The Bulls had rampaged their way to a third Super Rugby final in four years in 2010, and were odds-on favourites to be crowned champions once more.
But this time around, there was a spanner in the works – the game had to be a played at one of the traditional homes of local football, Orlando Stadium in Soweto, instead of Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria due to the World Cup taking place a few weeks later.
Now, that could have made the ardent Bulls fans nervous. If you are a person of colour and have been to Loftus over the years, you would know what I’m talking about. “What are you doing here today? The soccer is tomorrow,” was one of the classic insults that black supporters had to deal with when attending rugby games.
Things have changed since then, with the Bulls support base becoming more dynamic by the day, and everyone being welcomed with opened arms at Loftus. But at the time, I had my reservations about whether taking the Super Rugby final to Orlando Stadium was the right move. Would the Bulls fans stay away? How would the people of Soweto deal with the whole situation of having a “Loftus Versfeld” at their home of soccer?
Well, the semi-final against the Crusaders the week before was a resounding success by all accounts, with the Bulls beating the seven-time champions from New Zealand and a capacity crowd having attended.
But of course, there would be even greater attention on the final. On the Thursday before the Saturday game between the Bulls and Stormers, I called up various rugby greats from the past for their views on the game, and one of them was Joost van der Westhuizen.
I had never spoken to Joost before, so I was a bit anxious. His reputation preceded him – a Springbok legend, but someone who had made positive (and some negative) comments about the infamous Kamp Staaldraad ahead of the 2003 World Cup, and he was also accused of provincialism in a suspected split between Bulls and WP players in the Bok side at the time.
There were the other off-field issues in his personal life, such as the fall-out with wife Amor Vittone, and having admitted culpability in the video scandal just a year earlier.
So, would he even speak to me, a journalist? But, from the moment I explained I was calling from Cape Town to talk about the Super Rugby final, you could hear genuine excitement in his voice.
And that wasn’t just about the technical rugby stuff he had been asked. The Soweto question came up, and Joost’s response left me stunned. “For me, it is just so great and unbelievable. I am so happy that last week (the semi-final) was a success in Soweto. I can tell you that the Bulls have never in their lives made new friends so quickly as in Soweto. The people are buzzing here.
“Yesterday I sat in a restaurant and I was having my lunch, and there was a table with a lot of black businessmen. They know every Blue Bull player by name, they were at the game last week, and I got goosebumps just hearing that! It is so great that things have worked out like this.
“I have a very good feeling about this whole occasion. I hate to speak about the past, but 1995 (the Springbok Rugby World Cup triumph) played a big role in the development and nation-building in our country. I think it was meant to be that the Stormers and Bulls in 2010, with the biggest Soccer World Cup, can play a big role in bringing our country together. I can’t wait for the final!”
Would you ever! Here was a Bulls and Springbok icon, born and raised in Pretoria and made at Loftus, speaking like a statesman for the new, democratic South Africa.
And Joost was right – Soweto was buzzing. In the media bus ride to Orlando Stadium, we could see how white Bulls supporters in their team jerseys were enjoying chesa nyama in driveways and sidewalks, with music blaring from massive speakers.
It was one big party, and it continued at Orlando Stadium, before and after the final.
Joost spoke about the rugby as well. “You sit with a wing like Gio Aplon. I think Aplon deserves his Springbok spot. Jaque (Fourie) and (Juan) De Jongh have grown such a lot as a combination. De Jongh’s try last week made me think of Danie Gerber in the past.
“Fourie du Preez and Morné Steyn is a world-class combination, a world-class lock pair, Gurthrö (Steenkamp) is playing his best rugby I don’t like to say, but the Bulls’ experience will just be too much.”
Joost would’ve been a happy man afterwards as not only did his beloved Bulls beat the Stormers, but the event united South Africans once again.
He was the ultimate fighter on the field, and was one of the greatest scrumhalves in modern-day rugby. One of his finest performances for the Boks came in a Test against the All Blacks in Durban in 1998, when South Africa were 23-5 down with 15 minutes left. Joost darted around a ruck to score and spark the comeback, and the Boks won 24-23.
And off it, he kept Motor Neuron Disease (MND) at bay for as long as he could. Initial expectations, after he was diagnosed in 2011, were that Joost may live for about a year or two. He turned it into six ...
To see one of the finest rugby players reduced to a wheelchair, hardly able to speak, was a jarring sight. We’ve experienced it before in rugby with former Saru captain Salie Fredericks and Bok flank André Venter, who are both still alive, in wheelchairs. Ex-Bok centre Tinus Linee also succumbed to MND in November 2014.
And the man himself succumbed early this week. Monday was a sad day as we found out that Joost had lost his final “Test match” against MND.
But he proved that he is a hero for all South Africans with his performances on the field and fighting spirit off it, especially over the last few years.
And fittingly, Joost will make one final appearance at Loftus today, where a memorial service will take place at 12.30pm. The SA Rugby Union have encouraged supporters to wear green and gold, while there are likely to be many in their light blue Bulls jerseys as well.
So that we can all say Rest In Peace, “Cappie”...