Innehållsförteckning för July 2022 från SA RUGBY

On 28 July 2012, when the Stormers faced the Sharks at Newlands in the Super Rugby semi-finals, Eben Etzebeth bounced Bismarck du Plessis with such force that the Sharks hard man left his feet, flailing at thin air, and landed on his backside. By this stage, the two were Springbok teammates as a 20-year-old Etzebeth had made his Test debut along with coach Heyneke Meyer in the victorious June series against touring England. It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since the boyish giant burst on to the scene and, over the course of 97 Tests, it’s fair to say Etzebeth has not been given enough respect for so seamlessly filling the boots of one of South Africa’s quintessential enforcers, Bakkies Botha. Bakkies had the advantage of being on…

How hard is the surface at Griqua Park? I heard many things about that ground before I joined Griquas, but fortunately for me there’s been a lot of rain since January so the field has been quite soft. Apparently the ground gets harder in winter, which is pretty soon, so Ja! I hope it goes well… What has been your biggest challenge since going pro? Stepping up from Varsity Cup in 2021, I’ve needed to deal with bigger players and their physicality, so I would like to add more muscle mass. What has been the highlight for you? Definitely getting my first cap for Griquas. It was a bit emotional for me. Considering where I come from, it means a lot. If you had to sing karaoke with a teammate,…

Lukhanyo Am is the Springboks’ first-choice No 13, and arguably the world’s best, but Jesse Kriel still has an important role to play in the lead-up to the 2023 World Cup and at the tournament. Kriel would have been gutted not to have featured in the Test series against the British & Irish Lions and the Rugby Championship in 2021, but he did start all three Tests on the end-of-year tour, on the right wing. With Cheslin Kolbe out injured, many expected Test rookie Aphelele Fassi to be given a chance to gain experience before the World Cup, but Bok coach Jacques Nienaber instead backed Kriel, who has played club rugby in Japan for the past three years. KRIEL CERTAINLY WON’T LACK MOTIVATION GOING INTO NEXT YEAR’S WORLD CUP ‘Jesse…

Which team is the greatest in the history of Super Rugby? Was it the 2009 Bulls powered by Victor Matfield and Fourie du Preez, the all-star Stormers side that contested the 2010 final, the Sharks outfit that coasted into the 2007 decider or the 2017 Lions who tripped at the final hurdle? Or how about Joeli Vidiri’s Auckland Blues of the mid-1990s, Sam Whitelock’s 2018 Crusaders or the masterful 2011 Reds steered by halfbacks Will Genia and Quade Cooper? The envy of northern hemsiphere rugby for the better part of two decades after the game turned professional. Super Rugby produced most of the talent that went on to win a World Cup between 1996 and 2019. SARugbymag.co.za readers have tackled the opportunity to participate in a unique 32-team knockout tournament…

One of only two professional rugby clubs in Scotland, the Glasgow Warriors have a special appreciation for the term ‘fierce rivalry’. Glasgow RFC was founded as a district side in 1872 and they’ve been at odds with Edinburgh, Scotland’s other professional club, ever since. Scores were historically settled by means of a biannual and, later, annual derby which was revived and rebranded in 2007-08 to become the 1872 Cup. Glasgow turned professional in 1996 in order to compete in the European Cup and the club’s name was adopted in the 2005-06 season. Since 2011, when the Celtic League became known as the Pro12, the Warriors were the only side to make the playoffs every year until Leinster put an end to the streak in 2017. Glasgow made history in the…

Supplied by WARM-UPS Warm-up rondos Originating in football, the rondo is a small-sided game that encourages many touches of the ball and can be easily constrained to impact the desired outcomes. Use them as a starter activity, getting players to self-organise into these simple games to work on their catch/pass skills under pressure. By George Ross, Harlequins DPP coach STANDARD RULES Player can move with the ball and become a defender if they either get intercepted, throw the ball out, or get touched in possession. Scoring variation – per pass or by scoring a try on any of the lines. VARIATION 1:LINEMAN Standard rules, however now one attacker can only move along the line to be an option to pass to. Scoring variation – per pass or by scoring a…

RUHAN NEL ‘Great finish to the league stage. On we go!’ – The Stormers centre, who scored the winning try against the Scarlets in Llanelli, celebrates securing the URC South African Shield with teammate Seabelo Senatla. GURTHRO STEENKAMP ‘In the 2007 World Cup we experienced a tough game vs Tonga and today it was great to be back at this field as a coach and catch up with Bryan Habana.’ – The La Rochelle scrum coach met up with his former Bok and Bulls teammate before their European Champions Cup semi-final in Lens. OX NCHE ‘Beach days with the boys.’ – The Sharks prop enjoyed a day out in Durban with teammates Bongi Mbonambi and Fez Mbatha. JD SCHICKERLING ‘Grateful for my first season in Japan with the boys.’ –…

SARUGBYMAG.CO.ZA READERS CAST THEIR VOTES ROUND 1 BRYAN HABAN A vs MAKAZOLE MAPIMPI During the 2005 Tri-Nations, Habana almost single-handedly dismantled the Wallabies’ defence in front of their Perth fanbase, scoring two length-of-field tries in a historic 22-19 victory for the Boks at the Subiaco Oval. And in 2007, he famously raced a cheetah in a 100m dash to support a wildlife preservation initiative. Meanwhile, in his 25th Test speedster Mapimpi showed off his speed in scoring 20 tries faster than any Springbok before him. His try in the 2019 World Cup decider, combining with Lukhanyo Am for the iconic moment of the Japan showpiece, marked South Africa’s first try in three such finals. ROUND 2 TONDERAI CHAVHANGA vs BRYAN HABANA Chavhanga’s pace and acceleration were legendary, and he boasted…

PERCY MONTGOMERY The first name that comes to mind when you think Springbok centurion is Percy Montgomery. Still the highest point-scorer in Bok history – despite retiring from Test rugby 14 years ago – Montgomery became the first South African Test centurion in 2008 when he ran out against the All Blacks at Newlands. On that day his rugby career came full circle, as he played his 100th Test just down the road from his alma mater SACS, nestled in Newlands at the foot of Table Mountain. Montgomery made his debut for the Springboks in 1997 against the British & Irish Lions, at outside centre, and he went on to also play at flyhalf and wing before establishing himself as one of the greatest fullbacks of the professional era. Besides…

Cold, dark mornings. Rainy days. A chilly breeze that shoots up your nostrils and freezes your brain. Stiff joints that feel like they’d crack if you attempted a burpee. Aaah, winter is definitely not the easiest time of year to be hitting the gym, sticking to your running schedule or whipping out the weights at home. That’s OK – we get it. We’re not exactly bouncing off to the treadmill either. That’s why we called out to fitness specialist Ray Toefy for help. He devised this perfect-for-the-icy season training plan, that comprises a good warm-up (essential for those cold limbs), a calorie-killing HIIT workout, and a dynamic stretch (also crucial!). So look to the next months as your best training months yet. THE WARM-UP 1 RUN 150m 2 LYING LEG SWINGS Reps:…

Percy Montgomery has won the World Cup but he will always be unique to Springbok rugby as the first to play 100 Tests. It remains a remarkable achievement for him and one that can never be overstated. Montgomery played 50 Tests for the Boks, then played overseas in Wales at a time when only SA-based players were eligible for Test selection and three years later returned to play a further 52 Tests, which included winning a Tri-Nations, a World Cup and beating the All Blacks in New Zealand in 2008, 10 years after he had kicked two penalties and a conversion in the Boks’ 13-3 win against the All Blacks in Wellington, New Zealand, in 1998. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE STORY TELLING NEVER STOPS WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE…