THE CORNER FLAG: Pieter-Steph inspires a nation

Pieter Stephanus du Toit.

This is a name synonymous with hard work, grit and resilience. For the second successive World Cup final, the loose forward showed South Africans what being patriotic means.

A staggering 28 tackles in his match-winning performance in the World Cup final against New Zealand helped SA retain the Webb Ellis trophy and become the only country to lift it four times.

His tackles were timed well and executed at the correct height and his technique was spot-on.

He, along with the rest of the matchday 23, played for the badge and our flag.

When he hunted down Jordie Barrett in the 76th minute, it was with the same relentless ferocity with which he put down England fly-half George Ford four years ago in the final in Yokohama.

That he put his body on the line the way he did for his country, there was an aura of indestructibility and persistence to him that felt completely at odds with the misfortunes he endured in the aftermath of the 2019 final.

You see, the loose forward shouldn’t have played in Paris. In fact, his career was supposed to have been over three years ago.

During a Vodacom Super Rugby match in 2020, he suffered a haematoma in his left thigh. It developed into acute compartment syndrome, which almost cost him his leg. He was sidelined for months but made a full recovery.

Over the years, he’s overcome injuries on both ankles, a cracked sternum and two ACLs. On the second ACL, his father had to donate a piece of his hamstring to ensure his son could play again.

He overcame adversity. He fought his toughest battle outside the field to play in the green and gold again.

Those accustomed to the Bible will agree with me when I say Pieter-Steph was a destructive rock in Jacques Nienaber’s side (like Saint Peter was to Jesus) and will soon receive his crown as the best-ever Springboks flanker (like Jesus gave Saint Stephen his crown).

Ultimately, Du Toit and the Boks’ fighting spirit should be a lesson to us all. He overcame a major medical scare to lead his country to another World Cup triumph, and the Springboks showed us what we can achieve when united.

We can also do it.

Not a lot is going our way in our community. Iconic recreational facilities are left to rot. Our roads are full of hell-holes, and the city once known as the Jewel of the East resembles the battered and bruised England Roses that allowed the media to fight their on-field battle.

Like Du Toit and the Boks inspired all of SA, organisations like Clean Projects and others in our community continue to inspire us.

So, let’s unleash our inner Pieter-Steph and our Bok power and proudly fight for the soul of Benoni. After all, this town belongs to us.

Here’s to four more great years.

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