

1995: Queensland vs Transvaal, 30-16 at Ellis Park

Scorers:

For Queensland:
Tries: Connors, Little, Johnstone, Smith
Cons: Eales 2
Pen: Eales
DG: Kahl

For Transvaal:
Try: Roux
Con: De Beer
DGs: De Beer 3

Teams:

Transvaal: Gavin Johnson, Jannie van der Walt, Christiaan Scholtz, replaced by Japie Mulder, Hennie le Roux, Pieter Hendriks, Jannie de Beer, Johan Roux, Rudolf Straeuli (c), Charles Rossouw, Gerhard Combrinck, Hannes Strydom, Kobus Wiese, Ian Hattingh, Chris Rossouw, Balie Swart

Queensland: Matthew Pini, Damian Smith, Daniel Herbert, Jason Little, Paul Carozza, Paul Kahl, Peter Slattery (c), replaced by Brett Johnstone, Troy Coker, replaced by Mark Connors, Ilie Tabua, David Wilson, John Eales, Rod McCall, Dan Crowley, replaced by Matt Ryan, Michael Foley, Andrew Blades

By Jan de Koning

Do you agree/disagree with Jan?
Email us your view!