Gavin Rich's column doubles as a state-of-the-nation piece for South African sport, written from the vantage point of four days at Newlands watching the Proteas dismantle Australia. The central argument is straightforward: unlike the 1995 Boks, who were immediately challenged by the All Blacks the following year, the Proteas have now earned their No.1 ICC ranking through accumulated evidence — a drawn series in Pakistan, a historic whitewash of India in India, and now a home series win over Australia. The one-off WTC final at Lord's can no longer be dismissed as an aberration. The Boks, meanwhile, have held No.1 in rugby through all but a brief blip, with the Nations Championship window unlikely to change that. Both teams, Rich argues, are genuinely the best in the world right now — not just on paper.
Beyond the headline argument, Rich raises a pointed grievance about CSA's ticketing approach for the New Year's Test against England at Newlands, where loyal local fans — the same people who filled the ground on weekdays for the Australia series — find themselves locked out in favour of foreign hospitality packages. He draws a sharp contrast between the atmosphere generated by Cape Town's cricket regulars and what Newlands will look like with the Barmy Army in residence. On the rugby side, he notes that a 33-7 Stormers win over Ulster barely raised a cheer — winning has become the baseline expectation — and flags teenagers Markus Muller and Yaqeen Ahmed as standout performers, with Zekhethelo Siyaya adding to the sense that the SA pipeline is in rude health.