Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2023 i SA RUGBY

If social media clips of Springbok fans in South African speedos tackling Ireland fans on the cobbled streets of Paris are any indication, the 2023 Rugby World Cup has lived up to its reputation as rugby’s biggest party. The on-field vibe hasn’t always lived up to the hype - the quality of matches ranging in wow-factor from a lukewarm beer to a round of flaming martinis - but those in attendance are visibly having a blast at a tournament that celebrates the sport like no other. Damian Willemse is finally being celebrated for his immense value to the cause, the talented playmaker having starred for the Springboks in the pool stage to (at least at the time of writing) claim the No 15 jersey from Willie le Roux. Basking in…

FORWARDS 1. OS DU RANDT Solid at the scrum, but also very good at carrying the ball over the advantage line. 2. JOHN SMIT One of the best captains I played alongside. 3. OWEN FRANKS Helps his team get a solid base from scrums from which to attack. Also a solid defender. 4. BAKKIES BOTHA An enforcer. With Bakkies in your team, you knew you would get quick ruck ball. 5. VICTOR MATFIELD There was no one better than Victor in the world when it came to lineouts. 6. RICHIE McCAW McCaw was devastating on the ground, knowing when to go for the ball and when to leave it. He was also a great leader. 7. JUAN SMITH One of Juan’s strengths was carrying the ball over the advantage line…

RUAN NORTJÉ Remarkable endurance, tireless determination and unwavering commitment to the cause are hallmarks of Bulls and Springbok lock Ruan Nortjé’s career. Nortjé’s machinelike work rate powered the Bulls pack during the 2022-23 United Rugby Championship season, as he logged a staggering 1 653 minutes in 22 appearances across both the URC and Champions Cup. In an era where season-ending injuries are the norm, his ability to remain on the field sets him apart. Nortjé first earned a reputation for being the most durable competitor in the inaugural season of the URC, crowned the ‘Ironman’ for playing the most minutes in the 18-round league phase, and he was subsequently called up to the Springbok squad in 2022. ‘I’ve been very blessed when it comes to injuries, especially the past few…

In the world of sport is where stories of triumph over adversity often shine the brightest. Suleiman Hartzenberg, the dynamic wing-cum-outside centre for the Stormers, personifies this narrative. As he prepares for the 2023-24 season, he carries with him the lessons learned from an injury setback that only fuelled his determination to reach greater heights. ‘The injury was kind of a blessing in disguise,’ Hartzenberg tells SA Rugby magazine. ‘This off time has given me the opportunity to recover fully and get stronger for this season. I’m definitely eager to get back and itching to get on the field.’ It was a rapid ascent for the 19-year-old when he burst onto the scene last season, dazzling fans with his speed and try-scoring prowess in the United Rugby Championship and Champions…

BROUGHT TO YOU BY With a look of dogged determination on his face, scrumhalf Fourie du Preez dived over the line to score the Springboks’ decisive try against Wales in the 2015 World Cup quarter-final at Twickenham. It came nearly a month after they had opened their campaign with a shock loss to Japan in Brighton. In similar circumstances four years later, the Boks played Japan in the quarter-finals, but there was no upset this time round as Rassie Erasmus’ men knocked the hosts out of their tournament with a comfortable 26-3 victory. The Boks then turned their attention to Wales, the only team standing between them and a repeat of the 2007 World Cup final with England. From the outset, it was clear that a titanic battle was unfolding.…

CAREER IN PICTURES…

This is a World Cup column, written a week before the plavoffs. Excuse anv inaccuracy. My thoughts on the opening month: A handful of games and the rest an absolute waste of time in trying to sell a product, which apparently is all that the leaders of world rugby want to do. The odd minnow pitching for 30 minutes against an established team, then folding in the last 50 minutes. One of the Pacific Island teams romancing the game and everyone again believing they found gold, the odd big-game clash and the perceived pool match upset. Outside of France whipping the All Blacks and Ireland edging the Springboks, there was nothing of note in the first month of the World Cup. Fiji should have beaten Wales and they did not.…

RG SNYMAN ‘Tough battle last night but a good win. Also an honour to swap jerseys with Pierre Schoeman.’ - The Bok lock with his former Affies 1st XV captain after the World Cup clash against Scotland in Marseille. WAYDE VAN NIEKERK ‘Good energy.’ - The 400m world and Olympic record holder snapped a photo with Bok legends Schalk Burger and Jean de Villiers in Marseille. DAMIAN WILLEMSE ‘Stormers for life.’ - The Boks were visited by La Rocheiie stars Raymond Rhule and Dillyn Leyds after their World Cup victory over Romania in Bordeaux. MZWANDILE STICK ‘Can’t be in Bordeaux without a wine tour.’ - The Springbok assistant coach at the Château Capet-Guillier vineyard in Saint-Émilion. DEON FOURIE ‘Once upon a dream…’ - The Bok utility forward with his World…

PIETER-STEPH DU TOIT vs SCOTLAND The blindside flank completed the full 80 minutes as the Springboks claimed an 18-3 victory to get their World Cup title defence off to a successful start. Du Toit was at his energetic best, helping the Boks shut down the threat of Scotland’s star playmaker Finn Russell. The 2019 World Rugby Player of the Year completed seven tackles, tied with captain Siya Kolisi for the second-most for South Africa. He also scored a try at the start of the second half, as the Boks came out firing after half time. COBUS REINACH vs ROMANIA The scrumhalf came within minutes of breaking his own World Cup hat-trick record (three in 21 minutes against Canada in 2019) as he triggered the Springboks’ 76-0 demolition job of Romania…

