Innehållsförteckning för June 2024 från SA RUGBY

Bongi Mbonambi's ascendance to the Springbok captaincy last year may have caught fans off guard, but it wouldn't have moved the needle inside tne camp where the veteran hooker is deeply revered bv coaches and players alike. Regarded as a 'dog of war' by his peers, Mbonambi is the perfect candidate to rise to the Bok captaincy in the potential absence of Siya Kolisi, now based in Paris. France is where Cheslin Kolbe's career exploded and the Bok hotstepper takes a step back to share his thoughts on life and rugby, offering a personal perspective. Sharks centre Ethan Hooker and Bulls loose forward Mpilo Gumede are two rising stars on the South African rugby landscape who have sparkled this season. The two former Junior Boks look set to feature in…

GUMEDE 6 HOOKER It's been a statement season for Ethan Hooker and Mpilo Gumede, two former Junior Springboks who were both raised in Durban. The two rising stars have shown grit and determination to capture headlines with compelling performances that will place them front of mind when Rassie Erasmus tests an ageing squad of two-time World Cup winners with new challengers. The Springboks boast incredible experience in a leadership group that has an average age in the 30s. Erasmus will inevitably have to manage a changing of the guard in the campaigns leading up to the 2027 World Cup in Australia. If the Chasing the Sun 2 documentary revealed anything, it was that Erasmus still has plenty of faith in his veterans and has no plans for an immediate overhaul.…

www.youtube.com/@RugbyCoachWeekly SCRUM Binding up the front row There are many options for binding up in the front row before engagement. Here's what you need to concentrate on to give your players the strongest positions. 1 Tighthead (3) binds on the shorts 2 Loosehead binds on the ribcage 3 Split stance from the hooker allows the props a square stance Danny Wilson, former Scotland head coach, outlines some of the key principles of how to bind. WHO BINDS FIRST Traditionally the hooker binds to the loosehead first to make sure he is close and tight to the prop where the ball is coming in. However, depending on the threat from the opposition scrum, the hooker may bind tight to his tighthead first to avoid being split by a strong attack from…

CLUB FOCUS Under director of rugby Johann van Graan, Bath are putting in a serious challenge to end their English Premiership title drought. There are no fewer than 10 South Africans in Van Graan’s playing squad, as the former Springbok assistant coach has turned to the Republic to stabilise and strengthen the club. Van Graan was hired in December 2021 as a replacement for Stuart Hooper, following a wholesale review and restructuring of the management team. This came after Bath had finished bottom of the Premiership table in the 2021-22 season, following a seventhplaced finish in 2020-21. Van Graan’s first season in charge saw Bath make a struggling start, losing six games in a row, but finishing strongly to salvage eighth and a place in the Champions Cup. Under Van…

DAMIAN WILLEMSE ‘Back to winning ways. Proud Stormer.’ - The Stormers star was joined by Deon Fourie to celebrate Brok Harris’ 150th match for the Cape franchise, following a victory over Leinster. EVAN ROOS 'Well done Brok Harris and Marcel Theunissen. Special to play with you.’ - The Stormers No 8 celebrated a milestone appearance alongside his teammates against Leinster. VAUGHEN ISAACS ‘Legend of the game’ - The former Junior Boks and Lions flyhalf with All Blacks legend Ma'a Nonu after making his MLR debut for the Dallas Jackals. JEREMY WARD ‘A dream come true kinda day yesterday,' - The Stade Français centre before watching a Premier League match at Anfield. DILLYN LEYDS ‘Short trip home but a lifetime worth of memories made.’ - The La Rochelle wing with his…

Readers had their say and Handré Pollard emerged as the overwhelming choice for the greatest Springbok flyhalf of all time. Pollard made a timely recovery from injury to cap a sensational 2023 by kicking the Boks to a World Cup title defence in France. The 69-Test pivot again proved to be the man for the big stage, replicating his 2019 heroics despite a delayed call into South Africa’s squad. A resounding 66% decided that Pollard is the standout No 10 for the men in green and gold, ahead of the legendary Naas Botha (15%) and clutch-kicker supreme Morne Steyn (8%). Crucial to SA’s first Tri-Nations win in 1998 and a key member in the Bok squad that achieved 17 consecutive Test wins, Henry Honiball earned 7% of the votes while…

Who do you have to thank for your nickname 'Bleskop [bald head)'? [Laughs] Jano Venter, a former teammate of mine. I don't know how he did it, but he added it to my Wikipedia page as a joke and I just left it. In Japan, they call me Conrad but it's still Coenie! You played for six South African provincial unions before heading to Japan. Why did you move around so much? Ja, I started my senior career at Western Province before joining Griquas. I had a trial at Eastern Province and then went to Maties and the Pumas. I found some stability at the Pumas I was there for four years and played Super Rugby for the Lions through the Pumas' relationship with them. And then I then I…

• Six-time winners of the former Division One, Bath have never lifted the Premiership trophy, finishing as runners up twice (2003-04,2014-15). • Bath won their first major title when they came from behind to beat defending champions Brive in the 1997-98 European Cup final in Bordeaux. • Former Springbok flyhalf Butch James (left) joined Bath after winning the 2007 World Cup, scoring 389 points in 68 appearances for the club, before returning to South Africa in 2011. • Scrumhalf Michael Qaassens captained Bath in the 2009-10 season, during his six-season stay at the club, during which he won the Challenge Cup in 2007-08. • World Cup-winning Springbok flank Francois Louw made 140 appearances for Bath in nine years with the club.…

WHICH TITLES SHOULD SA TEAMS CHASE, THE URC OR EUROPEAN CUPS? VS DEVIN HERMANUS SAYS URC The Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers have found their stride in the United Rugby Championship, consistently outperforming expectations against the backdrop of increased local support and a favourable playing format. The home advantage has proven pivotal for the local franchises in the URC. Victorious in the inaugural edition and losing finalists last season in Cape Town, the Stormers thrived in the embrace of their supporters. Conversely, the logistical nightmare of European travel hampers progress in the EPCR competitions, with neutral grounds stripping away the familiarity of home. The URC offers a structured path to glory, with an 18-game regular season paving the way to the playoffs. Contrast this with the labyrinthine uncertainty of the…

PURE GOLD COMMENT! Wins a six-month subscription to SA Rugby magazine Fadiel Dramat Absolutely ridiculous! That was a rugby incident, he never deliberately went to hurt the player, their heads collided. What the hell? Enver Philander Six weeks?! Seriously? Surely there is some sort of agenda here. I understand that it was a dangerous tackle, but unintentional, there was no malice. Norman Bowker North vs south double standards. There was no intent or am I blind? Fanie Coetsee Ladies and gents, the entry point for dangerous tackles is six weeks. His good record will see it halved immediately to three and could be reduced further to two upon completion of a programme by World Rugby. There’s no agenda to speak of here. Andre Liebenberg 'Completion of the World Rugby Coaching…

Which rugby player have you always admired? Rudy Paige. He always made sure I did my homework on analysing training sessions and opponents. If you had to compete in an Olympic sport other than rugby, which would you choose? Athletics, as it was one of the first sports I participated in. Outside of Cape Town, which sevens host city is your favourite? Malaga, Spain. I think it's the one place that makes me feel at home. Which teammate is most likely to become a commentator after their rugby career? Dewaid Human. He’s always asking questions about rugby to understand how others think about the game. Which song immediately puts you in a great mood? 'Mnike' by Tyler ICU. How do you unwind after a tough sevens tournament? By having a…

SIMON BORCHARDT COLUMN The Champions Cup is billed as 'The One To Win' but that certainly wasn't the case for French Top 14 club Lyon, South Africa's Bulls and English Premiership club the Exeter Chiefs this season. Lyon, fighting a relegation battle on the domestic front. sent a B team to Loftus for their round-of-16 match against the Bulls and were trampled 59-19. The Bulls then took the same approach for their quarter-final in England against the Northampton Saints, preferring to keep their big guns at home for a URC match against Munster the following week. While Jake White’s understrength side put up a good fight in the first half at Franklin’s Gardens, the gulf in class was evident in the second as they slumped to a 59-22 defeat. The…

FIVE FAST FACTS • Kenyan-born, in his second season with the Ikey Tigers. • Attended SACS and is majoring in film studies and English at UCT. • Played for Western Province at the U16 Grant Khomo Week and U18 Craven Week, and for the Sharks U21 team. • Won the 2024 Varsity Cup Forward that Rocks award. • Nominated for the 2023 Varsity Cup Rookie of the Year award. ENOS NDIAO (UCT IKEYS LOOSE FORWARD) 'I WANT TO PRIORITISE MY STUDIES WHILE TRYING MY BEST TO GET GIVEN OPPORTUNITIES TO PLAY HIGH-LEVEL RUGBY. I HOPE TO PLAY RUGBY OVERSEAS AT SOME POINT IN MY CAREER' - NDIAO MATTHEW FORTUIN (NWU EAGLES OUTSIDE CENTRE) FIVE FAST FACTS • Born in George and went to Outeniqua High School. • Played for Eastern…

Marcus Smith is the pin-up playmaker who has lit up the English game since being fast-tracked to train with the national team while still a schoolboy at Brighton College. There is no one quite like him in the Premiership, where he is a phosphorescent presence at flyhalf for Harlequins. His performance in their recent Champions Cup win against Glasgow, when he scored a solo try and set up two more in a Man of the Match display, was typical of the exceptional contribution he makes every week. Likewise, he offers England a different dimension in terms of the flair he brings at No 10 or as a fullback super-sub. The debate will continue to rage over whether he should be given the keys to the England castle for the long…

CAREER IN PICTURES…

Rassie Erasmus' preference for his national captain to be based in South Africa in the buildup to the 2027 World Cup means it is unlikely that Siya Kolisi will have exclusivity to leading the Springboks over the next few seasons. Kolisi is based in Paris and plays for French club Racing 92. Bongi Mbonambi is among the favourites to captain the Springboks, although it could be that the captaincy change only comes after the two-Test series against Ireland in July. Mbonambi is 33 years old, but his age is no deterrent and, fitness permitting, he will go to the 2027 World Cup in Australia. Mbonambi has played 68 Tests and won two World Cup gold medals, but his partnership with fellow Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx means that his Test game…