Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2022 i SA RUGBY

The new year may be in full swing but the globe can’t rotate quickly enough for firecracker Faf du Toit, who spent a chunk of last season flicking a fidget-spinner while Cobus Reinach and Herschel Jantjies fed the Bok scrum. With Faf frothing to resume Test duty. Ox Nche is drooling over his targets at the scrum and bakery, and then there’s a host of young guns training their sights on the opportunity presented by the Currie Cup to springboard into the Springbok squad. Ruan Ackermann appears to be jumping in the opposite direction but a big blip on the Bok radar is trickster Warwick Gelant, who is certain to continue using sleight of hand (and foot) to dazzle allcomers in the United Rugby Championship. And the stats show that…

‘LOOK, THERE IS NO BULLSH**TING AROUND THIS, THERE ARE BIGGER DEALS ON THE TABLE’– SPRINGBOK FLYHALF HANDRE POLLARD. WHO SIGNED FOR THE LEICESTER TIGERS IN ENGLAND DESPITE BEING OFFERED MORE MONEY TO PLAY IN JAPAN ‘ITS A NARROW ANO SHORT-SIGHTED DECISION’– EPRU ACTING PRESIDENT IMAASDORP CANNON AFTER THE MOTION TO ADD THE ELEPHANTS TO THE 2022 CURRIE CUP PREMIER DIVISION FAILED AT SA RUGBY’S GENERAL COUNCIL MEETING ‘IN SOUTH AFRICA, THE PLAYERS HAVE ND VOICE. THE GOVERNING BODIES CONTROL SPORT – THE PLAYERS DON’T HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE AND ARE NOT INVOLVED IN THE DECISION MAKING. THAT’S A PROBLEM’– ROC NATION SPORTS PRESIDENT MICHAEL YORMARK ‘I BELIEVE ITS TIME FOR A CHANGE’– BOK PROP VINCENT KOCH ON WHY HE WILL JOIN WASPS NEXT SEASON AFTER SEVEN YEARS AT SARACENS ‘IT WAS CLASS TO…

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…

In Leadership: Lessons From My Life in Rugby, Eddie Jones takes readers on a backstage tour of professional rugby where it quickly becomes evident that the iconic coach’s five-stage leadership cycle is foundational to the success of his teams. Having turned the Brumbies into Super Rugby champions in 2001, Jones guided the Wallabies to the 2003 World Cup final in Australia where they were beaten by England. He assisted Jake White in leading South Africa to the 2007 World Cup title and then ambushed the Springboks at the 2015 showpiece in England, coaching Japan to their most famous victory. And it was in Japan where he set up England to eliminate the Wallabies and then All Blacks from the 2019 World Cup and book a place in the final against…

Home will be the easiest part of the bold leap into the unknown for rookie head coach Mick Byrne and his Fijian Drua. The Drua will be the nomads of Super Rugby Pacific. They will not play a game within 2 000km of the tropical sun or fanatical crowd in Suva to spur them on. That makes the warmth of their small-town base in Australia at the surfers’ mecca of Lennox Head all the more important for the next five months. For ‘Mick the Kick’, as Byrne has often been tagged, this is the most searching examination of his coaching career in rugby after his high-profile stints as skills coach with two World Cup-winning All Blacks sides and the Wallabies. As always, the wins and losses were beside the head…

Grey College was founded on 13 October 1855 when Sir George Grey, the governor of the Cape Colony, paid a visit to the Orange Free State Republic and donated a sum of money towards the establishment of a school in Bloemfontein. The foundation stone was laid by Jacobus Nicolaas Boshoff, the second president of the Orange Free State Republic, on 13 October 1856. The school was officially opened on 17 January 1859 and the first headmaster was the Reverend Andrew Murray. It is the third-oldest school in South Africa and the oldest north of the Orange River. Sir George Grey was a soldier, explorer, writer and politician, governor of New South Wales, governor of New Zealand, prime minister of New Zealand and, importantly, governor of the Cape Colony from 1854…

