I love new beginnings.
They are always moments of hope and positivity. And they offer the chance to do better.
And with the kickoff of the PSL and the Rugby Championship this weekend, there are opportunities to put the right foot forward for a number of our favourite teams.
The Springboks, Cape Town City and Ajax Cape Town all begin new campaigns.
And everyone involved with them will be hoping that’s what they do.
For the Boks, they will be hoping that they can improve from their showing in the southern-hemisphere battle last season.
2016 was the worst year in Bok history.
They lost to each of their rivals and finished third.
There was a historic defeat to Argentina, their opponents this weekend, and record pakslae at the hands of the All Blacks.
I guess anything would be an improvement from last term.
But Allister Coetzee and his manne can’t go and do the bare minimum.
Getting off to a winning start will be non-negotiable. Los Pumas will have confidence after humiliating the Boks and will come hard at them in Port Elizabeth.
South Africa’s tight five will have to step up their game, especially at set piece time where they sukkeled against the French in the mid-year internationals.
The forwards will also have to show more imagination in the loose to keep the ball alive.
In the halfbacks, there are a lot of questions still hanging over Lions pair Elton Jantjies and Ross Cronje after another unsuccessful bid at claiming the Super Rugby title.
Maybe they should be showed more respect from some fans for getting to back-to-back finals, but they need to prove that they can win the really big games when the stakes are high.
Toetie has gone for a solid-looking backline. Here’s hoping their cover defence is good and they show some threat to their rivals’ tryline.
Cape Town City showed what they can do already by advancing to the MTN8 semifinals with a 1-0 win over Polokwane City last Saturday.
Now they have to step up a weight division when they take on league champions Wits tonight (8pm).
It’s a massive game for Benni McCarthy, even if he is not facing mentor Gavin Hunt who is suspended for the match.
McCarthy will have to get his game plan just right after working on a more possession-based game in pre-season. Against defence-minded Wits, a tactical battle is on the cards.
Ajax? Where do you start? They face bogey team Golden Arrows.
And coach Stanley Menzo will be hoping his manne don’t drop the ball with all the new training he has been giving them.
He is a strict disciplinarian. But it hasn’t paid off with the laaities at Ikamva yet.