Gary Lemke looks back at a jam-packed sporting weekend as the Springboks dominated an underwhelming Wallabies side, as Akani Simbine finally clinched a deserved Olympics medal.
STATEMENT OF INTENT FROM BOKS
Full disclosure. I missed the Springboks’ win over the Wallabies. I read later that it was as one-sided as the 33-7 scoreline suggests, while some social media posts said the Boks left points out there on the field. And then Argentina upset the All Blacks. Those were two massive results, the first in terms of the scoreline and the second in terms of the outcome, as the Rugby Championship kicked off.
I actually found not watching on TV, and not staring at social media during the game, therapeutic. The scoreline looks as great on paper as it must have been on grass, sparking me to share the sentiment “is it too early to hand the Boks the trophy right now”?
Thanks @wallabies, we go again next weekend 🤝#ForeverGreenForeverGold #Springboks #AUSvRSA pic.twitter.com/dFdW9AKqM7
— Springboks (@Springboks) August 10, 2024
SIMBINE THE STAR OF SA’S OLYMPICS CAMPAIGN
Team South Africa signed off their 2024 Paris Olympic campaign with six medals, the same they achieved at Athens 2004 and London 2012. Their best return remains the 10 from Rio 2016. This was my eighth Olympics that I have worked at since 1992 and I reckon it will be right up there with the best of them when I work out my complicated rankings formula. It just seemed to have everything.
From a South African perspective, my five best performances, in order, were: men’s 4x100m silver medal, Akani Simbine’s fourth in the men’s 100m in 9.82sec, Tatjana Smith’s 100m breaststroke gold, Smith’s 200m breaststroke silver and Jo-Ane van Dyk’s javelin silver medal. My Team SA best performer? Simbine.
An Olympic Silver Medalist 🥈😭#Olympic2024 #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/9GLtXd77EV
— Akani Simbine (@AkaniSimbine) August 10, 2024
CITY LIFT SHIELD BUT SEASON STARTS NOW!
The Community Shield was won by Manchester City, 7-6 on penalties over Manchester United after the “final” had finished 1-1. City were winning the annual showpiece between the League champions and FA Cup holders for the seventh time. They have a long way to reach United on 21. However, such bragging rights are fleeting.
The best thing about the Community Shield is that we know it marks the curtain lifting on the English Premier League season. It starts with United hosting Fulham on Friday night before Chelsea host City on Sunday. Bring it on!
Good morning! 🤩🩵 pic.twitter.com/QVcycfj3sQ
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 11, 2024
WEATHER WINS THE DAY AS TEST IS DRAWN
The upshot from the drawn Test between South Africa and West Indies in Port Of Spain is that if either side wins the second Test they’ve won the series. That’s the farce of a programme where two matches are considered a Test series and one is drawn because 142 overs are lost to the weather. Spinner Keshav Maharaj was man of the match – showing how conditions have changed in the Caribbean over the years – and the Proteas had the upper hand of a match that they couldn’t close out owing to the weather.
AROUND THE COFFEE POT…
The unbeaten Blue Bulls, along with the Lions and Cheetahs, have put a buffer between themselves and the rest after six rounds of Currie Cup action. There were again matches where the winners racked up 50+ points – the Bulls 55-21 over the Griffons and the Lions, 55-12 over the Pumas …
The semi-final draw for the MTN8 was made with Cape Town City, Pirates, TS Galaxy and Sundowns in the hat. Could it produce a Sundowns vs Pirates semi-showdown? Of course not. Sundowns will meet Stellenbosch and Pirates have got TS Galaxy.