It took just three appearances into his first full season as a senior Lions player for Henco van Wyk to show exactly what he is all about. The Lions were trailing Scottish giants Edinburgh 12-5 in the second half at the Dam Health Stadium when Van Wyk received the ball just beyond the halfway line. Initially met by a pressing Edinburgh defence, the scrum-capped centre stumbled, but did exceptionally well to keep on his feet and power through the traffic to race away for a sensational try that gave the Lions a lead they held onto in a 22-19 victory. A memorable 2022-23 season saw Van Wyk make 12 starts in the URC and Challenge Cup, while his status as one of South Africa’s rising stars was solidified by his…

CONTACT Your three-point ruck plan For something so quick, there are a lot of decisions that go into a ruck. So to gain clarity in your decision-making, break down the breakdown by separating which techniques to use and when. By Dan Cottrell Winning rucks relies on three key factors - choosing the right technique to use, executing that technique properly, and committing the right number of players. The right technique splits into two areas: ball placement and the threats to the ball. A threat to the ball might need to be rolled away, cleared over the ball or stopped from getting to the ball. If we put this into a decision-making plan, we can pull these into three points: DEALING WITH THE BALL ON THE GROUND The ball-carrier, after being…

WOULD THE BOMB SQUAD WORK IN THE URC? VS DYLAN JACK SAYS YES The Stormers are a living, breathing example that employing something similar to the Springboks’ Bomb Squad works away from the international stage. Heavy underdogs in the inaugural URC campaign in 2021-22, the Stormers utilised six replacement forwards to great effect in recovering from a shaky start to go all the way and win the title. In the final against the Bulls, John Dobson was able to call on two replacement loose forwards from the bench in Junior Pokomela and Nama Xaba. Meanwhile, veteran scrumhalf Godlen Masimla and wunderkind Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who only made his debut in the quarter-finals, provided utility value as backline replacements. Dobson also had one of the best replacement front rows in the competition…

SA Rugby magazine The Springboks missed 11 potential points through goal kicks as Ireland held out to claim a 13-8 World Cup pool victory at the Stade de France. Evan Brent Stephens I’m all for Manie, his game play is exceptional, his kicking for lineouts was brilliant. He needs to work on his kicking off the tee. But why kick for goal when you have chosen majority forwards? If Manie plays again, kick for lineouts. Trust your forwards. If Pollard plays, you might have better options to kick for goal. Malcolm Vincent That is sport. If Ireland did not mess up their first five Lineouts they probably would have scored more points. It was a great game and both sides have a great chance of winning the World Cup. Jan-Hendrik…

You have a Bachelor of Science in Geomatics from UCT. How did you manage your time between rugby and studying? I guess you just take it day by day. I got plenty of assistance from UCT Rugby Club in terms of tutoring and the likes, but you also have to be proactive in terms of letting lecturers know what your schedule is. You’re prolific at the breakdown. Were you always a fetcher or is it a skill you developed over time? I wasn’t always a fetcher. In primary school I was more of a ball-carrier because I was one of the bigger kids, but when I got to high school I was one of the smaller guys so I tried to do something that would make me stand out. Which…

It should be of great concern to World Rugby that 36 years after the staging of the first World Cup there were scores of 82-8, 71-3, 76-0, 96-0, 71-0, 96-17, 84-0 and 73-0 in the pool stage of the tournament’s 10th edition. It also soon became apparent that what was billed as ‘the most competitive World Cup ever’ could realistically be won by only four teams (Ireland, France, South Africa and New Zealand), two of which would be heading home after the quarter-finals due to a ridiculously lopsided draw (held three years before the event, with rankings from 1 January 2020 used to determine seedings). However, instead of explaining World Rugby’s plan to reduce the gulf between tier-one and tier-two rugby nations, and ensure more competitive World Cups in future,…

One of four professional teams from Ireland, Ulster have struggled to replicate their early period of success. Founded in 1879 after the Irish Football Union and Northern Football Union of Ireland amalgamated, the Belfast-based club started playing in the Irish Interprovincial Championship in 1946, alongside the other four Irish provinces. Ulster won the tournament 26 times, with their greatest period of success coming in 1982 and 1994, when they won 10 interprovincial titles. When rugby union turned professional in 1995, Ulster were part of the inaugural European Cup and became the first Irish side to win it in 1998-99, beating French club US Colomiers in the final in Dublin. Former Stormers head coach Alan Solomons took charge of Ulster in 2001 and guided the club to a three-year unbeaten home…

I met James when we played in the Transvaal U20 trials at Sturrock Park, the old police fields in Johannesburg in 1989. I knew of him because he'd already played for the Transvaal senior side, but I didn't know him. James was clearly very talented. He had ball skills from soccer, he was physical, strong and quick - he had it all. One of the first things I noticed him doing differently was the way he dealt with up-and-unders. When they kicked them on you in those days you'd always shout ‘my ball’ but he instead shouted ‘James’ ball’, which I found quite funny. We played together for the first time against Western Transvaal at Ellis Park later that year. I was playing in well-worn Patrick boots as I was…