Which former Blitzbok who is playing fifteens would you want to bring back? Rosko Specman. He’s electric, his game sense is incredible and he is always two steps ahead of the opposition. He brings a great vibe to the team and adds a lot of energy and humour to the group. What’s the most bizarre question you’ve been asked? Can I have your mouth guard? If you could be a fly on the wall, who would you want to listen in on? The president. Name a sport you think shouldn’t be classified as a sport. Egg throwing. What’s the craziest bet you have ever made? That the Boks would play Japan in the 2019 World Cup final, because Japan were in red-hot form during the pool stage. What is your…

KADE WOLHUTER Wolhuter seemed to have been chosen as the Stormers’ answer to a starting flyhalf when he was fielded in the No 10 position during the Prol4 Rainbow Cup. Unfortunately, after a couple of solid performances, his first senior professional season was brought to a premature end when he suffered a torn knee ligament which ruled him out until 2022. Possessing an excellent kicking game and an eye for a gap in the defence, Wolhuter is still a good option when he returns and should challenge Manie Libbok for a place in the Stormers’ starting lineup. FACT FILE Team Stormers/WP Position Flyhalf Age 20 Height 1.82m Weight 85kg HENCO VAN WYK One of the most talented outside centres of his age group in the world, Van Wyk captained Monument’s…

Supplied by RUGBY COACH WEEKLY Kick-off skills in 10 minutes Try this 10-minute session for your kick-off specialists. By Mark Calverley An accurate and consistent kick-off strategy can be very hard for opponents to defend against. It can hand your team a territorial advantage, put the opposition under pressure and even force a turnover. But having a kick-off team tactic is no good if the kicker cannot execute the kick accurately and consistently. Use this 10-minute session every few weeks to build the skills of the kick-off player. TECHNIQUE Unlike the drop kick at goal, the main priority in the drop kick will usually be its height as opposed to distance. Aim for kicks to be in the air for three to four seconds to give chasers the time to…

‘The first day you walk into the Reunion Hall you see all the great names before you and you tell yourself that is where you want to put your name and be remembered as a Grey College old boy. There is a lot of competition in each position and any guy up to the 4th XV can take your spot. So you learn from a young age to be the best-equipped and fittest and strangest you can be to be selected for the 1st XV. I remember us being down 21-0 against Affies and then winning 49-21.’ –BISMARCK DU PLESSIS ‘Grey is proud of their rugby and winning is quite important. Being a part of that builds you up for things in the future.’ –RUAN PIENAAR ‘Grey is a school…

TOP BLITZBOKS SIVIWE SOYIZWAPI Breakdown turnovers Won 9 (1st) Defensive breakdown arrivals 26 (1st) Defenders beaten 23 (2nd) RONALD BROWN Points scored 94 (1st) Linebreaks 9 (1st) Defenders beaten 20 (6th) SELVYN DAVIDS Kicks from hand 15 (1st) Ball carries 53 (2nd) Defensive breakdown arrivals 22 (T 2nd) TEAM STATS *Stats drawn from the opening Dubai tournaments mobii Tries South Africa 55 (1st) Australia 42 (T2nd) Fiji 42 (T2nd) Linebreaks Australia 35 (1st) South Africa 31 (2nd) Ireland 24 (3rd) Tackles Fiji 369 (1st) South Africa 342 (2nd) Ireland 271 (3rd) Ball carries Ireland 366 (1st) France 337 (2nd) South Africa 251 (10th) Kicks South Africa 28 (1st) Argentina 24 (2nd) Great Britain 18 (3rd) Turnovers won South Africa 34 (1st) Kenya 18 (T 2nd) Great Britain 18 (T 2nd)…

SIYA KOLISI ‘If you visit Zurich and you need fine dining, a tour guide, an Uber driver. Swiss chocolate and some South African spirit, call Roger Federer,’ joked the Springbok captain, who went sight-seeing in the Swiss capital with the tennis legend. SIVIWE SOYIZWAPI The Blitzboks captain was all smiles after leading the team to back-to-back titles in Dubai. ‘Thank you all for your messages of support over the past two weeks!’ MAKAZOLE MAPIMPI ‘You get it, if you don’t get it, forget about it,’ said the Sharks and Springbok wing, referring to the viral social media meme. BONGI MBONAMBI ‘What a special night! Thankful and honoured to be part of the Sharks family,’ said the Springbok hooker after making his debut for the Durban based franchise, alongside teammates Lukhanyo…

The Springboks were without their first-choice scrumhalf for the end-of-year tour of the United Kingdom, where the team claimed wins over Wales and Scotland, before suffering a last-minute loss to England. A serious hip injury, which required him to undergo surgery on his 30th birthday, deprived De Klerk of the opportunity to end a stop-start season on a high note. In fact, De Klerk played in only six of the Boks’ 13 Tests in 2021. Compare that to 10 out of 14 in 2018 and eight out of 12 in 2019, and you can understand that it was a tougher year, especially considering the seemingly endless bio-bubbles the Springboks had to play in due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Still, in keeping very much with his character, De Klerk is staying…

Ox Nche’s performances have endeared the South African rugby public to him as a player, but equally endearing has been the insight into his personality through his presence on Twitter. The 26-year-old has taken social media by storm with humorous tweets, Q&As and a fan engagement not usually seen among professional rugby players. ‘I was always wary of the politics and culture of Twitter, but a mate told me to just get it, bring my own personality to it, and try to ignore everything else,’ says Nche when asked what inspired him to hop on to the platform last year. It also ended up acting as a means of distraction in a Covid-crippled year. ‘You feel like you’re speaking to people, hearing different opinions, hearing what people think. It’s a…

Eastern Province’s hopes of competing in the top tier of this year’s Currie Cup were dashed in December when eight of the provincial unions voted against the motion at SA Rugby’s general council meeting. Five of those were the other Currie Cup First Division unions that also have Premier Division ambitions. The three non-international franchises (as SA Rugby calls them) – the Cheetahs, Pumas and Griquas – also voted against the motion, with only the Bulls, Lions and Sharks voting in favour (Border and Western Province, who have been placed under administration by SA Rugby, were not allowed to vote). However, a motion was then approved to automatically promote the top South African team in the First Division to the Premier Division at the end of 2022, creating an eight-team…

Freddie Steward admits that he will watch rugby even on his days off (he’s also a Norwich City supporter but doesn’t get an opportunity to see them very often), yet he isn’t oval-ball obsessed. He’s studying economics at Loughborough University completing the final year of his degree over two years as he goes part-time. He’s also taken up a Spanish module, trying out his language skills on his Argentinian teammates at Welford Road. ’Economics is a subject I enjoyed at school: it’s something I find interesting. It’s difficult but it’s nice to sit down in my spare time and crack on with something else. There are lots of essays and lots of maths, which I wasn’t really ready for! ’The best thing about the degree is it’s an escape from…

It’s dark and unseasonably cold, even for England. Storm Arwen has swept down from the Arctic bringing with it the kind of inescapable chill that cuts to the bone. At Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester are caught in the midst of a fierce contest against regional rivals Bristol. As the snow spirals the visitors are on the attack, threatening to break through Gloucester’s lines. With their defence strained and the tryline all but breached, Gloucester are saved. The shrill blast of the referee’s whistle and a raised arm indicates a penalty for the Cherry and Whites. Ruan Ackermann emerges from the ruck, ball in hand, and is swarmed by his teammates. His turnover will prove to be a game-deciding intervention. Former Springbok lock and Lions coach Johan Ackermann held the reins at…

Two seasons ago the Leicester Tigers were hanging by a thread. The former English powerhouses were plumbing new depths at the foot of the Premiership table, saved from relegation only by Saracens’ unceremonious expulsion from the league. A once-proud team defined by a pack that was the envy of the rugby world, was deep in the doldrums. It was into this atmosphere of despair and desperation that Hanro Liebenberg quietly made his arrival from the Bulls. Not even he could have imagined that in the next two seasons he would become integral in leading a Leicester resurgence that would return them to their pomp as the best team in England. The wealth of back-row talent in South Africa has meant that Liebenberg has gone criminally unheralded here. In the English…

President Ramaphosa has spoken of there being no science to ban travel from South Africa, but Mr President, where is the science in determining that 2 000 people can attend a live sporting event? There has to be some kind of solution to getting fans back into stadiums. The game’s biggest sporting teams in South Africa are financially bleeding to death due to the absence of paying supporters at matches. President Ramaphosa, in rightly attacking the decision of the United Kingdom and United States to ban all travel from South Africa and southern Africa, questioned where was the science in the decision-making. The first response on the president’s Twitter feed was from an individual who reminded him of some of his and the Covid committee’s own decisions. ’Yet you banned…