Proteas, Springboks, and Dricus du Plessis take centre stage as South Africa rallies behind its sporting heroes.
For brief moments this weekend, thousands of South Africans will proudly fly the national flag as we unite to urge our sportsmen on to glory in a stupendous triple-header of clashes in cricket, rugby and in the brutal Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Two of the three encounters will see us facing up against our old foe – Australia. First, it will be the deciding match in the T20 series in Brisbane tomorrow, followed by the Rugby Championship battle at Ellis Park.
Then, in the early hours of Sunday, Dricus du Plessis will defend his UFC middleweight title against Russian Khamzat Chimaev.
The sporting rivalry between Australia and South Africa goes back more than a century and when teams from whatever sporting code meet on the field, no quarter is asked or given.
In the T20, the Proteas are, however, the underdogs according to the bookies and the win predictor. But the fight to draw the second T20 showed you underestimate our boys at your peril.
ALSO READ: Blockbusters loading: What a weekend of sport
And, of course, as far as “Lazarus” finishes go in cricket, it will never get better than the famous “438 match” at the Wanderers in 2006, when South Africa won a famous last-gasp victory.
The same warning about underestimating an opponent could be said in reverse for the Johannesburg rugby tussle, although Ellis Park has, over the years, been anything but a happy hunting ground for the Wallabies.
But, of course, the Springboks are the World Champions. Just saying…
Now, if only our unity and enthusiasm for our nation on the sports field could spread further.
Appeals are already going out to our hunger-to-hero rugby captain and member of the Eminent Persons Group, Siya Kolisi, to help save the floundering National Dialogue, which has been hit by withdrawals of some early backers. Perhaps we should hold the dialogue at Ellis Park…
NOW READ: Dricus ready for anything from Chimaev: ‘No place to hide’
