Indholdsfortegnelse for April 2023 i SA RUGBY

Right up until 7pm on 4 February 2023, Duhan van der Merwe may have been viewed by many as somewhat of an underachiever who had failed to live up to the expectation created by his speed and 1.93m, 106kg frame. That all changed at around 7:15pm when the Scotland mega-wing, born in George, exploded on a solo counter-strike at Twickenham to score what some say is the greatest try in Six Nations history. As sad as it is to see South African talent thriving on foreign shores, the sobering reality of Van der Merwe’s local prospects, and his subsequent international success, confirm he - like many of his countrymen - made the right move. In Pretoria, no one moves like Nizaam Carr, and the athletic link man doesn’t hold back…

FORWARDS 1. DUNCAN JONES He wasn’t the biggest guy around, but the way he tnrew his body around during games was incredible to watch. 2. RORY BEST Also not the biggest, but the way he used his size was inspirational. 3. ADRIAN GARVEY Had a wonderful work rate around the park and gave you good, solid ball at scrum time. 4. MARK ANDREWS Would hit the ruck at lOOkm/h with great effect, moving bodies around. 5. KRYNAUW OTTO Formed an excellent second-row combination with Mark. 6. RICHIE McCAW His name was always in red when we planned for the opposition, yet he still managed to steal and disrupt our ball. My captain. 7. ANDRE VENTER Old school in his approach to the game but, boy, was he tough and effective.…

DUHAN VAN DER MERWE W hen Duhan van der Merwe received the ball inside his own half in a Six Nations clash between Scotland and England in February, the Twickenham crowd held its collective breath in anticipation of what was to come. The giant winger’s speed saw him dash through the first two attempted tackles without problem. Centre Owen Farrell lay in wait on England’s 22m line, but Van der Merwe did away with him using his fast feet. A desperate, last-ditch tackle attempt from England No 8 Alex Dombrandt was simply handed off as Van der Merwe crossed the line for one of the greatest tries in Six Nations history. ‘IT REMINDED ME DF WHEN YOU PLAYED JONAH LOMU RUGBY AND SUDDENLY ONE PERSON CAN GO QUICKER’ - GREBOR TOWNSEND…

Adding some meat to the French pack, Paul Willemse (below) could be on a collision course with the Springboks at the 2023 World Cup, with the possibility of the two teams meeting in the playoffs. The former Bulls lock is the yster of France’s forwards and was a key part of their Six Nations Grand Slam in 2022. While France’s interest in South African-born players has cooled, relatively speaking, Saffa-mania reigned between 2013 and 2014, when Les Bleus debuted SA loose forwards Antonie Claassen and Bernard le Roux, fullback Scott Spedding and scrumhalf Rory Kockott. Prop Pieter de Villiers was among the first South Africans to play for France, when he made his Test debut in 1999, earning 68 caps before a neck injury forced him to retire. And then…

RETURNING TO SOUTH AFRICA IN 2020 ‘My family is the reason I came back from France. When we got married our plan was always to raise our kids in Bloem. My eldest daughter is in Grade 4. Secondly, if there wasn’t all of this exciting stuff happening rugbywise here, I might have tried to do something else. I have a very soft spot for the Cheetahs, most of us do - it’s everybody’s second team! If Ruan Pienaar and I left, it wouldn’t put the team in a good place.’ THE SPRINGBOK SQUAD ‘Each team has its specialities and unique things, but Rassie Erasmus did an amazing job with taking players from a position where they were just starting out, to being superstars. Jake White said one year that you…

W hile Damian de Allende and Lukhanyo Am reinforce the Springbok backline with a world-class centre combination heading into the 2023 World Cup, the rise of several hot hands promises to keep them on their toes beyond the final of rugby’s showpiece. From a continuity perspective, an injury to either De Allende or Am would deal a heavy blow to South Africa’s plans to defend their title, but the contingency options are far from sparse. André Esterhuizen, Damian Willemse and Jesse Kriel are the obvious frontrunners in the event of an emergency, while Frans Steyn knows how to get the job done as he bids to feature at a fourth World Cup in what is likely to be his swansong Test season. But the coaching team of Rassie Erasmus and Jacques…

F or most South African rugby players, the path to the top is relatively straightforward - attend a big rugby school, make a move to a big union and play through the ranks to the top. However, for Jordan Chait, that path has turned into an epic journey that has taken him from Cape Town’s quiet southern suburbs to some of the biggest cities in Eastern Europe. Having recently completed a move from the Tel Aviv Heat in Israel to Major League Rugby’s Seattle Seawolves, Chait marked his US debut with a Man of the Match performance in the season opener against New York. ‘It went really well,’ Chait tells SA Rugby magazine. ‘It was amazing to play at home in front of the Seattle fans who are extremely passionate. I…

