The spectacular series turnaround by Dean Elgar and his men has been a great way to kick off the year, but, be warned: these are the days of the “Terrible Twos”.
History shows that years ending in two have served up disasters and great moments for SA sport alike; rollercoaster rides from the sublime to the ridiculous.
Go back half a century when tennis players Brenda Kirk and Pat Pretorius scored a magnificent 2-1 victory over Britain to claim the Federation Cup at Ellis Park. Less than three months later, across the road, the English rugby team — wooden spoonists in the Five Nations tournament — beat the Springboks 18-9 in a one-off Test.
In 1982 Kevin Curren won two grand slam titles, in doubles and mixed doubles, but the Boks were beaten 21-12 by a South American Jaguars team they’d smashed a week earlier.
The Boks have yet to tame the “Terrible Twos”. In 1992 they were hammered 26-3 by world champions Australia; in 2002 they endured a terrible end-of-year tour, which included getting trounced 53-3 by England; and, in 2012 they were unable to beat Argentina for the first time, being held to a 16-16 draw.
But 2012 was spectacular in other spheres of combat, especially on English soil. Hashim Amla became the first South African to score a triple century, and on the same day Ernie Els won the British Open at Lytham St Annes.
Within three weeks, Team SA bagged an impressive four Olympic golds at the London 2012 Games, courtesy of Cameron van der Burgh, Chad Le Clos, the lightweight men’s four rowers and Caster Semenya. Greg Minnaar won the second of his four downhill world championship crowns that year.
The “Terrible Twos” have KO’ed most of SA’s boxers, which should be worrying news for Thabiso Mchunu and Sivenathi Nontshinga, who bid for mainstream world titles this year.
Moruti Mthalane is the only reigning world champion to have survived, holding on to his IBF flyweight crown through 2012.
Takalani Ndlovu lost his IBF junior-featherweight title in 2012 to countryman Jeffrey Mathebula, the only SA challenger to have won in the “Terrible Twos”, but he still lost it later in the year. In 1992 Welcome Ncita lost the same belt to Kennedy McKinney.
Frans Botha was knocked out by Wladimir Klitschko in 2002; Sugar Boy Malinga and Jackie Gunguluza lost in 1992; and Charlie Weir and Robbie Williams missed out in 1982.
Bafana Bafana won their first World Cup contest in 2002, downing Slovenia 1-0. But in 1992 they endured a terrible run that included a 4-1 hiding by Zimbabwe and a 4-0 drubbing by Nigeria.
The cricketers got off to a good start in 1992, beating Australia and the West Indies at the World Cup. And then came that heartbreaking rain-hit semifinal against England, needing 22 runs from 13 balls, then 21 from one.
Their first Test in 22 years in Bridgetown delivered more agony; so close to triumph they lost their last seven wickets for 25 runs.
Dear Sports Fans, 2022 is just 16 days old — cling on for dear life.
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