Is the South African rugby team too old?
This week, Rassie Erasmus had to come out to bat for captain Siya Kolisi over whether he was over the hill. As someone eyeballing 40, it is hard to believe that players are cast into the scrap heap of rugby after 35. The balancing act of experience versus youthful energy often dictates who wins the […]
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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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Does the Springboks style matter?
Fresh off a historic series victory the Springboks have been caught in the crossfire of every pundit not in green and gold spitting fire at the dire nature of the way the Boks play. Most Northern commentators called the Boks all manner of things under the sun except the series victors. Does it matter the…
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What the selections of the Lions and Boks means for Saturdays clash
Boks The settled Boks team has a sense of being comfortable both in personnel and expected game plan. The changes of Cobus Reinach for Faf de Klerk and Franco Mostert for Pieter Steph du Toit was almost a certainty after the final whistle blew in the Boks famous victory. Cobus is considered a better kicking…
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Gut reactions to the British and Irish Lions vs Boks 2nd test
Roles reversed After the Boks won the first half of the First Test and faded badly in the second half it was the Lions turn to look out on their feet in the second stanza of the Second Test. Not only did the Lions look exhausted but also looked devoid of ideas on attack which…
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How are the squads of the South African teams looking ahead of the United Rugby Championship?
With the British and Irish Lions tour going on the Carling Currie Cup and local South African teams have fallen very much to the background but this is a vital time to improve squad fitness and depth. I will take a look and see how each franchise is looking. Sigma Lions The Sigma Lions are…
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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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Gut reactions to the Lions and Boks selections
Looking at the teams selected this week for the first test speaks volumes about what each coach expects from this game. Boks nervous about fitness The selection of Ox Nche and Trevor Nyakane to start over Frans Malherbe and Steven Kitshoff shows us that the Bok brains trust are worried about the Boks being undercooked.…
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Who do the Springboks want the Lions to select?
I am trying to look at the selection posers for Warren Gatland from a Springboks perspective to see how the makeup of the team will suit the plans of the Boks. This is what I believe the Boks want when Gatland names his team. The Lions have been playing at a tremendous pace which is…
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British and Irish Lions tour – What we know and what we haven’t learnt yet
What we know: Springbok team selection The Springboks are set on who they want to be playing in the 23 come Saturday with Covid 19 protocols and match fitness putting a few key cogs in question. Handre Pollard and Siya Kolisi are the biggest losses if they aren’t deemed ready to start on Saturday but…
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British and Irish Lions tour Fact vs Fiction
Yes I believe that we came very close to seeing the tour end before it even really began due to the Covid cases in the Bok camp. It was all about timing and with the congested nature of the tour there is no room for error. If the Boks camp outbreak came later down the…
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My top 5 International rugby analysts
Jim Hamilton Jim is a larger than life character, literally 6 foot 7, and had a successful career as an enforcer on the field. He would have most likely played for any of the top international sides and had a good deal of success had he not been part of the perennial underachievers, Scotland. He…
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