Category: Springboks
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Springboks look like a championship team
Yes one could make the argument that winning the Rugby World Cup is enough to say this current crop of players is a championship team but any professional sportsperson will tell you it is far harder staying at the top then getting there. The ingredients for a championship team is harder to put your finger…
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Springboks: What we have learnt and what we don’t know after the Rugby Championship
What we have learned: The Springboks have a game plan that is beautiful in its simplistic brutality and effective against any opposition when it is executed correctly. The pressure is ratcheted up through suffocating defense and constant peppering of contestable kicks until the chink in the armour appears. This wearing down of the opposition might…
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What we know and haven’t learnt yet going into the Springboks game against Australia
What we know. The Boks have a very settled look about them when it comes to player selection with the only decisions to be around Faf de Klerk and Duane Vermeulen coming back from injury straight into the starting lineup and if Cheslin Kolbe overcomes his leg injury. The alternatives being Cobus Reinach, Jasper Wiese…
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Who are the 2 players the Springboks can’t afford to lose to injury?
With the dust settling after the momentous Springbok victory against the British and Irish Lions the Boks now look to the Rugby Championship and the end of year UK tour which in many ways is more daunting then the Lions. Playing Australia and New Zealand away, all in be it in Australia, is a massive…
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Winners and losers from the British and Irish Lions vs Springboks first test
This was an enthralling encounter not for the quality of the rugby but the high stakes pressure game with large momentum shifts throughout. Winners Gatland’s mind games Warren Gatland spent the better part of the end of the week complaining about having South African TMO Marius Jonker officiate the game and it worked. Jonker was…
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What do the British and Irish Lions need to get out of the midweek matches
The easy answer to this question would be wins right? Not exactly. These midweek games are more about sharpening the squad up for the main course – the three Test matches. When people look back at the tours the results of the matches outside of the Test matches are quickly forgotten. Look at the previous…
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Why teams need to embrace transformation rather than shun it
In any large organization CEO’s talk about the importance of diversity to enable employees to approach problems from different angles creating a more holistic solution. Rugby is no different in that signing players who all look the same, think the same and speak the same language aren’t able to problem solve situations as well as…
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Way too early Springbok World Cup 2023 team
Take a way too early look at who are the frontrunners to don the green and gold for the World Cup 2023 in France. 15. Aphelele Fassi He is electrifying from open play and can turn a moment in the game on its head but he has a much underrated ability to read the game…
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Will the South African contracting model work?
We are currently in unknown territories with Covid 19 well and truly wreaking havoc on the bank balances of rugby teams around the world. SA Rugby took the opportunity to implement the new contracting model of 45 senior players and R60 million cap for each of the four PRO 16 bound franchises. The cap on…
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Winners and losers in british & irish lions tour schedule
Winners: Local SA Franchises: They get to have a crack at the Lions touring party fresh off the boat on hard fast fields in altitude which is incredibly difficult at the best of times. The Lions will be looking to use their superior forward power to slow the game down and kick for territory whilst…
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British & irish lions tour: South african selection
[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”] Welcome to Sports between the lines where we analyse all things rugby from players to teams and current trends. Today is our first episode and we are starting off with something that is very exciting here in…