Tabla de contenidos para June 2023 en SA RUGBY

Without Deon Fourie, the Stormers were more of a light breeze on a cloudy day. With him, they thundered to victory in the United Rugby Championship. Fourie turns 37 in September and plays the position that would have most intrigued Evel Knievel, had the legendary American stuntman shown an interest in rugby. Francois Louw sped through a few flaming rings in his 76 Tests as a Bok fetcher, and it's understating the matter to say Louw is impressed with the standard of rugby being delivered by his former Stormers teammate in the twiliaht of his career. It took an injury to teammate Jaden Hendrikse for Sharks halfback Grant Williams to get a shot at the starting gig in Durbs, and the rapid former Paarl Gimnasium scrum-feeder sprinted off with the…

PICK A BOLTER FOR THE SPRINGBOKS’2023 WORLD CUP SQUAD VS DYLAN JACK SAYS SANELE NOHAMBA Before Makazole Mapimpi and Cheslin Kolbe made history by becoming the Springboks' first try-scorers in a World Cup final, the history of those big games was written by the goal-kickers. In 1995, it was Joel Stransky’s extra-time drop goal that gave the Springboks their first title against the mighty All Blacks. Twelve years later, Springbok kickers Frans Steyn and Percy Montgomery combined to down then-defending champions England at the Stade de France. The Red Roses claimed their first World Cup win in 2003 after Jonny Wilkinson slotted a 100th-minute drop goal. Long story short, it is vital for any World Cup title hopeful to have a Deadeye Dick kicking for goal. The Springboks do have…

Brent Titus This is a disaster. Jacques du Plessis In the form he is currently in it will be a big blow for the Springboks. He is an exceptional player and leader. Philip Cullingworth Wishing Siya a speedy and full recovery. We need you, captain. Wayne Paul He will be missed. Luckily we have great backups. Brian Barrows Deon Fourie, Kwagga Smith and Marcell Coetzee come to mind. Nguboyengwe KaLuvuyo We’ve got a ton of hungry, world-class flankers, we'll be fine. Get well soon, Siya. Max van Dam If he does not make it, then the real question is about the captaincy. Alison Joshua Tomlinson Great game, well done and congratulations Pukke. Sorry Ikeys, you played your hearts out. Such tremendous talent coming through the ranks. Charles Parsons Unlucky Ikey…

WORLD CUP HISTORY I n 2003, France was awarded the right to host the 2007 World Cup, beating a bid from England, with four of the 48 matches to be played in Wales and two in Scotland. The Springboks had finished last in the 2007 Tri-Nations, but rested first-choice players for their two away matches with the World Cup in mind. Comfortable warm-up Test wins against Namibia and Scotland gave captain John Stmt's team some confidence going into their first World Cup Pool A match, against Samoa at the Parc des Princes. The Boks scored eight tries, including four from wing Bryan Habana, in a convincing 59-7 win, but it came at a cost as centre Jean de Villiers suffered a tournament-ending bicep injury. Twenty-year-old Frans Steyn was therefore selected…

GEORGE TURNER An unexpected name-drop for sure. As tactical thinkers go, you might have expected Gregor Townsend or Steve Tandy to get a mention but right there, in the middle of the conversation, is a reference to ancient military strategist Sun Tzu. Well, kind of. As Glasgow Warriors and Scotland hooker George Turner says with a bashful laugh, 'What is it they say in the Art of War? Deception is good to have!' The actual line is 'All warfare is based on deception', but consider us defeated. Because what Turner is addressing is a question about the so-called 'Pool of Death' at this year's World Cup, where Scotland are pitted against world No 1, Grand Slam Ireland and reigning world champs South Africa, and whether Scotland's unpredictability can be a…

Everyone loves a good guy, and everyone loves a good story that could be turned into a movie. Deon Fourie is that good and his story is that movie. The player they call ‘Brannas’ understands life and the balance one has in life. Long may he enjoy a quality brandy and Coke in between inspiring his teammates with the consistent quality of his on-field performances. This is a guy who played in the Schalk Burger and Duane Vermeulen era and this is the guy who is playing in the Evan Roos era. He is also playing with some teammates who were not born when he matriculated. And the veteran is not done yet. He is 36 but he is playing as if he is 16 years old and he is…

