Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2023 i SA RUGBY

The Springboks lost once in 2019 en route to climbing to the top of world rugby in Tokyo, but they've since lost 10 of 26 Tests. It's not the kind of record that screams ‘world champions!’ and yet the general consensus, after bullying England at Twickenham, is that the Boks are on track to defend their title in France in 2023. Some of the credit for this optimism stems from the way in which the new bloods, forced into the Test arena by circumstance, ran with the opportunity in 2022. Mention Manie Libbok (his resurrected career is featured in this issue), Canan Moodie, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Evan Roos, and Bok fans' eyes light up. It's credited to the invaluable contribution of John Dobson and Jake White at the Stormers and…

FORWARDS 1. HEINRICH ROGERS When I thought I had him, he lifted the whole scrum with one leg! It looks like his son Robbie is a chip off the old block. I also have lots of respect for Garry Pagel. He scrummed the hell out of me. 2. SEAN FITZPATRICK A fierce competitor and leader on the field. 3. OLO BROWN Scrummed lower than a lawnmower. 4. JOHAN ACKERMANN The enforcer. When he warned you, you tended to listen. 5. DODDIE WEIR A lineout specialist who towered over others. 6. RUBEN KRUGER There was no end to Ruben's determination ‘THERE WAS NO END TO RUBEN'S DETERMINATION’ 7. ANDRÉ VENTER The fittest rugby player I knew. Hard as nails too. 8. SÉBASTIEN CHABAL Intimidating and confrontational. BACKS 9. GARY ARMSTRONG Although…

Siyanda Xaba I'd take Ardie Savea any day of the week over this guy. Even Michael Hooper or Pablo Matera. Schalk van Heerden Good choice. He is an excellent player. Henko Pienaar The two best players in 2022, Etzebeth and Savea, were not even nominated. But we all know that World Rugby is dominated by the north while the trophy cabinet is dominated by the south. Ashraf Perin Ardi Savea was by far the best player followed by Etzebeth! Hannellie Vyfvinngers I'm a rugby fanatic and I didn't even know this Josh van der Flyer existed. Siyanda Xaba He is a brilliant player but this is such a farce of an award. It's easily the most dubious World Rugby Player of the Year since the ridiculous snubbing of Fourie du…

DOBSON & WHITE The year 2022 will go down as imperfect and inglorious for the Springboks. There was the missed opportunity to win the Rugby Championship, a historic first home loss to Wales, in Bloemfontein, and narrow losses on tour against Ireland and France. To go with that, there was off-field drama surrounding Elton Jantjies, while Rassie Erasmus was once again banned for ranting about referees on social media. However, if there is a major positive to come out of the year, it's the continued progress of the Bulls and Stormers under Jake White and John Dobson. MARK KEOHANE ON DOBBO John Dobson has a dream for the Stormers – and that is to put them at what he considers world club rugby's top table. When we talk clubs in…

TACKLING Start the snare Get your defender low and ready to make the snare tackle. They can then bring down the attacker quickly and make them ripe for turnover ball. WHY USE IT The tackler keeps low, focuses on their target (just above the knees), before engaging with their shoulder, gripping in a vice-like snare to prevent the ball-carrier using their legs. SET-UP One ball per pair. HOW TO DO IT Aftergoingthroughthekey factors for the finish of a snare tackle (height, shoulder placement, head placement and grip), put an attacker on the ground on their front with a tackler on the ground facing them. The ball is in front of the attacker. Putthem3mapart 5m to the side of the nearest other players Thetacklertellstheattacker which shoulder to run…

DAVID RIBBANS From being schooled at Somerset College to playing in front of 82 000 at Twickenham, David Ribbans' route to international rugby has been far from conventional but he ends 2022 as a Test-capped England player, right on time for the 2023 World Cup. Ribbans, born and raised in Somerset West, makes no secret of the fact that in his early 20s he would not have believed it had you told him that he would be playing international rugby for England. An ancestral visa was the extent of Ribbans' connection to the country prior to moving to the Northampton Saints in 2017, and now he is locking down against the world's best at one of rugby's most renowned stadiums. Somerset College sits low on the radar in the Cape's…

Win or lose the 2023 World Cup, it is accepted that Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber will move on after six years at the helm of South African rugby. Under Erasmus and Nienaber the Boks have won a World Cup, a British & Irish Lions series and played a huge role in developing and transforming the Springboks. But the narrative that the head coach of the Springboks is solely responsible for South African rugby's success needs to change, and Erasmus and Nienaber's exit must not be met with an emphasis on a singleparty replacement. The strength of South African rugby lies in the strength of its regions and that is true now more than ever. Jake White's tenure at the Bulls, along with John Dobson's impact at the Stormers, is…

