‘Spring’ in their gait, ‘Boks’ behind them: Proteas march on

Express News Service

CHENNAI:  Sporting legacies are built over the years. They are not like records that are meant to be broken. They are meant to be cherished by fans, respected even by the opponents, and most importantly, inspire generations. “Springboks” are one such sporting legacy. Named after an antelope native to south and southwest Africa, Springboks are the national Rugby team of South Africa, a step away from cementing their legacy even more.

In the ongoing Rugby World Cup, South Africa, the defending champions, started with a dominating win against Scotland followed by a landslide victory against Romania. The spirits were high before it all came crashing against Ireland in Paris. Even in loss, captain Siya Kolisi maintained his composure. “We would have loved to win but it was a great game, an intense game,” Kolisi said on the pitch at the Stade de France following South Africa’s loss. “Congrats to them.

They played really well.” You cannot build a legacy without respecting your opponent. Everything might be fair on the field but off of it, one has to respect the opponents. A reality check provided by Ireland came at the right time for the team as they bounced back against Tonga. Boks faced hosts France in the quarter-final and runners-up in the previous edition, England, in the semi-final. Both matches went to the final minute and they managed to win those two matches by the skin of their teeth. Only one point separates the winners and defeated sides. To say those two matches were close will do an injustice to the skills, patience and calmness displayed by the team.

At MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai, it felt like Proteas took the leaf out of Boks’ playbook to write their history against Pakistan. To be clear, South Africa has been a phenomenal side in the World Cup, but only when they have been asked to bat first. While batting first on four occasions, they have scored 350+ runs. And if you saw the late-order collapse for the Proteas, one could believe that this side becomes weaker while trying to overhaul targets. Their record while chasing, even though it happened only once, was not that good. Such was the situation that it was a talking point before the match because the only chance Pakistan have against this side is to make them chase. From five for 206 to nine for 260, South Africa practically let Pakistan gain control of the final match at the Chepauk. But somehow, they survived. They stood by each other like brothers in arm.

This kind of matches either break the team or make them stronger than ever before. The World Cup that has not seen many close encounters, needed this. The 29,980 strong ‘knowledgeable Chennai crowd’ deserved it and they delivered. Springboks have given a new meaning to what it means to be South African. In wins and losses. In any sport. They are living the ancient African word — Ubuntu, which means ‘I am what I am because of who we all are’. In the year when their women’s cricket team broke the mold to feature in their first-ever T20 World Cup final, the women’s football team made it to the knockouts in the FIFA World Cup and Boks are one step away from being the only team to lift the Webb Ellis Cup for the fourth time, can the cricket team dream? Can the spirit of ‘Ubuntu’ create another legacy? We shall find out soon.  

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<br /> CHENNAI:  Sporting legacies are built over the years. They are not like records that are meant to be broken. They are meant to be cherished by fans, respected even by the opponents, and most importantly, inspire generations. “Springboks” are one such sporting legacy. Named after an antelope native to south and southwest Africa, Springboks are the national Rugby team of South Africa, a step away from cementing their legacy even more.</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.81 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.81 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>In the ongoing Rugby World Cup, South Africa, the defending champions, started with a dominating win against Scotland followed by a landslide victory against Romania. The spirits were high before it all came crashing against Ireland in Paris. Even in loss, captain Siya Kolisi maintained his composure. “We would have loved to win but it was a great game, an intense game,” Kolisi said on the pitch at the Stade de France following South Africa’s loss. “Congrats to them.</p> <p>They played really well.” You cannot build a legacy without respecting your opponent. Everything might be fair on the field but off of it, one has to respect the opponents. A reality check provided by Ireland came at the right time for the team as they bounced back against Tonga. Boks faced hosts France in the quarter-final and runners-up in the previous edition, England, in the semi-final. Both matches went to the final minute and they managed to win those two matches by the skin of their teeth. Only one point separates the winners and defeated sides. To say those two matches were close will do an injustice to the skills, patience and calmness displayed by the team.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });</p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.81 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.81 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>At MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai, it felt like Proteas took the leaf out of Boks’ playbook to write their history against Pakistan. To be clear, South Africa has been a phenomenal side in the World Cup, but only when they have been asked to bat first. While batting first on four occasions, they have scored 350+ runs. And if you saw the late-order collapse for the Proteas, one could believe that this side becomes weaker while trying to overhaul targets. Their record while chasing, even though it happened only once, was not that good. Such was the situation that it was a talking point before the match because the only chance Pakistan have against this side is to make them chase. From five for 206 to nine for 260, South Africa practically let Pakistan gain control of the final match at the Chepauk. But somehow, they survived. They stood by each other like brothers in arm.</p> <p>This kind of matches either break the team or make them stronger than ever before. The World Cup that has not seen many close encounters, needed this. The 29,980 strong ‘knowledgeable Chennai crowd’ deserved it and they delivered. Springboks have given a new meaning to what it means to be South African. In wins and losses. In any sport. They are living the ancient African word — Ubuntu, which means ‘I am what I am because of who we all are’. In the year when their women’s cricket team broke the mold to feature in their first-ever T20 World Cup final, the women’s football team made it to the knockouts in the FIFA World Cup and Boks are one step away from being the only team to lift the Webb Ellis Cup for the fourth time, can the cricket team dream? Can the spirit of ‘Ubuntu’ create another legacy? We shall find out soon.   Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp<br />