FORWARDS 1. OS DU RANDT Apart from being an exceptional loosehead prop, to come out of retirement and win another World Cup says a lot. 2. JOHN SMIT A World Cup-winning captain, who was instrumental in reviving Springbok rugby in the early 2000s. 3. DAVIT ZIRAKASHVILI Georgian strongman. Anchored the scrum and his low body position made him a great ball-carrier. 4. BAKKIES BOTHA The physicality he brought to the playing field was something else. His success on the rugby field shows in his trophy cupboard. 5. VICTOR MATFIELD Lineout genius. His presence gave many lineout coaches sleepless nights. 6. SCHALK BURGER He was dominant in every collision, and it’s even better to have a beer with him. 7. JUAN SMITH He was a strong ball-carrier with a mean hand-off.…

'I'M COMING TO DURDAN TO WIN. KINGS PARK HAS ALWAYS BEEN A TOUGH PLACE TO COME TO AND WIN, AND I’D LIKE TO HELP MAKE IT A FORTRESS AGAIN’ JOHN PLUMTREE ON RETURNING TO THE SHARKS FOR A SECOND STINT AS HEAD COACH 'I'LL KEEP QUIET, MY MOM IS ON MY CASE!' RASSIE ERASMUS HINTS AT STAYING OFF TWITTER DURING THIS YEAR'S WORLD CUP ‘YOU’RE HOPING IT WILL CONTINUE NOT JUST FOR THE NEXT TWO OR THREE YEARS, BUT FOR THE NEXT 70 OR 80 YEARS’ LEINSTER COACH LEO CULLEN ON SOUTH AFRICAN PARTICIPATION IN THE URC ‘YOU KNOW APRIL FOOLS' WAS WEEKS AGO, RIGHT?' FORMER BOK PROP OLLIE LE ROUX WHEN ASKED ABOUT WORLD RUGBY’S NEW REGULATION THAT TEST TEAMS WILL WEAR 'LIGHT' OR 'DARK' KITS TO ACCOMMODATE COLOUR-BLIND…

FIJIANS SLAY WELSH DRAGONS (FIJI vs WALES, NANTES) With the Wallabies having secured top spot in Pool B, this match was a straight shootout to determine who would join them in the quarter-finals. Three tries in 24 minutes gave Fiji a 25-3 lead, but Wales hit back with four tries - including two against 14 men - to go 29-25 ahead after 50 minutes. Fiji regained the lead with two penalty goals, only to relinquish it when a poor pass saw Wales flank Martyn Williams score a 60m interception try in the 73rd minute. Fiji, though, grabbed their fourth try when prop Graham Dewes barged over with four minutes remaining, and they forced a turnover on their 22, a minute into stoppage time, to secure one of the biggest World…

FORWARDS RANKING HACJIVAH DAYIMANI 13 APPEARANCES 977 MINUTES 9 LINEBREAKS 39 DEFENDERS BEATEN 8.6 METRES PER CARRY 5 TURNOVER-WINNING TACKLES SCRUMHALF RANKING GRANT WILLIAMS 15 APPEARANCES 823 MINUTES 590 CARRY METRES 12.3 METRES PER CARRY 9 LINEBREAKS 90.6 TACKLE-SUCCESS RATE PERCENTAGE…

SIYA KOLISI 'Op went well, the hard work starts now. Thanks for all the prayer, messages and support.’ - The Springbok captain was in good spirits after knee surgery. JOSEPH DWEBA 'Now this is a great feeling,' - The hooker celebrated with fullback Clayton Blommetjies after the Stormers secured the URC South African Shield. FRANCKE HORN 'Dankie! Jakes, you’re a Lion through and through.’ - The Lions No 8 with retiring teammate Jaco Kriel at Loftus Versfeld. VICTOR MATFIELD 'Old Boet Erasmus Stadium.’ - The legendary Bok lock was sad to see the state of the venue at which he made his Springbok Test debut in 2001. ANDRIES BEKKER 'Gwarra gwarra with my yster! - The former Bok lock enjoyed a round of golf with Kobe Steelers flank Marcell Coetzee…

What's your perfect pre-workout meal? It depends. If it’s game week with a match on a Saturday, I carbo-load and fill up on protein during the week to get a nice pump going into training sessions. If there’s a tough training session ahead, I tend to go for lighter meals so I don’t slow down on the pitch. At what age did you move from the DRC to South Africa? I left for South Africa when I was four and only went back for the first time last year. It was crazy, I feel more like a foreigner in my home country than I do in SA! You played for Wits. What did you study? I did a BA and majored in geography. I'd been interested in geography since high…

