Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2023 i SA RUGBY

‘You know the difference between you and me? I make this look good.’ It’s a famous line from Hollywood slapper Will Smith in the sci-fi movie, Men in Black. It’s also a great way to describe what makes Lukhanyo Am such a class act. There was an aura of reverence around the likes of André Joubert and Fourie du Preez, two world-clall Bok legends whose blaring talents in the rugby arena starkly contrasted their stoic off-field demeanour. Am has now joined the club. The Bok most likely to be cast for the lead role in the next James Bond movie, there’s a slick sophistication to his play that makes it seem like every moment is the third or fourth take of a scene he’s been in before. Am made his…

FORWARDS 1. OS DU RANDT Besides doing his job in the scrums, he would be all over the field in general play. 2. JOHN SMIT My captain. He always knew what to say to get the best out of me. 3. CJ VAN DER LINDE One of the quickest props around during my time. I watched in awe as he ran 50m plus against the Crusaders. 4. BAKKIES BOTHA I hated playing against him, but loved having him in my team. Playing against the Bulls, I would put my head in the ruck hoping Bakkies wasn’t near. He once taught me about art on a day off in Scotland. 5. VICTOR MATFIELD With him in my team, I would be calling a backline move knowing there’s a good chance of…

LUKHANYO AM When the Springboks departed for Japan in 2019, Lukhanyo Am was an underrated and unsung part of Rassie Erasmus’ plan to turn the team into world champions. At the time, he had only played eight Tests, and from outside the camp there were questions of the 25-year-old outside centre’s experience. Even though he had been part of the teams that won and drew Rugby Championship matches in New Zealand, there was a sense that Am, and his combination with the abrasive Damian de Allende, was still a work in progress. However, those inside the Springbok camp were fully confident that Am would steal the spotlight and go big in Japan. Four years on and the man who provided the most unselfish try assist in a World Cup final…

Prior to the Super Rugby Pacific final, an ESPN report claimed it featured ‘the best Super Rugby team in 2023 against the best Super Rugby franchise that ever was; the Chiefs hunting for their first title in 10 years, the Crusaders an astonishing seventh-straight trophy [including two from Super Rugby Aotearoa] and the perfect farewell present for coach Scott Robertson and All Blacks stars Richie Mo’unga and Sam Whitelock’. And on 70 minutes at Waikato Stadium, it seemed as though the Chiefs would be rewarded for a season in which they lost only one game and finished 11 points clear of the Crusaders on the log. But one should always be cognisant of history, especially a history as strong as Robertson’s Crusaders. In a thrilling final 10 minutes, history would…

GAMES Space race Players must win the race to the best space when attacking. In defence, players must work early, scan early and look to close space to force errors. By Dan Meehan, Bath DPP coach WHY USE IT Attackers seek space, defenders take it away. This is also true over the ball. Run this game over a series of sessions to gain the most benefit as the players develop their understanding of the tactical implications. SET-UP A pitch split into three channels (15m, 30m, 15m). Winning a ball in the lineout isn’t simply a matter of a jump off the ground and a catch. HOW TO DO IT > Split into attack and defence, ideally around 12 vs 9. As the players improve, even up the numbers. > Start…

84.1 Success-rate percentage, the fifthbest in the tournament 39 Percentage of lineout throws that went to the middle (27 throws) - their favourite length and the second-highest rate in the tournament 89 Hooker George Turner’s successrate percentage (47/53). Fraser Brown’s was 69% (9/13) and Eewan Ashman’s 0% (0/1) 9 Lineout steals, the most in the tournament 50 The percentage of lineouts resulting in catch and drive (28 lineouts) - the second-highest rate in the tournament 5+1 Their favourite set-up (19 throws) 17 Lineout catches taken by lock Richie Gray. Jamie Ritchie took 14 and Jonny Gray 10, with no other player taking more than five…

Possessing the power to match his imposing stature, the 2.08m RG Snyman is a force to be reckoned with, and the Springbok lock has become a key squad member for Munster. Known for his exceptional aerial skills, Snyman’s towering presence is a nightmare for opponents, disrupting set pieces and providing a reliable target in the lineouts. With his athleticism and agility, the 2019 World Cup winner excels in open play, making him a versatile threat across the field. Also hailing from South Africa, Jean Kleyn has carved a reputation as a no-nonsense, physical second-row forward. The former Ireland international and current Bok is a dominant force in the scrums and mauls, while he is also known for his unwavering work ethic. FACT FILE Location: Munster, Ireland Stadium: Thomond Park Captain:…