HIS STRUGGLES ‘I never stopped believing in myself or my ability and I told myself I'd do everything in my power to get the chance to become a Bok one day. When I had tough times at the Bulls and Stormers, I also had opportunities to work on things I needed to.’ HIS TEST DEBUT ‘I almost slept in my jersey, but on the Friday before the game [against France], I made a point of taking time out to have a good look at it and realise the magnitude of what it means, it was a special moment for me and something I dreamed of when I was a kid. if I had the ball, I would have run from the kick-off. I was very emotional and excited at the…

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…

Jones made his All Blacks debut during the 1987 World Cup, having played a Test for Samoa the year before. The flanker was at his brilliant best during the tournament with ball in hand and at the breakdown. He scored the first World Cup try in New Zealand's 70-6 thrashing of Italy and grabbed the first try of the final after Grant Fox's drop kick had been charged down. The All Blacks loose forwards overpowered the French that day, with Jones the standout performer. Sadly, Jones’ career was to be badly affected by injury (he played 55 Tests out of a possible 90). He was also left out of the 1995 World Cup squad because of his refusal to play on Sundays as he is a devout Christian.…

WHO'S BEEN THE BREAKOUT SPRINGBOK STAR OF 2022? VS DYLAN JACK SAYS JADEN HENDRIKSE While there were hints of his immense potential in 2021, 2022 was the year that Hendrikse came to the fore as a Test player. He made his Springbok debut in 2021 as a replacement in the two Rugby Championship dashes against Argentina. After scoring a memorable try in his first appearance. Hendrikse suffered a knee injury in his second match that brought his season to a premature end. The 22-year-old has, however, come back far stronger this year. Hendrikse was among the best of the wider squad members who were given a run in the second Test against Wales in Bloemfontein. That was rewarded with a place on the bench in the series decider in Cape…

SIYA KOLISI ‘Great night in Paris, awesome meeting Neymar.’ – The Springbok captain exchanged jerseys with the Brazil and Paris Saint-Germain wing after a Ligue 1 match in the French capital. ANDRÉ-HUGO VENTER ‘Honoured to be a part of this team.’ – The Stormers hooker with Lions centre Henco van Wyk after playing for South Africa A against the Bristol Bears. DAMIAN WILLEMSE ‘Not our night in Marseille but very proud of all the boys for an incredible fight yesterday.’ – The Springbok flyhalf exchanged jerseys with France pivot Romain Ntamack. EVAN ROOS ‘One to remember. Awesome way to end off tour.’ – The Bok No 8 celebrated a memorable victory over England with fellow loose forwards Franco Mostert and Kwagga Smith. FAF DE KLERK ‘It's been an honour and…

You scored five tries in this season's URC before the international break. Which was your favourite? I'll go with the first try I scored, the 70m one against Ulster. Which city did you enjoy most during the Lions' three-match URC tour this season? Edinburgh. It's historical with all the cathedrals, and I enjoyed visiting Edinburgh Castle. Which one of your teammates always puts you in a good mood? Jaco Visagie or Edwill van der Merwe. Edwill is quite the entertainer and Jaco has got a great dry sense of humour. With Christmas around the corner, Malva pudding or milk tart? Malva pudding, for sure. What was the biggest adjustment you had to make after moving from the Western Cape to Gauteng? The lifestyle is quite different, and it took time…

Rassie Erasmus had every right to be frustrated with the match officials after the Springboks' narrow losses to Ireland in Dublin and France in Marseille. There were forward passes in the buildup to both of Ireland's tries and France's match-winning score appeared to be a double movement that could not be referred to the TMO because the communication system was down. Had those calls – and others that Erasmus highlighted on Twitter in the aftermath – gone the Boks’ way, they could have beaten the world's top two-ranked teams and regained the No 1 ranking themselves. I don't think Erasmus should have received a two-match ban for his latest tweets, which he laughingly said were not to criticise match officials but educate South African rugby fans on what the Boks…

GREATEST SUPER RUGBY TEAM Last month, SARugbymag.co.za readers voted for the 2009 Bulls to advance to the final. Scan the QR code on page 64 to cast your vote and decide which of these two teams will be crowned the winner of SA Rugby magazine's quest to find the greatest Super Rugby team of all-time. YOU HAVE THE POWER TO DECIDE THE FINAL 2009 Bulls vs 2011 Reds Unbeaten at home, Frans Ludeke's mighty 2009 Bulls set a number of records, including the highest winning margin in a final when they thrashed the Chiefs 61-17 at Loftus Versfeld. Captained by Victor Matfield, the 2009 Bulls set a Super Rugby single-season record with 10 wins and scored 37 tries. Bryan Habana scored eight of those tries, Pierre Spies seven and Akona…

CAREER IN PHOTOS…