Mid-afternoon yesterday, and a text message stumbled uncertainly into my phone, announcing in a cheerful slur that that the sender still hadn?t been to bed after Saturday?s surreal end to the Vodacom Super 14. The sender in question was Roland Schoeman, a manic Bulls fan, and like most of Pretoria, he?d been in full celebration mode from Saturday night ? and like most of Pretoria, will continue to float along on a cloud of blue euphoria for some time to come.

The Bulls? second title couldn?t have been more different to the first; where Bryan Habana?s late intervention broke hearts across Durban and put a thrilling seal on an all-South African final, this was the single most comprehensive dismantling of another team the Super 14 has seen this year. And that in the final. The ref could have stopped the fight 20 minutes into that second half, but any sympathy for the Chiefs was drowned out entirely by the roars of delight that echoed out from Loftus and across South Africa on Saturday night.

Not that long ago, Derick Hougaard ran a ten-man Bulls side that kicked Currie Cup opposition into submission on the pack of a giant pack big on size but low on subtlety; the metamorphosis in Pretoria has been quite extraordinary. Gurthro Steenkamp has returned from an ordinary 2008 to light up the tight five, Pierre Spies is a breathtaking specimen (and almost more suited to the cast of ?Heroes? than a mere rugby team), Fourie du Preez continues to redefine scrumhalf play as an art form, and most welcomely of all, Morne Steyn has sealed his claim to a Springbok jersey, and burst free of the one-dimensional kicking number ten image that has haunted the Bulls since the days of Naas.

The rest of the team revels in assorted plaudits, and a Bulls-dominated Springbok side would be no surprise, not for winning the Super 14, but for the manner in which that victory was effected. The Chiefs are a fine side, and will get plenty of attention from Graham Henry, the loss notwithstanding; something exceptional happened on Saturday evening, though, as the Bulls had a golfer?s 59; one late fumble from Jaco Pretorius aside, this was rugby as it?s played in heaven.

That the final was preceded by a late escape for the Welsh and Irish Lions only reinforced the different tones on which this week begins: high-flying triumph across South Africa, much work to be done for the Lions. The tourists will get considerably better in a short period of time, and the Springboks will be under no illusions, but I know which camp I?d rather be in right now.

It was almost an even more perfect weekend, the referee in the Edinburgh Sevens final awarding an erroneous try, not allowing Gio Aplon to score under the posts, and giving Fiji a crucial advantage in the Springboks? one-point defeat. But with the series confirmed for Paul Treu?s side, it was a glorious rugby weekend, and all the more so if you hail from jacaranda territory. Roland won?t have been the only one up all night celebrating on Saturday; in a country notoriously rife with provincialism, South Africa was a Bulls nation this weekend, and blue delirium drenched the country. Now for that to become a green and gold dose of the same in the coming weeks.

  • Heartbreaking times on the golf course: my fourball managed a clear hold on last place over two days at Francois Pienaar?s FNB Invitational at Fancourt this weekend, thanks in no small part to the efforts of one Jeremy Nel, who recently lost a matchplay challenge 6 and 5 to Stephen Hawking. The true disappointment though was Tim Clark, who started the final day of the Crowne Plaza Invitational two ahead, but had an indifferent day out, ended up in a play-off, and cruelly lost to Steve Stricker in a three-man playoff, which means the little South African is still chasing that maiden PGA title.

    The real golf story of the weekend, however, was the Saturday gesture from the entire field, every player donning a pink wardrobe in a simple, dramatic gesture of support for Phil Mickelson and his wife Amy, diagnosed two weeks ago with breast cancer. The PGA Tour can be a cutthroat place, and Mickelson hasn?t always been everyone?s favourite player; the show of solidarity thus made all the more of a statement. Here?s to a speedy recovery for Amy, and a quick return to the Tour for Mickelson.

  • Contact Dan at dan@metropolis.co.za