BROUGHT TO YOU BY The significance of what Ricky Januarie had done by scoring the try that took the Springboks to a rare away victory over the ALL Blacks was evident in the immediate and post-match reaction. Springbok coach Peter de Villiers slammed his desk in delight as Januarie rounded off a moment of individual brilliance. On the final whistle, the Bok bench raced on to the field to join teammates in wild celebration of South Africa’s first win at Carisbrook in 87 years. It was a moment made more delightful in the context of it following the previous week’s 19-8 reverse against New Zealand in Wellington. The winless run at the fabled Dunedin venue looked set to stand for eternity as this match marked the final Test at Carisbrook.…

Two-time Premiership champions Harlequins have achieved modest success on the field, despite being one of England’s oldest clubs. First founded as Hampstead FC in August 1886, the club officially adopted the name Harlequins in 1870, following a split that led to the formation of Wasps. The club was renamed Harlequins as they started to recruit players from outside of Hampstead, but wanted to retain their ‘HFC’ monogram and arrived upon their new name after reading through a dictionary of words beginning with H. It was at this same meeting that Harlequins did away with their old black and gold jerseys, which became the hallmark of Wasps, and replaced them with the now-famous quartered design. During their first 40 years, Harlequins did not have a permanent home ground and moved to…

André Esterhuizen’s sensational form for Harlequins in 2021-22 was rewarded with the RPA Players’ Player of the Year award at the English Premiership awards. The blockbusting Springbok centre received the highest number of votes from his fellow professionals. Used primarily as a battering ram, Esterhuizen seems to gain yards whenever he has the ball. Knocking defenders back time and time again, he allows his team to get on the front foot. Not only does he have his ‘André the Giant’ frame, but he also has some deft hands and an absolute unit of a left boot which is often used to gain some serious territory down the field. Fellow South African and one-Test Bok Stephan Lewies moved to Harlequins in 2017 after a short loan stint at the Lions from…

SIYA KOLISI ‘History makers!’ - The Springbok captain posed with the Proteas Women’s cricket team after their T20 Worid Cup semi-final victory over England at Newlands. JESSE KRIEL ‘Good to see the boys.’ - The Canon Eagles centre posed with Springbok teammates Willie le Roux, Faf de Klerk and Pieter-Steph du Toit after a Japan Rugby League One fixture against Toyota Verblitz in Nagoya. CHRIS SMITH ‘Tough loss to a very good Stormers side at Loftus but a massive privilege to be a part of it celebrating this legend’s 150th game.’ - The Bulls flyhalf with mentor Morné Steyn. RUHAN NEL ‘With the champ.’ - The Stormers centre enjoyed the festivities after the inaugural Cape Town E-Prix with teammates Junior Pokomela, Hacjivah Dayimani and race winner Antonio Felix da Costa.…

Herschel Jantjies’ Springbok debut was voted the best in four successive rounds of this poll battle before Canan Moodie snatched away the crown! ROUND 1 BRYAN HABANA vs HERSCHEL JANTJIES A Bok centurion and 2007 World Cup winner who scored a record 67 tries for the Springboks, Habana is regarded as one of the greatest wingers of all time. The speedster made an immediate impact on the international scene when he scored a try with his first touch of the ball in a Bok Jersey as a replacement against England at Twickenham in 2004. Following a midfield break from flyhalf Jaco van der Westhuyzen, Habana received the ball on the wing, shrugged off a defender and went in under the posts. Jantjies became a World Cup winner in 2019 and…

PLAYING FOR THE CHEETAHS ‘We had a moerse squad at one stage, but that changed within three weeks of the Covid pandemic, which was a big knock. Ruan Pienaar and I want to leave the team better than where it was when we arrived, and at the moment, we are building something good in the Free State. Playing in Europe [in the Challenge Cup] is great, but having one home game would have been lekker, so we could klap the European guys in the Free State sun over the summer! We work hard and are all trying to get better, as individuals and as a team. It’s been an awesome experience.’ QUALIFYING FOR THE CHALLENGE CUP PLAYOFFS ‘It’s a massive thing for the Cheetahs. When I played in France [for…

