The object of any game is to win. Scores may or may not be remembered in a win, but the fact that a win was chalked up is – even if it’s the tough, boring and broken play of the ‘ugly win’.
An ugly win tends to come about when neither teams can seem to break the other’s line and score. Each team is trying to play to their game plan but they cannot seem to get any flow going and revert to kicking for territory or taking the points on offer when a penalty is blown.
The Sharks’ win over The Cheetahs is the most recent game where boredom started to take over. There were the odd line breaks, but generally the plays were predictable, boring and lacked the electricity of running rugby. The weather conditions were perfect for rugby and the chances were available, but scrappy ball and nervous youngsters disrupted the flow.
The Sharks eventually came away with the win, thanks to a sole try and the boot of Morne Steyn. At the end of the game, the cameras focused on John Smit, former player now CEO, and he looked disappointed.
But why the disappointment? It’s a win. The team didn’t perform well on the field and frustration was setting in towards the end of the game. Spectators and supporters want to witness magic on the field but what they are sometimes given is a horses’ rear end treatment. A spectator cannot really cheer for a game that has a stop-start dynamic. Sure, a few beers can liven the time and dull the boredom but people start to turn away and get on with something else.
As a spectator, this type of match is boring, but as a player, the focus has to remain through the scrappy play. The game may not be going as planned, but if a team can buckle down and secure a win, there isn’t much more that you can ask for, especially when leading a fairly tough competition and doing it with new players and regular starters out for the season.
Wins are especially important in a competition as tough as Super Rugby, so even if it takes water drawn from a rock to secure a win, a hard fought win builds character. If a team plays badly and still gets a win, then there is something to take from that.