PUAN PIENAAR ‘Special moments!’ - The Cheetahs flyhalf posed with the famous trophy after winning another Currie Cup title with his boyhood team. TAPIWA MAFURA ‘2023 Currie Cup Champions!’ - The Cheetahs fullback celebrated with flyhalf Siya Masuku. MUNIER HARTZENBERG ‘Currie Cup 2K23 Champions - privileged and grateful.’ - The Cheetahs wing. Who missed the Currie Cup final due to injury, beaming with the trophy in hand. GEORGE LOURENS ‘I’m sure 10-year-old me would be smiling too.’ - The Cheetahs flyhalf celebrated winning the Currie Cup with his former Maties teammates and coach Hawies Fourie. XOLISA GUMA ‘Just a normal kid from Khyelitsha with dreams. The start of greater things to come.’ - The Cheetahs wing with Ruan Pienaar. NEETHLING FOUCHÉ ‘What an abosolute privilege to be able to lead…

The Honey Badger impressed early in our quest to find rugby’s funniest interview, but it was Brendan Venter who had us laughing last! ROUND 1 RASSIE vs THE HONEY BADGER In the midst of an almighty battle with the British & Irish Lions, a Twitter account by the name of ‘Jaco Johan’ started trending after analysing incidents missed by the match officials during the tour of South Africa. Eerily similar to the videos Rassie Erasmus made himself, the clips sparked questions as to who actually owned the account, and of course fingers were pointed at the Springbok boss. How did he respond to the allegations? In the most Rassie way possible. ‘I’m not Jaco Johan, I’m Johan Erasmus and I acutually follow Jaco Johan. He’s one of our big supporters.…

CURRIE CUP In a scintillating 2023 Currie Cup season, the Free State Cheetahs rose above their rivals to emerge as the champions, lifting their seventh title in rugby's oldest competition. Head coach Hawies Fourie expertly led the Cheetahs, showcasing their mettle and culminating in victory over the defending champions, the Pumas, in a captivating final at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein. The league phase brought ups and downs for the Free Staters, who displayed their attacking prowess and secured nine wins out of 14 matches, along with a draw and four defeats. This consistent performance helped them secure a spot in the semi-finals, where they faced the resurgent Bulls, but veteran flyhalf Ruan Pienaar proved instrumental as the Cheetahs clinched a resounding 39-10 win. BY THE NUMBERS 126 Points…

It’s a smile that’s beamed across stadiums and around the rugby world. As he lines up a kick at goal, Damian McKenzie looks up and smiles. The cameras love it, zooming in on the almost cheeky half grin. ‘It’s to loosen me up a bit,’ McKenzie explains, adding that it was an idea suggested to him by sports psychologist David Galbraith. ‘He told me not to overthink it, to relax and enjoy the kick, and the smile came from that.’ For his part, Galbraith told The New Zealand Herald a few years ago that he had little to do with the smile, suggesting instead that it was a reflection of McKenzie’s inner love for playing rugby and taking goal kicks. It was this sort of internal force that was the…

WORLD CUP HISTORY In 2008, the International Rugby Board (now World Rugby) announced that a record 10 unions had expressed interest in hosting either the 2015 or 2019 tournaments. The following year, the IRB rubber-stamped Rugby World Cup Ltd’s recommendation that the 2015 tournament be held in England and that Japan become the first Asian hosts in 2019. South Africa, which had expressed interest in both tournaments, missed out again. The Springboks finished third at the 2015 World Cup before regressing over the next two years. When Rassie Erasmus replaced Allister Coetzee as head coach in early 2018, he inherited a team ranked seventh in the world. Erasmus made Siya Kolisi his captain and began rebuilding the Boks. By the time they arrived in Japan for the 2019 World Cup,…

BROUGHT TO YOU BY In 1998, the Springboks faced Ireland in a two-Test home series for the first time since 1981. Coached by New Zealander Warren Gatland, Ireland featured Cape Town-born SA Schools captain Dion O’Cuinneagain on debut at flank in the first Test in Bloemfontein. However, it was 22-year-old Springbok debutant, Stefan Terblanche, who would steal the show. South Africa, playing in all-white jerseys with green collars to avoid a kit clash with Ireland’s emerald green, were heavy favourites to win the first Test after finishing 1997 with five wins in a row after Nick Mallett had replaced Carel du Plessis as head coach. SOUTH AFRICA, PLAYING IN ALL-WHITE JERSEYS WITH GREEN COLLARS, WERE HEAVY FAVOURITES TO WIN THE FIRST TEST Ireland gave a good account of themselves in…