NIZAAM CARR N izaam Carr is not your typical stampeding Bulls forward. The 31-year-old would rather step an opponent than trample him, and he can pass and kick too. Fortunately, Carr has a coach who encourages him to play his natural game. After returning from English Premiership club Wasps for a second stint in Pretoria last November, Jake White selected Carr at openside flank for the Bulls’ URC match against the Ospreys at Loftus. White made it clear that he didn't expect Carr to play like specialist fetcher Marco van Staden, away on Springbok duty, or Marcell Coetzee, on a sabbatical in Japan. ‘Nizaam is unbelievable on attack,’ White said. ‘We have a good backline and having Nizaam run in between them is a big skill. He doesn’t have poaching skills,…

GAMES Best space attack game Here’s a game I’ve been using in training around decision-making at the breakdown in defence and attacking the best space when in possession. It’s best delivered over a six- to eight-week block to embed the learning in both attack and defence. By Dan Meehan, Bath DPP coach SESSION FOCUS Enhance players’ awareness (scanning ability) and decision-making around how to attack the best space (between, outside or behind defenders). GAME RULES Splitintoan ‘attack’ team and ‘defence’ team, with at least one more attacker than the defence. Startasa blocked attack, which means the attack restart every time with the ball, even if they lose possession. Oncetheteams are more comfortable with the bib rules ( progressto giving the defence three phases to score if they turn over the…

Wales was the official host nation of the 1999 World Cup, although only nine out of 41 matches were played on its soil. The rest were shared among Europe’s other four major rugby nations, with both semifinals being played at Twickenham. The Boks were based in Edinburgh for the pool stage where World Cup fever never caught on. There were 10 000 empty seats for their key Pool A match against Scotland, which they won 46-29, and almost empty stadiums for their matches against Uruguay and Spain. Considering the lack of atmosphere, it’s not surprising the Boks produced listless performances, beating Spain 47-3 and Uruguay 39-3. Jonah Lomu brought back memories of the 1995 World Cup as New Zealand smashed England 30-16 in Pool B’s biggest game. The giant wing…

Will Allan, the brother of ex-Scotland and Springbok hooker John, was born in Scotland and emigrated to South Africa. He played hooker for Natal U20 and then moved to Italy, where he met his future wife, Paola, who had played scrumhalf for the national women’s side. Will would probably have represented Italy, too, had he not been sent off during a trial match before the 1999 World Cup. The Allans were living in Vicenza, a city in the north-east of the country, when Tommy was born, and he would spend the first eight years of his life there. He started playing rugby aged seven and then opted for a year of soccer. When the family moved to Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, England, Allan played club rugby for the Henley Hawks as…

CAREER IN PICTURES…

WHICH OVERSEAS-BASED SA PLAYER SHOULD BE HEADHUNTED TO BOLSTER ONE OF OUR URC TEAMS? VS DEVIN HERMANUS SAYS ROBERT DU PREEZ TO BULLS Flyhalf Robert du Preez polarised opinion during his time at Western Province and the Sharks, and his critics will always highlight his only and uninspiring Test appearance for the Springboks against Wales in 2018, but he has made a real impact in England with the Sale Sharks. The leading scorer after the first 17 rounds of the 2022-23 English Premiership season, Du Preez has been instrumental in Sale’s campaign and was named Player of the Month for December 2022. The eldest of the three Du Preez brothers, all of whom are contracted to Sale, Rob has commanded respect with his play and has found some impressive try-scoring…

Clifford Buss He should maybe look at himself as a coach for the poor performance. Claude Moller Once a coach talks like that, the end is nigh. That’s it for the coach. Gerald Charlton Pretty poor lot. Guillaume van der Westhuizen I wouldn’t turn against the players. High-performance squads like these aren’t easy to build, the coach is much easier to replace. Rene Malcolm Sturrock Who knows whether the team did not follow the gameplan, or the Blitzboks management came up with the wrong plan. But kicking the ball aimlessly ahead when the defence had not come up, was brainless. Ben Morris Crouse The previous coach did not make these comments. Remember you have to work with these guys, not against them. Brandon Lbb Titus This guy is so underrated!…

How did it feel to win the 2022 Currie Cup final against your former team, Griquas, in Kimberley? It was amazing, almost overwhelming. It was great to see Griqua Park so full. Definitely one of the highlights of my career. Which scrumhalves did you look up to as a youngster? Watching George Gregan operate for the Wallabies and Brumbies was great. Joost van der Westhuizen was a bit before my time but also right up there. Fourie du Preez is an all-time great for me - the way he managed the game was superior to other scrumhalves. Did you play any other positions? Scrumhalf was always the plan as I was always the shortest and smallest, but I did play a bit at wing and fullback in Grade 4. What’s…

