Ithuba make the party come alive

ITHUBA, the all-black guests from South Africa, made it quite a party here yesterday. On an afternoon full of surprises, they marked their appearance on the big stage with some stunning performances that saw them account for Harlequins and Rosslyn Park in the closing stages of the Middlesex Sevens before Leicester had their say in the final.

It was the Tigers' first triumph here as they added the Russell Cargill Cup to the First Division silverware. But on an afternoon when Bath, who treat HQ as a home from home, were beaten at the outset and last season's runners-up, Orrell, and Wasps, the favourites, bit the Blackheath bullet, it was the guests from afar who stole the limelight. The cheers came no louder than when Ithuba took out Quins, winners here on 13 occasions, 28-7 in the quarter finals. And it was a case of pupils outlasting masters when they breezed past Park, who had provided coaching lessons at Roehampton for the visitors during the week.

In common with everything else around here, these Sevens continue to grow in all manner of ways, the organisers having decided to inject new life into a tournament which began in 1926.

Hence the appearance here three years ago of the Western Samoans, who finished up winners, and Derek Mann and his hard-working committee are now committed to a southern hemisphere presence. "In recent times," Mann said, "they did become a little bit jaded and needed livening up." Hence the appearance last year of sides representing Fiji and Zimbabwe.

The policy, which includes the involvement of England's leading clubs, is working. Yesterday, bearing in mind that you could not simply turn up and pay to get into Twickenham, a record 53,000 were in attendance after booking their seats in advance. Nor will it finish there if Mann and Co decide to open up the North and East upper tiers besides allowing ticket sales on the day.

As for the customers this time, they had a new side to welcome in the shape of Ithuba, a party gathered together from the townships of Western Cape. They had hoped to make the trip last year, but Louis Luyt, the South African Rugby Football Union president, unkindly said that their application to tour had come too late.

This time, however, there was no stopping them, and while they had gone out in the early rounds of the London Floodlit and Caldy Sevens, here they made their mark by beating Haywards Heath 31-7 to reach the quarter- finals.

Just getting here has been quite something. As their manager, Millan Petersen, said: "Half the team hadn't seen the inside of a plane, let along Twickenham. They were dumbstruck. It's not for the want of talent, but at home they never get noticed."

So at the headquarters of the English game in May, the names of Irven October and Kenneth January appeared in the tournament programme. Indeed October, the captain, scored a try against Haywards Heath, though the honour of the first touch-down went to Solly Geduld. "I've dreamed about Twickenham," the overjoyed player said, "but to score - that's something else."

Which was a feat beyond Geduld in the final as the Tigers ran in three tries to two before the break and settled the issue when Tom Reynolds, Nigel Richardson and Niall Malone breached a flagging defence.

Leicester: T Reynolds, J Liley (capt), N Malone, J Hamilton; C Tarbuck, C Johnson, N Richardson.

Ithuba: W Louw, J Visser, I October (capt), L Booysen; S Langenhoven, K January, N Witbooli.

Referee: N Cousins (Dulwich).