BJ Botha

Ulster

Ulster had a bitter-sweet end to our Heineken Cup campaign. Our 28-10 runaway victory over Bath should have been the cause of much celebration (it was our first win on English soil), but we missed out on quarter-final qualification by one point, leaving me feeling that it counted for nothing in the end. On a personal note, I really enjoyed lining up against familiar faces. Whilst I was disappointed not to face Butch James (who was sidelined by injury), it was great to play against old friends like Michael Claasens and Luke Watson (both have made a huge impact since joining Bath).

A win in our upcoming Magners League fixture against the Newport Dragons at home becomes even more significant now. Not only in terms of getting over the disappointment of our Heineken Cup exit, but also because they might feel they have a mental edge over us, after we lost the corresponding fixture in Wales. It’s a huge game for us.

 

Super 14

It’s been great to catch some of the Super 14 opening round action. It’s the most exciting competition in world rugby by far. Personally, I feel the teams that were in contention last season will again be right up there this season. From a South African point of view, I can see the Bulls, Stormers and hopefully the Sharks being there & thereabout in the last stages of the competition.

On the Aussie front, I think the Brumbies will be very strong this year, with the Waratahs following closely behind them. In New Zealand, I can see the Crusaders, Hurricanes and the Chiefs being the strongest contenders, but you also can’t rule out the Blues or the Highlanders! That’s what makes the competition so special; literally ten of the fourteen teams can realistically win it!

The perception over here (from the majority of the players and coaches that I’ve talked to) is that the Super 14 is “The” contest to be involved in. It’s seen as the top competition and having played in both the Super 14 and the Heineken Cup, I agree wholeheartedly.

However, they both pose very different challenges to players. For one, the conditions in the Heineken Cup don’t allow for the free, running game that we so often see in the Super 14. European rugby favours a much more forward-orientated game because of it. More often than not, the set-pieces become of utmost importance. In contrast, the harder and dryer grounds found in the Super 14 enable teams to put a number of phases together. This puts the opposition under tremendous pressure and often leads to defending teams either conceding a penalty or a try.

 

Six Nations

I’ve come to realize how massive the Six Nations is here. It’s the equivalent of the Tri-nations in that the winners have the bragging rights of calling themselves the top team in their hemisphere. France and Ireland were the favourites going into the tournament, but with France’s victory over the weekend, I think it’s safe to say they have the tag to themselves. It’s exciting that Ulster has four players in the Ireland twenty-two and four more in the extended squad. Our Ulster fans are known to travel with us and they do the same with Ireland, numbering their thousands!

 

Johann Muller

The reaction in Ulster to the news that Johann Muller is on his way has been one of great excitement. I played almost all my rugby at the Sharks with him, as well as few games with the Springboks.  He’s also a very close friend of mine, so on a personal level, its great having someone like Johann joining the squad. He will bring Ulster invaluable lineout expertise as well as a workhorse approach to the scrum.

Laureus Sports Awards

I’ve been invited to attend the Laureus Sports Awards to be held in Abu Dhabi! A few European-based Springboks will be representing the country in the Team of the Year category (alongside the LA Lakers and Brawn GP Formula 1 team, among others). Personally, I’ll be keeping a keen eye on who takes Sportsman of the Year. Last year it went to Roger Federer, but holding thumbs for Usain Bolt!