T he next Springbok head coach should be a heavyweight with a proven track record of success. John Dobson coached the Stormers to a United Rugby Championship title last season, but he is still building a dynasty in the Cape and unlikely to leave before his current contract expires in 2027. Bulls boss Jake White has won several trophies over the years, including a World Cup, but you can’t see him working under anyone, let alone Rassie Erasmus. John Plumtree is back as Sharks head coach and while he’s got the credentials to coach the Boks, he’d want to get some silverware into the Kings Park cabinet first. Former Cheetahs coach Franco Smith has turned things around at the Glasgow Warriors (see page 60) but still has work to do…

CHOKE TACKLE DEFENCE Three ways to avoid being choked The choke tackle, in which the defence turns a tackle into a maul and envelops the ball, is causing more turnovers by the week. Teach your ball-carriers how to counteract this suffocating tactic. When the ball-carrier is held up in the tackle and unable to offload or get the ball to ground, the alarm bells should ring. There’s a high probability that the referee will call a maul and then, as the carrier goes to ground, the defenders will hold on tight - as they’re entitled to. The result? An unplayable maul and a scrum put-in to the defending team. It’s a terrific defensive tactic that has gained prominence since coach Les Kiss, a former rugby league pro from Australia, introduced…

BROUGHT TO YOU BY There was one massive question surrounding the Springboks as the World Cup hosts prepared to take on the mighty All Blacks: Can you stop Jonah Lomu? Playing in his second Test season, the 120kg, 20-year-old wing from Auckland had smashed even the most well-organised of defences at the tournament, leaving tacklers in his wake whenever he touched the ball. The fear factor was further enhanced when Lomu scored four tries as the All Blacks demolished 1991 finalists England in a 45-29 win, in which the talismanic back famously flattened fullback Mike Catt on his way to the tryline. England captain Will Carling, one of those bulldozed by Lomu in Cape Town, said afterwards that he was a ‘freak', while England hooker Brian Moore suggested that the…

BRYAN HABANA Habana began his 2007 World Cup campaign with four tries against Samoa and would score another four - two against the USA and two in the semi-final against Argentina - to equal Jonah Lomu’s World Cup tournament record of eight. The 24-year-old’s first try against Samoa saw him receive possession from just inside his half, step inside past three defenders, change direction, throw a dummy and dart away to score. Against Argentina, he regathered his kick ahead to score his first try of the semi-final and then ran 80m after intercepting a Pumas’ pass to grab his second. Habana capped off a memorable 2007 (he also scored the Bulls' match-winning try in the Super Rugby final against the Sharks in Durban) by being named the IRB Player of…

■ Toulouse’s crest was inspired by a mosaic in the chapel of Saint Thomas Aquinas, an influential philosopher and theologian, who is buried in a church in the city. ■ Toulouse's have the best record in the European Champions Cup, having won five of their seven finals, and were the first team to win over 100 games in the history of the competition. ■ Toulouse have completed the 'double' (Champions Cup and national championship) twice (1995-96 and 2020-21), a record shared with the Leicester Tigers (2000-01 and 2001-02) and Saracens (2015-15 and 2018-19). ■ Toulouse won the inaugural European Cup in 1995, captained by Emile Ntamack, and won it most recently with Emile’s son Remain at flyhalf in 2020-21. ■ Former All Blacks flank Jerome Kaino, who retired as a…

Arriving at Toulouse in 2017 alongside his former Stormers teammate Cheslin Kolbe, Rynhardt Elstadt has gained international recognition playing top-flight rugby in Europe. While wearing Toulouse colours, Elstadt has earned praise for his trademark physicality and much-improved performances in the lineout, and was a vital cog in the club’s 2020-21 Champions Cup title and Top 14 crowns (2018-19 and 2020-21) success. With four Test caps to his name, Elstadt also has the experience of 58 Super Rugby appearances for the Stormers and represented Western Province for seven years during which he won the Currie Cup in 2014. World Rugby Player of the Year in 2021, Antoine Dupont remains one of the best players on the planet and invaluable to Toulouse. A veritable attacking threat around the fringes due to his…