FRANS STEYN I was seven when I first watched a 20-year-old Frans Steyn tear through England’s backline in the pool stage of the 2007 World Cup. Steyn, who not even a year earlier had debuted on the wing for the Springboks - and who barely had a season of domestic rugby under his belt for the Sharks - would be called on at inside centre from the first game of the 2007 tournament, after Jean de Villiers suffered an injury against Samoa. Steyn’s performances throughout that tournament still bum bright in my memory; the ability and energy of this young utility back who was knocking over long-distance kicks with as much ease as he was barrelling through his opposite number. It was clear to even a seven-year-old, from the moment…

One day, a South African will run on to a rugby field and become the 1000th Springbok. However, what should be a moment of celebration, for the player and South African rugby, will probably cause controversy and division. That’s because the first 557 players on that list were capped by the South African Rugby Board (Sarb), from 1891 to 1989. During that time, black and coloured players were ineligible for Springbok selection, with Errol Tobias and Avril Williams the two exceptions, having been capped in the 1980s when Sarb was trying to get the Springboks back into international rugby. When the Boks eventually did return, in 1992, they were captained by Naas Botha, who had become Springbok No 502 when making his debut against South America in 1980. The flyhalf…

LOSING HIS JOB AT WASPS ‘When I returned to Wasps after my first stint at the Bulls [in 2020-21 ] I thought the club must have recovered from the Covid-19 lockdown as they were spending a lot of money on players. Obviously, that wasn’t the case. I was shocked when they told us [last October] that all players and staff were being made redundant. A few boys who had been at the club for many years had tears in their eyes. I immediately thought of my family [wife Aa’esha and young children Naeem and Fatima]. It was a horrible time but the most important thing was for me to keep the faith and trust the Almighty.’ BEING THROWN A LIFELINE BY THE BULLS ‘Jake sent me a text when the…

1. How many times have the Stormers beaten the Bulls in five URC meetings? 2. Who received a yellow card in the most recent URC clash between the Bulls and Stormers at Loftus? 3. How many URC matches had Leinster lost after 14 rounds this season? 4. How many URC matches had Zebre won after 14 rounds this season? 5. How many tries did Duhan van der Merwe score in Scotland’s Six Nations victory against England at Twickenham in February? 6. Which coach recently joined the Bulls as a technical adviser? 7. What were the most points Wbles had scored in a match in their 2023 Six Nations campaign after three rounds? 8. Who had the most try assists after three rounds in this year’s Six Nations? 9. Which team…

DE BEER THE DESTROYER (SOUTH AFRICA vs ENGLAND, PARIS) With Henry Honiball injured, Jannie de Beer was given the No 10 jersey for the Boks’ quarter-final against England in Paris. South Africa were ahead at half time thanks to Joost van der Westhuizen’s try, but it was still anyone’s game. Then came De Beer’s purple patch. Between the 43rd and 74th minutes, the Free Stater kicked a world-record five drop goals that had the crowd gasping and his teammates laughing in disbelief. BERNIE BOOTS OUT BOKS (AUSTRALIA vs SOUTH AFRICA, LONDON) A dramatic last-minute penalty from De Beer had levelled the scores at 18-18 and forced the World Cup semi-final into extra time. The Springboks were the more confident side at this stage and slight favourites to win the match.…

‘I first saw Tommy play when he had just come over to the UK from Italy. He was attending a European school that didn’t play rugby, so he played club rugby and was used at flyhalf, centre or wing. When he was 15, I arranged for him to come to Durban during the English summer and play for Glenwood High School. It was then that he realised how much talent there is in South Africa and that he would have to up his game if he wanted to make it in the big leagues. ‘Tommy never stood out as a natural talent, but I told him it was about hard work, being positive and being prepared to vasbyt when things got tough. The credit, though, must go to my brother…

My favourite Monday mid-morning read on SARugbymag.co.za is the wrap of Saffas abroad. Kudos to the lads there who study all the leagues, curate from all the matches and give the reader a snapshot of which South African player abroad excelled in the leagues in Europe, United Kingdom and Ireland, Japan and the USA. If there is a South African player based overseas doing something on the field of play, you are going to read about it in this wrap. It gives me immediate comfort at the quality of South African player igniting leagues across the globe and it shows the depth available to the national selectors, especially when weighed against the local-based players who we see every weekend in the United Rugby Championship, featuring teams from Ireland, Wales, Scotland…