Springbok Miscellany

By Eddie Grieb and Stuart Farmer

(Jonathan Ball)

THE two authors are internationally renowned rugby statisticians and the book contains virtually all available information about Springbok rugby and its players since SA played their first Test in 1891.

SA’s involvement in the last four World Cups is also well documented.

There are sections on the legends of the game (Benny Osler, Danie Craven, Hennie Muller, Jan Ellis) as well as pictures of the jerseys and Bok badges used.

Which Springbok never played in a winning Test? Which Springbok lived to be 100 years old? Which three sets of three brothers played for SA? Who were the first father-son combination? Which capped Springboks never got to pull on the famous green and gold jersey in a match?

These are just some of the questions answered amid the hundreds of snippets about Springbok rugby that will entertain the reader. My one gripe is that there is no listing of the 800-odd capped players, while there are some spelling errors that tend to jar. This pocket-sized book, however, is likely to prove popular. — Peter Martin

Mauled – The Castle SA 2009 Lions Series

(Tenfour Media & The Publishing Partnership)

ANY rugby fan will cherish this book on the Castle South Africa 2009 Lions series which took place throughout last year.

As a photographer I’m going to be biased right from the start and say it’s the images that made me grab this book faster than Victor Matfield or Bakkies Botha ever could – and hold onto it.

Contributors include Springbok captain John Smit, giving his first-hand account of each Test; Morne du Plessis, captain of the 1980 team against the British and Irish Lions; and former captain Bob Skinstad. Not forgetting top sports writers Craig Ray, Robert Houwing, Mike Greenaway and Duane Heath.

The book covers the stadiums, the history of the series and statistics on the Springbok and Lions players who were part of the tour.

If you missed any of the games, be sure to get Mauled. It captures all the special moments, pictures, quotes and stories until the next battle in 12 years’ time. — Alan Eason

Bafana Bafana – A Story of Soccer, Magic and Mandela

By Tony Blacklaws

(Jacana)

THIS odd little book is best described as “naive”. The story is naive and the illustrations are naive.

On the one hand, it’s easy to dismiss it as the type of project a couple of Grade 10/11/12 kids might come up with if they tried to write a book. But on the other hand, swallowing the initial bah-humbug reaction to something odd and different, it comes across as an overwhelmingly charming little tale about a young boy called Pele from a dusty village that sounds like somewhere in the Transkei who dreams of seeing his favourite players take part in an international in Cape Town.

Unfortunately, the illustrations are, no matter how one looks at them, still naive and I never could see how child-like drawings, daubings even, could possibly be called real art – but then there are connoisseurs willing to pay a lot for that type of thing. It takes all sorts, I suppose.

I still don’t know who the book is aimed at – a somewhat nasty b-word makes one think it is not for young children, and older kids are unlikely to read it. But I did, and once I could get my head around the prose and the “art”, I quite enjoyed it. — Peter Godson

Graeme Smith: A Captain’s Diary 2007- 2009

By Graeme Smith

(Jonathan Ball)

SOUTH Africa’s cricket captain Graeme Smith was hailed as “Captain Courageous” when he batted with a broken hand swathed in plaster-cast in a bid to save the third Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January 2009.

The Proteas had already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match Test series. Australia won the Sydney Test, despite Smith’s heroics, but it was the South Africans who claimed the series, 2-1.

Smith’s bravery won him an even larger band of supporters, with many Australians applauding his effort. He and his team of “young guns” had finally conquered their arch-nemesis Down Under in both the Test and ODI series.

The Aussies managed to turn the tables on the Proteas in the return leg of the Test series (2-1) in South Africa from February 2009.

A Captain’s Diary borrows excerpts from Smith’s “notebook of thoughts”, starting off with the tour of Pakistan in October 2007, through to the Test and ODI series against Australia on home soil in 2009.

Smith’s men went on to win the Test series in Pakistan, conquered England in England and drew a series in India before their success in Australia.

The book gives the reader valuable insight into what makes Smith and his team tick. Smith also gives an interesting account of the circumstances that led to Shaun Pollock’s retirement. For cricket-lovers, this is an absorbing read. — Mark Carrels

Howzat! A Cricket Story

By Brenda Munitich

(Tafelberg)

SET in the KwaZulu- Natal Midlands, the action surrounds the cricket team of St Barnabas, or the “Saints”.

When new learner Brian Lawson joins the team, he has to show he is not the arrogant show-off his teammates expect, having captained the KZN Colts while at his former school in Durban. Howzat! A Cricket Story is particularly interesting because it is written by a woman, Brenda Munitich, (author of Ric, Drags and Plum Dufff and Ben’s Buddy), and can also be enjoyed by both sexes – even those who are not that into cricket.

If you read and enjoyed the Spud series by SA author John van der Ruit, then this quick read is for you – although not quite as funny. You can expect to finish the paperback in a couple of hours and probably won’t give it much thought after. But pass it on to your kids or your sports fanatic nephew.

This one’s for the whole family and is quite educational. I also recommend it for the school library. — Michael Kimberley