CLUB FOCUS Newly-crowned United Rugby Championship winners Munster have provided strong competition for Leinster as Ireland’s top club. Officially founded in 1879, at the same time as Leinster and Ulster, Munster traditionally drew their strength from the clubs of Limerick, and in the amateur days competed against the other three Irish provinces, but also played against touring international teams. The All Blacks were the first international side to face Munster in 1905 and won 33-0 in Limerick. A series of near-misses against Australia and South Africa followed, but in 1967 Munster became the first Irish province to beat a major touring team when they defeated Australia at Musgrave Park. Their drought broken, Munster beat New Zealand for the first time in 1978 and then claimed a second win against the…

Disregard whatever has happened in the Rugby Championship and also dismiss whatever will happen in the Springboks’ World Cup warm-up matches against Wales in Cardiff and the All Blacks at Twickenham. Disregard it because all that matters is what will happen when the Springboks play Ireland in Paris on 23 September in what will be their toughest pool assignment at the 2023 World Cup. The Boks will want to win that one, but even if they don’t, it all comes down to the fact that they have to beat one of France or New Zealand in the quarter-finals. The quarter-final is D-day for the Boks and everything in the build-up to that weekend is geared towards that particular playoff date. Don’t get spooked by any result in the interim. Equally…

WHO IS THE 2023 WORLD CUP PLAYOFFS DARK HORSE? VS OLIVER KEOHANE SAYS FIJI If we’re talking about a dark horse for the 2023 World Cup quarter-finals, we’ve got to look past the quality of the squads and at the composition of the pools. We’re definitely not talking about Pool A or D. New Zealand and France will cruise to the knockout stage, and be joined by two of England, Argentina and Japan. I would love to pick Tonga as a dark horse, especially given the makeup of their squad, with ex-All Blacks and Wallabies included for the first time. But in Pool B, Tonga will face South Africa, Scotland and Ireland, with the only ‘easy’ opponent being Romania. I just don’t see it happening. So let’s cast our eyes…

Nadine Pretorius-Makan Well done, Cheetahs! While watching Ruan I wondered why he does not feature in our Bok lineup anymore. Should’t we consider picking him now? Donovan Craig He’s a national treasure. Nigel East He just brings so much stability and confidence to the Cheetahs. So calm. Always seems in control and always has so much time to perform the tasks at hand. Robert van Dyk How can you call up Elton when Ruan is still playing out of his skin? Cobus va Zyl Take him to the World Cup! Cobus Barnard Let’s all just think for a moment - it’s the Currie Cup, not the URC, not international rugby. He is good, I agree, but World Cup material? With all due respect, I don’t think so. Duane Cloete Probably…

Which lock did you look up while growing up? Bakkies Botha. It was his reputation and as a kid I enjoyed him blowing ‘air kisses’ to intimidate opponents after a scrap. You played for the Ikey Tigers. What are you studying at UCT? I’m currently in my third year of University, doing a Bachelor of Socila Science and majoring in sociology, and enviornmental and geographic sciences. What were the biggest challanges in transitioning from playing for WP to the Stromers? The speed of the game and the technical side. The game was extremely fast and you have to up your fitness and conditioning. The players and coaches focus on the small details. They spend hours looking over opposition moves and how we can counter them. If you could play any…

I’ve made peace with the fact that the Currie Cup will never again be the competition I grew up watching. The 1995 tournament will always stand out for me. Taking place in the warm afterglow of the Springboks’ World Cup win, six full-strength provincial teams – including all the Boks – played fiercely competitive home and away matches against each other, before the top two on the log progressed to the final. Natal beat Western Province 25-17 in front of a capacity crowd at Kings Park – despite the wet weather – and Gary Teichmann lifted the famous golden trophy. He did so again a year later after his side beat Transvaal in another enthralling, full-strength final at a packed Ellis Park. Those days are long gone. The Springboks haven’t…

SCHOOLS RUGBY As the 2023 South African schoolboy rugby season unfolds. Grey College remain the team to beat. The Bloemfontein giants lost to Paarl Boys’ High and Paul Roos Gymnasium in 2022, but appear set to go through 2023 unbeaten. When the season broke for the annual Youth Weeks, Grey had won all 12 of their fixtures against some pretty formidable opponents. Employing a classic Test match footy’ style of play, they secured hard-fought wins in these high-intensity encounters. With clinical performances against Affies, the two Paarl giants and Maritzburg College, Grey College demonstrated their skill and efficiency. They put up impressive scores of 60 points against Affies and over 30 points against rivals Paarl Gim. While Grey College reign supreme, they are not the only team producing exceptional performances…